OTU No.57 AC (Spitfires) with white noses?

[occa]

Can anyone give insights to what's the story behind this and how accurate is the profile here?

http://www.rafweb.org/OTU057.htm

The fuselage band looks like it could be in sky grey but that is hard to prove I assume.

The scheme if real is too tempting not to build for me.

Edited March 27, 2014 by occa

[Test Graham]

Coloured noses were used by leading instructors - Lacey is linked to the use of red and white stripes. They were used as what nowadays might be known as "agressors".

I suspect the tail band is intended to be the more usual Sky Blue for this period.

[occa]

Coloured noses were used by leading instructors - Lacey is linked to the use of red and white stripes. They were used as what nowadays might be known as "agressors".

I suspect the tail band is intended to be the more usual Sky Blue for this period.

Yes I found a decal sheet that has that later option which is very interesting too:

http://hyperscale.com/2008/reviews/decals/iliad48018reviewse_1.htm

Somehow I cannot help, I am hooked to an earlier DG/DE version with that white nose and the yellow codes but only if there comes up a confirmation that it actually existed.

Edited March 27, 2014 by occa

[derek burton]

There is a photo of LV-N/AR219 in Alfred Prices Spitfire a complete fighting history on page 191 the caption readsYellow-nosed Spitfire AR219 a Westland built MkI was flown as a "bounce aircraft" by instructors at No57 OTU at Hawarden.

Dek.

[occa]

There is a photo of LV-N/AR219 in Alfred Prices Spitfire a complete fighting history on page 191 the caption readsYellow-nosed Spitfire AR219 a Westland built MkI was flown as a "bounce aircraft" by instructors at No57 OTU at Hawarden.

Dek.

Thank you for the tip Derek.

Could anyone be so kind and PM me or post a scan of that picture?

Could 'yellow nosed' be just an interpretation?

Cheers

Martin

[John]

They were called "jumpers".

This is a 58 OTU aircraft in regulation finish:

which seems to me to include Sky spinner and fuselage band. The date is around May 1941.

John

[occa]

Thanks John for the photo ^^

Meanwhile I found the photo of the AC in the profile on the net:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?s=345a5c8968a08c3688006d09d1caf306&attachmentid=4430418

The nose is lighter than the yellow surround of the roundel so I will go with white.

Edit:

Btw there was another thread about a similar topic here:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234941938-57-otu-spitfire-nose-colours/

[Ed Russell]

The picture above is not very conclusive. The light colour in the fin flash and the rear fuselage band could be 'yellow' if you didn't know they weren't. At this stage, I'd go with the written evidence and paint mine yellow.

hope nobody has loaded their airbrush with white just yet. I have just received, from Steve Brooking, a photo of a page in James Storrar's logbook (later owner of Spit IX YT-Jas, Mustangs JAS etc) who was also an instructor at 57 OTU. On it was pasted the photo which started this thread (probably the original source?) with the following handwritten below.
”My yellow nosed Spitfire, the only one of its kind, used to frighten pupils. It looked exceptionally smart and the girlfriends never failed to recognise it".
CT (Chris Thomas)

[occa]

I don't agree Ed, the outer ring is still darker if you look closer.

And the low contrast of the upperside colors, doesn't that hint to TSS?

[Navy Bird]

I don't agree Ed, the outer ring is still darker of you look closer.

And the low contrast of the upperside colors, doesn't that hint to TSS?

Could they be different shades of yellow, or the roundel ring weathered and the nose fresh paint?

Cheers,

Bill

[occa]

Could they be different shades of yellow, or the roundel ring weathered and the nose fresh paint?

Cheers,

Bill

I had the same thought Bill, but then why is it (obviously well accepted) that the base for the red and blue stripes on the sister AC AR213 is white?

[gingerbob]

Why assume that all the noses were painted the same colour? If so, then the young lads in the OTU couldn't say pithy things like, "Viper's up here- great."

bob

Edited March 30, 2014 by gingerbob

[Stonar]

This discussion was had before in this thread.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234941938-57-otu-spitfire-nose-colours/?hl=%2Byellow+%2Bnose+%2Bspitfire

Post #13 from Chris Thomas seems pertinent.

I hope nobody has loaded their airbrush with white just yet. I have just received, from Steve Brooking, a photo of a page in James Storrar's logbook (later owner of Spit IX YT-Jas, Mustangs JAS etc) who was also an instructor at 57 OTU. On it was pasted the photo which started this thread (probably the original source?) with the following handwritten below.

”My yellow nosed Spitfire, the only one of its kind, used to frighten pupils. It looked exceptionally smart and the girlfriends never failed to recognise it".

CT

Steve