In advance of the nation’s commemoration events to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day in summer 2024, Britain’s army of aviation enthusiasts found themselves regularly checking the social media feeds of the Royal Air Force Typhoon Display Team, just in case they made any interesting announcements. 

Sure enough, on a damp Monday in May, the doors of one of the Hardened Aircraft Shelters at RAF Coningsby opened to reveal a beautifully presented Eurofighter Typhoon, resplendent in 1944 camouflage and identification markings. 

The impressive scheme applied to Typhoon FGR.4 ZJ913 took inspiration from the RAF No.257 (Burma) Squadron Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib flown by Pilot Officer Denzil Jenkins in support of the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944, complete with the black and white identification markings which were such a distinctive feature of Allied aircraft operating over Normandy on D-Day. 

This was a masterstroke by the RAF PR team, and this aircraft thrilled millions of people throughout the airshow season which followed, at commemorative events in both the UK and France, and whilst undertaking a successful tour of Canada. 

Enthusiasts were quick to give this distinctive aircraft a name of its own, and from that very first day at Coningsby, she was referred to as ‘Moggy’, another play on the squadron codes the aircraft wore, using the roundel as an O. 

Sadly, this attractive aircraft only served a single season as the RAF display Typhoon, but will be fondly remembered as one of the most popular RAF aircraft of the post-war era. 

'Moggy' can now take pride of place on your workbench, along with the aircraft that inspired her look, with both aircraft model kits in 1:72 scale.