A weeks-long project to repaint one of the Yorkshire Air Museum’s most iconic aircraft has been captured in a striking time-lapse video, now available to view online. The aircraft in question is the Handley Page Victor K2, an inflight refuelling tanker, which has received a fresh coat of camouflage paint—the first time in forty years it has worn this distinctive scheme. While the aircraft has been repainted before, this is the first return to its Falklands War-era camouflage since the 1980s.
On display at the museum since 1993, the Victor had previously sported a grey “hemp” colour scheme, representing its service during Operation Granby in 1991. This latest repaint restores the bold camouflage pattern it wore during the 1982 Falklands conflict, when Victors played a crucial role in supporting long-range bombing missions by flying vital refuelling sorties from Ascension Island.
The repainting process began in early May, with scaffolding installed by specialists from Kaefer, followed by detailed paintwork carried out by Bagnalls. Over the course of six weeks, the entire transformation of XL231—nicknamed “Lusty Lindy”—was meticulously documented by a camera mounted on the Control Tower by Hebden Bridge-based company Site Eye. Capturing an image every three minutes, Site Eye compiled thousands of photos into a dynamic two-minute time-lapse video that showcases the full scope of the repaint from start to finish.
Built in 1961 as a nuclear bomber and later converted into a tanker, “Lusty Lindy” has become a centrepiece of the Yorkshire Air Museum’s collection. For more information about the Yorkshire Aviation Museum, visit www.yorkshireairmuseum.org. You can watch the full time-lapse video now on the Vintage Aviation News YouTube channel below.
