UK Trainer Black

[Gondor]

I have a build that will be influenced by when the current trend of painting trainer aircraft is Gloss Black. Does anyone know when this scheme was introduced?

Gondor

[Dizzyfugu]

IIRC, Hunter trainers already carried an all-over black scheme in their late career, and there was a "Black Arrows" display team (111 Sq.) in the late Fifties that apparently inspired this:




There were also single RN Seahawks that carried, after the type's frontline retirement, an all-black scheme, being used as aggressors e .g. as incoming cruise missiles.

[PR19_Kit]

By a process of elimination using the airliners.com search engine, it seems the RAF switched from the red/white scheme to the black scheme somewhere around 1995.

Some Hawks were painted in an all over grey scheme in the interim, but that doesn't seem to have lasted long.

[Dizzyfugu]

IIRC, the Hawk's grey scheme was connected to the idea to use the Hawk trainers, armed with Sidewinders, in a secondary role together with Tornado ADVs for aerial defense.

I have also found a picture of the afotementioned Hunter trainers (note the matt finish!), it's from 1993 and shows aircraft from 208 Squadron - used for low level flight training as part of the Buccaneer Training Flight:



1994 the Hawk was introduced in this (then re-formed) unit, and these machines were AFAIK painted black right from the start:

[PR19_Kit]

Yes, 208 were a law unto themselves, and while based at Lossiemouth all their aircraft, Buccs and Hunters, ended up matt after a very short time. The airfield is right on the shore of the Moray Firth and the place is permanently damp from the sea spray.

You wouldn't buy a car from anyone who'd been based there!

[Captain Canada]

Great pic of the Hunters on the deck ! Look mean like that 

[PR19_Kit]

Great pic of the Hunters on the deck ! Look mean like that 

208 was a specialist maritime strike squadron, and their main method of attack was to approach the target from 4-5 directions at once at a VERY low level, like 50 ft or less, and all fire their Sea Eagle missiles at the same time, hopefully swamping the target's defences. The Hunters were used for training the Bucc crews, so they operated way low as well.

I've spent many a happy hour in the threshold caravan at Lossiemouth with my youngest daughter (Did you know she was the RAF's best................Oh, you did. OK) watching them return from training flights at such a low level that we didn't see them until they were only 1/4 mile away! 

[Gondor]

Thank you gentlemen, I shall take your information onboard when working out what the colour scheme for the build I required the information for. 

Gondor