LIVE EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON FGR4 ACTION BOMBER COUNTY • QRA STATION RAF CONINGSBY 01.07.25

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Join us live at TED HQ, aka RAF Coningsby for an action beginning of the week live show with the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4. Everyday is different at RAF Coningsby and as it is home to two frontline combat ready squadrons, an OCU (Operational Conversion Unit), a TES (Test and Evaluation Squadron) and a joint RAF/QEAF squadron. It is also home to the BBMF and the Typhoon Display Team and this time of year we will start to see the practice displays. Listen out for REHEAT1! What’s with the three X’s? Since the late 1920s, 29 Squadron were flying Siskins which featured XXX on the fuselage. Then when flying the Bulldog, there were on two X’s. I have sourced a picture of a Hawker Demon K3976 from 1935 featuring just two X’s In the 1950’s when operating the Meteor, they reverted back to three X’s. So the traditional story is this; the markings should really be XXIX to resemble 29 in roman numerals, but there is a belief among current squadron personnel that this originated as a "misspelling" of the Roman numeral. It is believed that a misunderstanding of instructions to ground crew to paint "2 X's in front of the roundel and IX behind it" meaning "X,X,(roundel), and 'IX'. Instead, it was misunderstood to put 'one' X after the roundel. It has stayed ever since. But since discovering the Bulldog and the Demon having just the two X’s, I personally believe they are NOT roman numerals at all. Squadron markings are a mixture of shapes and colours. 2 AC Squadron has two white triangles, 17 squadron have wavy lines and so too does 6 squadron. RAF Coningsby operned in November 1940 and the first squadron to arrive was 106 Squadron with their HP Hampden bombers in February 1941. Joining them in April 1941 were 97 Squadron with their Avro Manchesters. Guy Gibson took command of 106 Squadron at RAF Coningsby at the age of just 23. With the Avro Manchesters being grounded several times due to its engine issues, 106 Squadron would go on missions on their own. Whislt converting to the Avro Manchester, 106 Squadron found themselves reverting back to the Hampdens. Both squadrons were going to be upgraded to the Avro Lancaster but Coningsby's grass runway was not suitable, so a satellite station was built for RAF Coningsby about 5 miles away, RAF Woodhall Spa. With hardened, class-A configuered runways, both squadrons would use the satellite station to operate the Lancasters. Eventually in September 1942 to August 1943, Coningsby was closed to have its runway upgraded to the class-A hardened runways. With 1418 Beam Approach Training Unit using the new runways for the first time in 1943, Lancaster squadrons began to arrive. 617 Squadron first and then 619 along with 61 and 97 Squadrons. 106 Squadron moved to RAF Metheringham. Mosquitos, Lincolns and Boeing Washingtons were also added to RAF Coningsby's list of aircraft inventory. In 1953 RAF Coningsby had their very first jet aircraft, the English Electric Canberra and in 1962-1964 the Avro Vulcan was stationed here. With a careful consideration to what aircraft would replace the Canberra, it was the Spey-engined Phantoms that would win the choice. It was 6 Squadron who arrived in 1969, turning Coningsby into fighter town. Right up until the arrival of the Tornado F3, the base had seen Harriers and Jaguars too. With GR4 Tornados coming to an end of life, it was on the 19th May 2005 that 17 Squadron brought RAF Coningsby its new aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon. Based here today are: 3 (F) Squadron XI (F) Squadron 12 Squadron 29 Squadron OCU 41 TES Plus the BBMF and the Typhoon Display Team #typhoon #eurofighter #rafconingsby #tedconingsby Official Ted Coningsby Merchandise https://tedconingsby.co.uk/shop/ noTEDS https://tedconingsby.co.uk/noteds/ Ted Social stuff Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ted_coningsby/ Facebook https://m.facebook.com/tedconingsbyuk X https://x.com/tedconingsby www.tedconingsby.co.uk Ted Coningsby Membership: Join our channel to get access to members only perks. In reality, we rely on your subscriptions to keep our channel growing, so this is a MASSIVE help and thank you to ALL of you who have subscribed. We go all over the country to get the footage we need for you to enjoy but this comes at a cost. Your membership will help fund us with the fuel and the equipment we need... https://www.youtube.com/c/tedconingsby/join