Messerspit colours

[SirFrancis]

Hey guys,

I'm just looking for confirmation about the Messerspit underside colour. Drawings indicate a complete yellow underside. I read somewhere that it may not have been completely yellow but limited to tail plane underside and wings or wing tips? I'm not sure if the attached photo is original colour or colourised etc and accuracy.

I believe the upper-side was standard RLM74 +75?

Any thoughts?

cheers
Francis

 

[Wurger]

Actually there is as many camouflages as modellers who made the replic of the Spitfire. In pictures of other captured and tested bu Germans allied planes it can be notice that not always the undersides were repanited yellow fully. But in the case the demarcation line between the bottom colour and the fuselage side one isn't the kind that the RAF used. It indicates the area was repainted rather. The difference between the colour tone of the engine cowling, accessing panel, rudder with the elevators and the undersides was caused by the time these surfaces were painted. It should be kept in mind that the Spitfire had been tested with the orginal RR engine for some of time before the power plant was replaced with the DB engine. As a result the yellow that was applied earlier got its darker tone because of the dirt, dust and moisture for sure. When she got the Daimler Benz engine the entire front and the tail control surfaces were painted with a fresh colour only hence the different tinge. The wing undersides looked like the bottom of the fuselage so it wasn't refreshed and stayed in the yellow applied earlier and looking dirty now. Regarding the tops ... I don't think the RLM 74/75 was used. I would say it was either in the RLM 70 or 71 tone. Because the paint was applied earlier like the yellow at the undersides it started to fade and the RAF colours being still under the German coat slowly started showing through. Especially the Dark Green colour. The entire rest of the tones there are the effect of the wiping, smudges, moisture, light and worn coat. Just my two cents.

the pic source:

Captured Supermarine Spitfires - Destination's Journey

Photographs of Supermarine Spitfire fighters that have been captured by the Luftwaffe and used for evaluation

www.destinationsjourney.com

 

[SirFrancis]

Thanks Wurger, I see what you mean about the 'fresh' look to the paint on the cowl and dirty underside along rear fuselage. That would be an interesting scheme, RAF pattern showing through Luftwaffe pattern. The drawings I've seen have the wing pattern in wavy lines like RAF rather than straight splinter. It looks that way in photo though not hard to tell. I wonder if that's the RAF scheme showing through?
Also I noticed the canons have been removed - just stubs.

cheers