Halifax Mk 1/11 yellow markings?

Maybe this thread should really be in the modelling section, but here goes?
Having had family members that worked for Handley Page, I have always wanted to build a Halifax kit, now at retirement age, I have the time! I have one question regarding the Revell Halifax Mk 1/11 GR11. I want to make the version shown on the box artwork. W7710 "The Ruhr Express". The artwork depicts the aircraft with yellow leading wing and tail plane edges. Other builders have also completed this model with this feature, but I question whether this is correct? On the few period pictures available, it appears that only the tail plane had yellow leading edges. One profile taken from 'Handley Page HP.56 Halifax in action' shows this feature as well. So who is correct, Revell or Squadron/Signal?

The pic was taken with the yellow filter what indicates the clouds seen nicely. Another clue the filter was used is the tone of the yellow and red colours. In both cases these become very light. The yellow gets almost the white appearance while the red is much lighter than the blue. Both effects can be noticed while looking at the RAF roundel and fin flash on the vertical fin. So.. if there would be the yellow the lerading edges would be as light as the yellow ring of the fuselage roundel. But the tone of them looks like the red rather. This indicates a colour that was quite close to the yellow but it wasn't of the tone fully. IMHO It was the anti-icing paste applied to the leading edges. What is more the colour became a little bit faded getting the more matt finish.. I would be more sceptical about the yellow colour there if I didn't see another pic of the W7710 with traces of applying of the paste presented clearly. To sum up ... the yellowish colour should be both on the leading edges of the wing and tail.

I agree. This was the anti-icing paste used in this period, a not that successful method of trying to prevent or minimise icing, before the introduction of the electrically heated, pulsating de-icer 'boots'.
From what I've seen in the few, genuine colour photos of both Halifax and Wellington aircraft, this was more of a faded, yellow / sandy colour, and was applied by brush ( normally a broom ! ), and not always very neat.
I used to have a superb photo of this paste being applied, which looked a messy job, but it was in a book I loaned out years ago, and never got back.
I'm not sure if it was applied to tail-planes, but logic would suggest it probably was.
BTW, is that you Derek ?

More pics, from Nose Art Database

Also I agree on the tinge of the paste. It was called a mustard yellow colour, as memo serves. So it wasn't the yellow colour used for RAF markings.
Here is a shot of the Halifax W7710 with nicely seen the areas with the paste applied.


the pic source: Harold A. Skaarup Web page

Airframes said:

I agree. This was the anti-icing paste used in this period, a not that successful method of trying to prevent or minimise icing, before the introduction of the electrically heated, pulsating de-icer 'boots'.
From what I've seen in the few, genuine colour photos of both Halifax and Wellington aircraft, this was more of a faded, yellow / sandy colour, and was applied by brush ( normally a broom ! ), and not always very neat.
I used to have a superb photo of this paste being applied, which looked a messy job, but it was in a book I loaned out years ago, and never got back.
I'm not sure if it was applied to tail-planes, but logic would suggest it probably was.
BTW, is that you Derek ?

Click to expand...

Yes Terry, it is me! How goes?

Regarding the tinge of the paste I would say it should be something like that ...

Yep, agree.

Great to hear from you Derek. I'm doing reasonably well, considering the effects of arthritis. Currently in your old neck of the woods, travelling around Norfolk and Suffolk, visiting old airfields and control tower museums. Just down the road from Fersfield airfield, on a campsite at Scole, outside Diss.
Going to Thorpe Abbots and Tibenham tomorrow.
How's things with you - moved to Roskilde ?