R7752
PR-G of 609 (West Riding) Squadron
R7752 was delivered to 609 (West Riding) Squadron on 2nd June 1942. Initially,
coded PR-G it was flown by Squadron Leader Paul Richey (‘G’ was Richey’s
favoured letter since his days in the Battle of France with No. 1 Squadron),
before becoming the mount of Squadron Leader Roland Beamont when he took command
of the Squadron. The engine panel, on which ‘Bee’ kept a tally of his
victories is still in existence, and is now in the 609 Squadron memorial room at
the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington (having previously been displayed at the
RAF museum at Hendon, and in the family home before that). The panel is signed
on the back by many of the pilots and ground officers of the time, who presented
the panel to Bee when he left the squadron. The aircraft was then passed to
Squadron Leader Alec Ingle, who took over 609 when Bee went off for a rest tour
as a test pilot at Hawkers. R7752 went on to 56 Squadron in July 1943, but in
August was back at Hawkers, where it was stripped and used for parts. Paint
schemes and markings changed regularly on Typhoons. At one point, PR-G had 1ft
wide yellow bands running back across the wings from close to the inside cannons
(until 3rd February 1943). The spinner varied from red tipped duck-egg-blue
(this was Richey, and Bee initially) at one point, to yellow with Bee. Also,
cannons were initially unfaired - it was Bee's idea to have them faired in, and
R7752 was the first Typhoon to have this modification - with fairings from a
Spitfire being used. These were also yellow. This shrouding later became
standard. Also, the reflector gunsight was modified, part of it was blanked off
with a slide in order to not blind the pilot when attacking ground targets at
night - this was never an official mod on Typhoons, but became unofficially
standard on 609's. Also, while Richey had it, at one point the 'R7752' serial
was painted out. Black and white identification bands (not invasion stripes) and
type 'c' roundels were also added, along with a white chin stripe, when in Bee's
possession. The cockpit did not have a blister in the top. The gun camera was
fitted to the port wing, rather than beneath the nose.
