**** DONE: 1/48 Spitfire FR.lX - Jet/Recon/Transport GB

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Thanks Terry...I know you had sent me that drawing (now I have seemn it again) but when I reverted to PR G all that stuff went into the "Virtual Atic".

Geo, (when you are back)

This is what the oblique sight looks like. The second picture is just for the position, you can't really see the sight clearly but it is in the centre of the green circle, just visible.

PRUSight_zps22225b8e.gif


Note the six rivets..this is an American Recce Spit and the six may indicate a different type of controller setup...although the large silvered on/off knob of the British Type 35 is visible in the cockpit... But the aircraft isn't an FR IX so no relevance here.


PRUSigh2_zps6c6505fe.gif





I am not sure what the mark on the wing looked like but I am pretty sure it was on the trailing edge of the port wing...my guess is just inboard of the aileron (which makes sense if you are looking aft and slightly below) but it is only a guess. I'll keep looking for references.



Also, Spit Mk IX there is a quite baffling number of combinations of wheels, bumps, lumps, tails heights etc etc etc. If you like I have the canadian engineer's big Spitfire book (sorry, can't recall the author's name) and also M&S so between us all, we should be able to peg most of MK290 for you.
 
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Terry,

Interesting point about that drawing..the Camera selector is shown attached to the wrong frame!! Obviously they never noticed before issuing it :)

There is a bundle of gear there that is in the way. It should be one frame forward and under the throttle
 
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Yes, you're right Darryl. But, somewhere on at least one of the series of drawings, almost lost in the reproduction process, is a note to the effect that these are for 'illustration purposes only', or something similar. This means that they show where items are, to demonstrate location and orientation, but not the precise fixing location.
As another example, if you have a look at the oblique camera in that drawing, in relation to the radio hatch, they don't line up!
 
Noooo BUT………………..they were cute………….

Funnily enough, according to the project manager at the time, when LM Skunk Works did the camouflage analysis for the F-117 the computers came up with pastel and pink shades as the ideal scheme.
When the USAF was approached with this idea, LM reiceved a somewhat emphatic (but not wholly unexpected) reply "REAL men DON'T fly pink aeroplanes".

The colour was changed to black, a suitably non-homoerotic compromise but as anyone who knows anything about camouflage will tell you, black is a VERY bad colour as it does not occur in nature often at all. And against a much less than perfect "black" night sky, it positively screams at you on most occasions.


Ah..the fun of it all....



RSAAF standard camouflage, 1950.

Zebra-Spitfire-Safari-38248_zps527a1ed1.gif
 
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What was that for………………..the local Zebra Meet……………… or was it ground camouflage…………!
 
Vic,

Was used by the highly secret "Zebra Squadron" which fought against the Hutu RPP in The Djiboutian Civil War (1950-55). The South African Government backed the Mau Mau "opposition" in it's quest to get hold of the rich Djiboutian Truffle deposits (which had led the French to the establish their colony there in 1862). The Spitfires were engaged in low level strafing and "bombe de truffles" missions to deny the Hutu's the Truffle Fields. By late 1954 the Truffle deposits had been largely dug up or destroyed and all parties lost interest early the following year..

To this day the RSAAF denies involvement...


;)
 
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Vic,

:) :)


Djiboutian Civil War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


An interesting little stoush and not a truffle in sight *G*




Tricking search engines these days is hard and most people will wake up to "stories" just by using google. But they CAN be fooled. My favourite is to add a completely aprocryphal date on the end of names. No-one can resist searching " The Djiboutian Civil War (1950-55) " whereas if they just searched " The Djiboutian Civil War " they would tumble the gaff straight away. Try it, it is fun. Google " The Spanish Civil War (1820-1913) " or " The Serbian Civil War (1893-1895) "
or " The Scottish Civil War (1760-1763) "

If they can't find it, they still are not quite sure...but if they do find it and it says 1994 (and no mention of truffles) then you are sunk........ ;)
 
RSAAF standard camouflage, 1950.

Zebra-Spitfire-Safari-38248_zps527a1ed1.gif
[/QUOTE]

Outstanding info gentlemen. Darryl, I download this photo a while ago. My version of an SAAF squadron hack. The original canopy was awful and I can't find a replacement, so, due to my daughters impatience at receiving this model, it will now be a convertible, African heat and all. Just need to attach the windscreen, prop, and mount it to it's stand

Capture2.JPG


Going to P.G today so hopefully will get something up tonight.

Geo
 

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