Recent content by Tinplate58

I've seen the Hendon Oxford, it was in the Bomber Command Hall then; presumably that's why it has black undersides but that was the scheme for training aircraft in OTUs which could be called on for an operational role when required ( ie. bombers, fighters and Coastal Command). Yellow was...

This is one of the photos I mentioned earlier, from MAP; the late war scheme ( aircraft is from the Fighter Command Instrument Training Squadron , hence the yellow BAT triangles ). The external colour scheme was detailed in Air Publication 2656A Sect. 6 of Oct. 1944..... Uppers Dark Green-Dark...

This is the only colour photo I've see; I'm pretty sure this is 44-63483 " Stinger VII".It later had the revised late-war markings, green tail top and wing-tailplane tips plus solid green spinner. You can't always rely on colour photos but it shows the dull medium green colour rather than the...

Antoni.....my apologies you are right of course. The official requirement was a division down the CL, the actual instructions being not too clear. The Observer Corps also was evidently confused, a signal sent Dec. 16 1938 stating ....."the black and white marking will in future be restricted...

Gary.......prior to the adoption of camouflage ( Dark Green -Dark Earth ) for the topsides in 1937-38 the external finish of prototypes was left to the contractors concerned , as Waynos says no authorised schemes. The attached is the relevant memo from the AM as to the first 3 schemes approved...

Hi BT...........X4561 QJ--B was with 92 from Dec. 1940 to April 1941; from Nov. the port wings were painted black with roundels outlined yellow, the rest of the undersides were Sky which was the specified colour from June 1940 (just prior to the BOB ). Also from Nov. Sky tail bands and...

Wildcat you are quite right, it's a small square panel just above the battery compartment; they often appear as a light patch probably a result of repainting. The yellow on SZ-X could be a primer. This is a light-coloured (or replacement) panel on a Mk. IX from 208 Sqn. Regards...

Terry Brown dated this photo Aug. 6 1943 when 316 would have been at Northolt as part of the Polish Wing; the squadron was converting back to Mk. Vbs from Mk. IXs (which they flew March 43-Sept. 43 ) . The clean appearance is due to it's being waxed and polished as were others in the...

Hi Barf..........in June 1993 "Scale Aircraft Modelling" magazine did a feature on Oxfords , there are 4 drawings of RNZAF Oxfords ....all 4 in different schemes!! 1. Overall bare metal 2. Overall yellow, red rudder and cowlings 3. Yellow with red bands on wings-fuselage ( BAT unit) 4...

Barf afraid our scanner is temporarily kaput so I can't post a photo (will do so ASAP) but these are the specified colours from 1943 to end of war. Uppers, Temporate Land Scheme ,Dark Green-Dark Earth down to the fuselage bottom, yellow undersides. Serials Night (black) but often white...

I met Lanny Lanowski at a few FOTE meetings at Alconbury back in the 1980s (he died a few years ago ) , his HV--Z was matt black with bare metal leading edges and undersides ( I was into modelling at the time). I had some correspondence with Russ Kyler when I did a colour profile of his HV--J...

Dustin after the surrender on 15 Aug. , Hancock and her carrier group ( Lexington, Bennington, San Jacinto and Belleau Wood) flew rescue, photo and observation missions over the mainland. On Sept.10 they entered Tokyo Bay. Their last combat was on the 15th. At that time her air...

Dustin.......carrier pilots were not normally assigned their own planes; it would be very difficult to spot a particular plane on the flight deck in the position the pilot was to be flying on that day. "Hancock"'s air group from 10 July to 15 Aug. ( the strikes on Japanese mainland) was CVG-6...

Wojtec.........the undersides were Sky------- Sky, Sky Type S, Duck Egg Blue and Duck Egg Green were all the same, officially "Sky" (Smooth). In 1940 the Royal Observer Corps started the "Duck Egg" names ,as Sky suggested a blue shade but was actually a pale green like a duck's egg.It was just...

There are 3 photos of 44-14734 on Peter Randall's "Little Friends " site 8th Air Force Fighter Group - Littlefriends.co.uk he's expanding the 339th gallery but you can still see the images. Go to the "339th Gallery". 734 went to Steve Ananian who named it "Baby Mine"; Jack was then assigned...