Spitfire PR. XIX weathering

[Rodders 61]

Hi,
I'm looking for some pictures of weathered Spitfire PR XIX. I'm doing the Airfix kit in 1/72 on D-Day but i can only find pictures of modern ones.
Did the pru blue weather much?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Rodders.

 

[fubar57]

Going through a power outage at the moment. If no one pops in I'll go through my books. I know I have at least one strickly PR XIX book

 

[os1usnr]

Following

 

[Wurger]

the pic source: the net.

 

[Crimea_River]

Not XIX's but XI's but at least they are colour pics taken in wartime. Photos from Spitfire II: The Canadians by Robert Bracken.

If you are representing your model ON D-Day then the AEAF stripes would be pretty fresh. Possible wear down to the PRU Blue within a couple of weeks. The pics above don't show much wear on the PRU Blue.

 

[Wurger]

And a couple of PR.XIs more ...

the pic source: How do I make a Spitfire PR XI in 1/48?

 

[fubar57]

My work is done here, power on in two bours

 

[Crimea_River]

Last pic is interesting. Fresh PRU Blue on the AEAF stripe uppers suggests quite a bit of fading of the original colour on the other surfaces - unless they used Ocean Grey. Also note the different hues on the rudder and elevator horn.

 

[Wurger]

And one more ...

the pic sourceŁ ROYAL AIR FORCE: ITALY, THE BALKANS AND SOUTH-EAST EUROPE, 1944-1945.

 

[buffnut453]

TBH, if you're doing a Spit PR XIX at the time of D-Day, then weathering would be pretty minimal.

The type only entered operational service in May 1944 so any airframes would only be a few weeks old at most.

 

[strale]

And a couple of PR.IXs more ...

View attachment 890226

Good evening Wurger!
I really love this thread, because the "PR" versions of the Spitfire are my favourite and because I would like to reproduce the one depicted in this image: the "white G".
So, I have some questions about it:
1) do you confirm this is a "PR.IX"? I have information and indication that this Spitfire was a "PR.XI", assigned to RAF 682 Squadron - Detachment operating from Malignano airfield (about 5 miles South-West of Siena, actually called Ampugnano airfield) during September 1944.
2) Have you got good information about the serial of this aircraft? Some sources indicate EN671, some other sources say EN677...
3) Considering I planned to build a 1/72 scale model (kit-bashing Airfix Mk.IX fuselage and Airfix Mk.XIX wing), how can I reproduce the "white G" letter, that seems to me totally out of any RAF WWII code standard dimensions? I can hardly find a 1/72 decal sheet that let me have "this" shape and "these" dimensions of the above mentioned G letter!!! Any suggestion is more than welcome.
Thank you in advance and sorry for my bad English.
CARLO

 

[Wurger]

Good evening Wurger!
I really love this thread, because the "PR" versions of the Spitfire are my favourite and because I would like to reproduce the one depicted in this image: the "white G".
So, I have some questions about it:
1) do you confirm this is a "PR.IX"? I have information and indication that this Spitfire was a "PR.XI", assigned to RAF 682 Squadron - Detachment operating from Malignano airfield (about 5 miles South-West of Siena, actually called Ampugnano airfield) during September 1944.
2) Have you got good information about the serial of this aircraft? Some sources indicate EN671, some other sources say EN677...
3) Considering I planned to build a 1/72 scale model (kit-bashing Airfix Mk.IX fuselage and Airfix Mk.XIX wing), how can I reproduce the "white G" letter, that seems to me totally out of any RAF WWII code standard dimensions? I can hardly find a 1/72 decal sheet that let me have "this" shape and "these" dimensions of the above mentioned G letter!!! Any suggestion is more than welcome.
Thank you in advance and sorry for my bad English.
CARLO

Hello,

Ad.1 Sorry. Just a typo while writing the post and wasn't noticed. Certainly the requested Spitfire is PR.XI. Edited the caption.

Ad.2 It is quite difficult to state the serial. It appears that both the EN671 and EN677 served in the no. 682squadron. However the EN671 is said to waer the G code letter only. But the plane was damaged in the North Africa in 1943. Later she was moved to the no. 683 squadron to be lost in December 1944 near Triest.
It is quite interesting because the date of the crash of the EN671 is 4.10.1943 while the comming of the EN677 to the squadron in the N.Africa is 1.10.1943 according to the net source. As a result that's possible the EN677 could replace the damaged EN671 and got his code letter. IMHO both of them couldn't wear the same code letter while servicing in the squadron at the same time. However looking at the enlarged shot I would say the serial should be EN671.

Ad.3 Because of the scale finding the correct in shape letter may be difficult. So the making it from scratch seems to be the only way to get it. Take a piece of the decal sheet with the clear background and paint the letter with a fine brush. Also you may use the white decal sheet and draw the reversed letter with a pencil on the sheet side without the white colour. And then cut it out with a scalpel for instance. Both the clear and white decal sheets should be avialable in the local shops via the net. But if you want to save some of money the using of a piece of the decal clear background form the remnants of a decal sheet and painting of the marking seems to be the best way. Certainly the size of the letter you have to estimate yourself before the attempt to making it.

 

[strale]

Hello,

Ad.1 Sorry. Just a typo while writing the post and wasn't noticed. Certainly the requested Spitfire is PR.XI. Edited the caption.

Ad.2 It is quite difficult to state the serial. It appears that both the EN671 and EN677 served in the no. 682squadron. However the EN671 is said to waer the G code letter only. But the plane was damaged in the North Africa in 1943. Later she was moved to the no. 683 squadron to be lost in December 1944 near Triest.
It is quite interesting because the date of the crash of the EN671 is 4.10.1943 while the comming of the EN677 to the squadron in the N.Africa is 1.10.1943 according to the net source. As a result that's possible the EN677 could replace the damaged EN671 and got his code letter. IMHO both of them couldn't wear the same code letter while servicing in the squadron at the same time. However looking at the enlarged shot I would say the serial should be EN671.

View attachment 892502

Ad.3 Because of the scale finding the correct in shape letter may be difficult. So the making it from scratch seems to be the only way to get it. Take a piece of the decal sheet with the clear background and paint the letter with a fine brush. Also you may use the white decal sheet and draw the reversed letter with a pencil on the sheet side without the white colour. And then cut it out with a scalpel for instance. Both the clear and white decal sheets should be avialable in the local shops via the net. But if you want to save some of money the using of a piece of the decal clear background form the remnants of a decal sheet and painting of the marking seems to be the best way. Certainly the size of the letter you have to estimate yourself before the attempt to making it.

Hello Wurger and thank you very much for your kind reply!
About the aircraft's serial, I believe I have a good reason to say it was EN671.
I searched on "nationalarchives.gov.uk", looking for RAF 682 Squadron "Records of Events" and "Summary of Events", both about September 1944.
These are the respective results, taken from an abstract of the whole files.....

.....Spitfire EN671 flew on the 2nd, on the 5th and on the 9th for operational duties.
And it flew also on the 1st of September....

.....for administration duties.
As you can see and read, no records about EN677.

One more detail that supports these words of mine is that some sources on the net say that the picture of the "white G" posted by you has been probably taken at San Severo airfiled (near Foggia, a city in the nothern area of Puglia). Please read the note about the 1st of September happenings.

This said, I'll think about the solutions you suggested me to adopt to reproduce the famous "white G" letter onto my model.
Thank you very much again for the help you gave me. I really appreciated!
Best regards.
CARLO

 

[Wurger]

Hello Wurger and thank you very much for your kind reply!
About the aircraft's serial, I believe I have a good reason to say it was EN671.
I searched on "nationalarchives.gov.uk", looking for RAF 682 Squadron "Records of Events" and "Summary of Events", both about September 1944.
These are the respective results, taken from an abstract of the whole files.....
View attachment 892601
.....Spitfire EN671 flew on the 2nd, on the 5th and on the 9th for operational duties.
And it flew also on the 1st of September....

View attachment 892602
.....for administration duties.
As you can see and read, no records about EN677.

One more detail that supports these words of mine is that some sources on the net say that the picture of the "white G" posted by you has been probably taken at San Severo airfiled (near Foggia, a city in the nothern area of Puglia). Please read the note about the 1st of September happenings.

This said, I'll think about the solutions you suggested me to adopt to reproduce the famous "white G" letter onto my model.
Thank you very much again for the help you gave me. I really appreciated!
Best regards.
CARLO

Excellent! Thank you for posting. These records show that the EN671 was used there. The picture I found via the net and posted was taken with no doubt in the Italy. So your idea sounds very correct. Perhaps it would be worth to have a look at the similar records but for the no. 683 Squadron and EN677 if she was there used at that time. But I believe the Spitfire PR.XI "G" in the images is the EN671 as I said above.

Regarding the decal markings ... making them from scratch isn't as difficult as it is believed. Here is my forty-year-old model of P-51D of the Matchbox in 1/72 scale. I had to make the name "Helen". Actually I removed almost all bristle from a brush no.0 leaving two hairs only. IMHO not too bad taking the ~9mm x 2,5mm dimension of the inscription into consideration. Also I had to complete myself the code letters.

 

[SaparotRob]

Sweet Mustang.

 

[strale]

Good morning!
I searched again on "nationalarchives.gov.uk", looking for RAF 683 Squadron "Records of Events" and "Summary of Events": I'm sorry to say there are no notes about EN677 during the months of August, September and October of 1944 (that is the period I'm interested to).
So, it's easy to understand that the Spitfire PR Mk.XI coded "white G" I mentioned into the 26th of August post had - most probably - the EN671 serial.
Any further information would be more than welcome!
Thanks a lot.
Best regards.
CARLO

 

[Crimea_River]

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