Nmf and silver paint schemes?

[Robbbie1984]

Ok, given up on finding the eduard 1/48 hawker tempest and chose to do the silver mk ix spit of 601 squadron UF Q mj250 but I'm led to believe that silver paint schemes didn't appear until post war and the plane must be nmf but can anyone shed any light on why it was stripped back or if it was a silver paint scheme?

 

[Airframes]

Some post war Aux AF (later Royal Aux AF) squadrons had the aircraft in a painted 'aluminium' finish, others in standard day fighter camouflage. I'm not aware of any 'standard' RAF aircraft of the period, apart from perhaps the B-29 'Washington', being in a bare metal finish.
However, 601 Sqn was disbanded in May 1945, in the MTO (Italy) when equipped with the MkIX Spit, in camouflage finish.
The Squadron re-formed in December 1946, with Spit LFXVIe, until December 1949, when Vampires started to arrive. At this time, the codes had changed to the 'reserve' codes - RAH.
Are you by chance referring to the scheme worn by the BBMFs Spit? I believe this replicating a 'one off', for a record attempt, or air race, with the aircraft flown by the 601 Sqn CO at the time, when they were using MkXVIs, and not a 'standard' scheme.

 

[FalkeEins]

sorry to butt in Terry, but there is a super pic and profile artwork of this IX in "Polish Wings 15" - getting airborne for a sortie in mid-1944. According to the caption " one of the first NMF Spitfires, with fabric surfaces painted aluminium"...while I'm here are there any decals for another Polish NMF Spit IX D*MB??

 

[Airframes]

Ah, thanks Neil. I now seem to recall seeing a pic at some time, with black code letters - can't remember where though! Presumably a local 'mod' then?
What scale do you need the code letter decals Neil, and do you know the serial number? I'll have a look at what I've got on file - if not, I could easily make some for you.

 

[FalkeEins]

PM sent

cheers

 

[Robbbie1984]

I'm working off the pic of UF Q getting airborne for a mission and found not really interesting but yeah I saw it do a fly over at RAF Cosford the BBMF version and thought it was stunning!

 

[Robbbie1984]

Meant to say it interesting not not interesting.....typo! So the control surfaces were painted aluminium?

 

[Airframes]

I would guess that the elevators and rudder would be in 'aluminium' dope, as they were fabric covered. Ailerons on the MkIX were metal skinned but, without having the pic to refer to, I can't say whether they would have been stripped back to bare metal, or painted (not doped on metal) in 'aluminium'. If pushed, I'd go for stripped to bare metal.

 

[Robbbie1984]

Cool, got a couple of pics but not having a working laptop I can't get them up, it won't let me do it off my mobile!