#1278 Typhoon FGR4, Special Tail
Purchased products will not feature the Squadron Prints watermark
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1278 - Typhoon FGR4, ZK308 \'TP-V\', 29® Squadron, RAF Coningsby.
To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, Eurofighter Typhoon ZK308 is painted to represent Hawker Typhoon MN526 ‘TP-V’ which flew with 198 Squadron during World War Two. The Squadron was initially formed at Northolt in February 1917 and disbanded just over a year later after the Armistice. It reformed again at Digby in December 1942 flying the Hawker Typhoon Ia and Typhoon Ib. Like the current Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon Squadrons, it was a multi-role unit with a fighter and ground-attack role. 198 Squadron also flew escort missions to protect the fighter-bomber aircraft during bombing raids over enemy territory. The unit was heavily involved in D-Day operations flying missions from Thorney Island. Further moves to Funtington and Hurn were to take place before moving to the continent to continue their war missions. 198 Squadron finally disbanded at Wunstorf on 15 September 1945.
No. 29 Squadron formed at Gosport on 7 November 1915. The Squadron moved to France in 1916 and during the early years, equipped with DH2s and Nieuport Scouts, was engaged mainly in escort duties to protect vulnerable reconnaissance aircraft over the Western Front. In 1918, now flying SE5As, the Squadron’s role became fighter and ground attack missions. After a short period in Germany, the Squadron returned to the UK and was disbanded in 1919. In April 1923, No. 29 reformed as a fighter squadron at Duxford first with Snipes, then re-equipping with Grebes in 1925, Siskins in 1928, Bulldogs in 1932, and the two-seat Demons in 1935, which it took to Egypt for a year during the 1935 Abyssinian crisis. The Squadron converted to Blenheims in 1938 and on the outbreak of World War II used these aircraft for patrols over shipping, and early trials with airborne radar. In June 1940 the Squadron became involved in the fight to counter German night bombing raids, and eventually began to receive Beaufighters. Its defensive role remained after conversion to Mosquitoes in 1943 but in May 1944 intruder missions began, and continued until 1945. In October 1945 the Squadron moved to West Malling to become part of the peacetime night-fighter force in the UK. Meteors replaced the Mosquitoes in 1951. In 1957 the Squadron moved to Northumberland, then to Scotland in 1958, having crossed over to Javelins in November 1957. In February 1963, No. 29 relocated to Cyprus and in December 1965 deployed to Zambia for a nine month detachment. In 1967 the Squadron returned to the UK and became a Lightning squadron, subsequently converting to Phantoms at Coningsby in January 1975. In 1982 a detachment of 29 Squadron Phantoms was deployed to Stanley for the defence of the Falkland Islands. In 1987 the Squadron became the first operational squadron to be equipped with the Tornado F3. 29 Squadron deployed to Saudi Arabia after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, flying throughout Operation Desert Storm in the air-defence role. The Squadron disbanded in 1998. In September 2003 a nucleus began to form at Warton aerodrome, home of the BAE Systems Case White project, to bring the Eurofighter Typhoon into service. The first Typhoon was delivered to the Squadron on 23 June 2004. On 1 July 2005 the Squadron took its new aircraft back home to Coningsby to become the Typhoon Operational Conversion Unit. It officially reformed on 4 November 2005, almost 90 years after the original formation. No. 29(R) Squadron is responsible for the training of RAF Typhoon pilots, Qualified Weapons Instructors, engineers and ground trades for the UK and overseas.