News & competitions

Header image: Hurricane Mk IIC PZ865 in its current night-fighter, night-intruder colour scheme. (Photo: Darren Harbar)

BBMF Hurricane Mk IIC PZ865, the last Hawker Hurricane built from a total of 14,533, first flew on 27th July 1944, 80 years ago this month. Wearing the inscription “The Last of the Many!”, PZ865 was flight tested by Hawker’s Chief Test Pilot, Group Captain PWS ‘George’ Bulman. He had flown the prototype Hurricane on its maiden flight on 6th November 1935 and so could lay claim to having flown the maiden flights in the very first and very last Hurricanes to be built.

Header image: Spitfire Mk Vb AB910 (Photo: Jim Dooley)

Eighty years ago this month, on 15th July 1944, BBMF Spitfire Mk Vb AB910 flew its last operational sortie of the Second World War, with 402 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). This was a two-hour shipping protection patrol of four Spitfires, covering convoys to France, with Pilot Officer Ken Heggie RCAF at the controls of AB910.

After the success of last year’s photo competition and the superb 2024 Club calendar that resulted, the RAF Memorial Flight Official Club is running a photographic competition for Club members to submit their photos of the BBMF for possible inclusion in the 2025 Club calendar. We have extended the deadline for entries to 5th August 2024.