After WWII, the RAF
contracted out many services to private concerns. One, seen here, was the job of
towing banners around the sky so eager young pilots could get gunnery
experience. This company, Norris-Vincent Aerial Target Towing Company, used out
of production Meteors for their aircraft of choice. A bold, bright paint scheme
was chosen to avoid the unpleasantness of being shot down, and to further the
ability of the recruits to recognise the plane as not a target, a second canopy
was painted upon the bottom of the fuselage. This made it apparent it was a
manned aircraft, regardless of it's orientation.
Click on
images below to see larger images
"There I was, at 8,000
feet, and suddenly, the banner just popped up right in front of me!"
"Sorry sir, but your flap just dropped off!"
Kits used: Tamiya
Meteor III, with ICM RAF pilots and crew . Decals from my inkjet printer. Base
made from a chunk of pine, bought for $1.80 CDN at my local hardware store.
Plane was painted with Tamiya spray paints, for that nice glossy finish.
Alvis 3.1
|
|