New Decals from DK Decals, RAAF Bostons, B-25's and others

[Sydhuey]

http://www.dkdecals.cz/I just found out about this new Decal company from the Czech Republic , interesting decal sheets
RAAF-Boston's
RAAF/NEIAF -B-25's
Doolittle Raid -B-25's
RAAF-P-40's
RAF Blenheim's
RAAF/NEIN Catalina's/Do-24's
RAAF Beaufighters.

The RAAF Boston's is the best I've seen yet for RAAF Boston's (which are my pet aircraft) only a couple of small mistakes,
A28-13 should be "O" not "B", A28-20 "Retribution" should be A28-22 "Y" ( corrected extra sheet will be in pack)and the A-20C A28-28 has no side blisters with its 5 x gun nose other than these couple of points a very well researched accurate sheet.

The RAAF/NEIAF B-25 sheet I could find no fault with.
these should be available soon.

[Rabbit Leader]

Thanks Sydhuey,

Plenty to like about here for RAAF fans. I'm very keen to pick up the P-40 set and perhaps the B-25.

Any idea how / when these go on sale?

Cheers .... Dave

[Admiral Puff]

Very tasty indeed - particularly the Beaufighters! Wonder if they'll be done in 1:48 as well?

[Sydhuey]

When I talked to the owner Franta , he was trying to get retailers and was also doing some corrections I brought up on the Boston sheet, not sure when they will be available , I want all the RAAF subjects.

[DominikS]

Interesting topics. But what does it mean "Prepress Decals"? Is it a kind of dry decals?

[VG 33]

Very interesting subjects. I'm looking forward.

Patrick

[Magpie22]

H

Edited April 26, 2015 by Magpie22

[Rabbit Leader]

Hold fire on the P-40 in particular. There are quite a few errors there. I am trying to help with some corrections. Would also like to see those sheets in 1/48 as well!

Magpie 22

Magpie,

Anything you and others can do to help make these decal sheets accurate certainly gets my vote.

Recently John from Xtradecal fame was able to correct various details on his excellent Tiger Moth sheets by taking encouraging feedback from other modellers.. I'll be honest, I didn't spot anything obvious with these sheets, however I take your word and all the better for the end product. Three cheers from me

Dave.

[Ed Russell]

There seem to be a few errors in most sheets but at least the decal maker is prepared to listen and perhaps issue a correction sheet. So far it will be the Boston, Blenheim, P-40 and Dornier that wil be affected.

It's a hard call for decal makers - do you put your artwork out there before printing and risk having it pirated or do you print it and risk having many errors pointed out. DK decals has gone for the latter which was a "courageous decision" given it appears he probably didn't consult many locals.

I'm not sure what "prepress" means but I am informed they are technically well printed. If they are fixed to a satisfactory standard of accuracy then they will be available in Australia via Red Roo.

[tonyot]

These decals are right up my street and I`ll be buying them all when they become available,...thanks for the heads up! There are loads of decal options in these sheets which I have wanted to build for ages!

Cheers

Tony

[occa]

Another error that is often repeated IMO is with the Beaufighter, most were in TSS (they mostly flew over water for most of their sorties) not it in TLS.

[Sydhuey]

With the Beaufighters 30 Sqn operating in New Guinea flew in mainly Dark Green /Dark Earth over Sky with almost all there aircraft till they got Australian made Beau's in overall Foliage Green, 31 Sqn out of Darwin over the Timor sea flew in various schemes. 93 and 22 Sqn only had late model Aust build Beau's in Foliage Green.

[sharkmouth]

Very tasty indeed - particularly the Beaufighters! Wonder if they'll be done in 1:48 as well?

My thoughts exactly! Guess which scheme interests me?

Regards,

[Magpie22]

With the Beaufighters 30 Sqn operating in New Guinea flew in mainly Dark Green /Dark Earth over Sky with almost all there aircraft till they got Australian made Beau's in overall Foliage Green, 31 Sqn out of Darwin over the Timor sea flew in various schemes. 93 and 22 Sqn only had late model Aust build Beau's in Foliage Green.

D

Edited April 26, 2015 by Magpie22

[leyreynolds]

See Ian Baker's recent AHCB books for details of the Beaufighter schemes. If memory serves, all UK-built Beau's supplied to the RAAF were "Coastal" aircraft not fighters.

[Forlornhope]

I am so doing the silver Beau and sharks mouth b-25

[Sydhuey]

Magpie 22 , can't agree with you on the 30 Sqn machines, agreed 31 had a hotch botch of colours as they tried to get a scheme to suit there role, but 30 operated in the Std scheme of Dark Green/Dark Earth over Sky almost their whole time in New Guinea, 30 operated side by side with 22 Sqn who's Boston's were in the same scheme and maintained by the same RSU's with a shortage of supplies thru 42 and 43 about the only paint they had was Dark Earth ,Dark Green, Sky ,Foliage Green, Olive Drab and Light Grey as most other aircraft around were also in the same schemes (Hudson's, P-40's, Beaufort's, DC2/DC3) some of the old boys I talked to years ago from both Sqns told me they were in that scheme, in fact it is known at least the first 50+ came in Dark Green/Dark Earth over Sky (Mk IC's) after that the Mk VI C's came in the std Coastal scheme, but I still believe most were in the TLS scheme at least with 30 in New Guinea, 31 I'm open to just about any scheme , and they had a few.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Sydhuey

[Nick Millman]

Ian K Baker addresses this question in his 'Updates and Oddities' book # 43 but I don't know if it has been revised/updated since then.

He quotes Victor Bingham's assertion in his 1994 Airlife book that A19-1 to A19-54 (IC) were delivered in Dark Green, Dark Earth and Sky but also quotes a note (contemporaneous?) from Ronald Noakes that A19-65 (IC - 31 Sqn) was painted in "blue grey and grey green top surfaces, duck egg blue underneath . . ." That reads like TSS.

Mr Noakes is also quoted as reporting on the 31 Sqn scheme as follows:-

"the new aircraft were all delivered with Foliage Green all over, but the squadron repainted them before they went into action. The new colours were approximately Medium Sea Grey and Light Green. The underside was a pale blue which could vary from very pale to almost bright blue."

R C "Bob" Jones reported that as 'Coastal' aircraft all 1C and VIC were factory finished in TSS until February 1943. After that date the factory finish was changed to Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky (one reason to be sceptical of TSS Beaus in SEAC - coastal "reconnaissance" aircraft in SEAC were specified to be painted in TSS but the Beaus were designated for tactical operations - tactical ground attack).

Nick

[Test Graham]

Just one qualification: the first Mk.IC were requested to be in Temperate Land Scheme. On 4th January 1941 HQ Coastal Command reminded HQ 41 Group Maintenance Command of this, because two aircraft had been delivered uncamouflaged, in grey primer. The colours eventually applied to these aircraft is discussed in detail in Paul Lucas' Britain Alone, from Aviation Workshop Publications.

I suspect the deliveries to Coastal Command will have been altered to TSS ahead of any deliveries to Australia. However, TLS was officially the standard scheme for overseas deliveries, as you will no doubt recall from the discussion over the mistaken Tropical Land Scheme.

[Nick Millman]

The grey primer scheme for Beaus was briefly introduced because of the dual destinations problem but was intended to have Sky undersurfaces and not the overall grey complained of. The grey primed aircraft were supposed to be finished in the appropriate TLS or TSS scheme by ASUs prior to issue to their recipient squadrons. This procedure was abandoned when it was found to delay delivery but I don't know the bracketing dates that it was in operation.

The first IC was T4648 in the Fairey manufactured batch delivered from February 1941 to April 1942 which included some IFs (T4623-T4647). The two aircraft referred to by Lucas were not ICs but Bristol manufactured Mk 1s R2196 and R2199. The HQ Coastal Command memo referred to is puzzling. If Coastal Command wanted TLS anyway why was it thought necessary to introduce the grey primer scheme in the first place? And that must have preceded the memo in order for the complaint to be made so it seems that not everyone was 'on message'.

The "official standard scheme" for overseas deliveries depended on type but in AMO A.664 of July 1942 'long-range' Beaus were only mentioned under Coastal Command for TSS. Once the initial wrinkles were ironed out the type suffix F or C determined which scheme the Beaus were finished in.

Nick

[Ed Russell]

From the ADF Serials entry for A19-2. It does fit the theory of the post above.

20/04/42 2 AD.
09/07/42 30 Sqn Coded C Name: 'Rags 1' (Parnell p.107) Dick p.96 quotes ground crew member Elton Marsden as having 'applied the camouflage paint to A19-3 at the hanger on Richmond', possibly Foliage Green / Earth Brown / Sky Blue?.
18/08/42 One of the 24 Beaufighters flown from from Richmond NSW to Bohle River near Townsville Q for operational training. Crew: Pilot FLGOFF Cec McKew & Nav SGT Lasscock (Dick p.17).
12/09/42 flew to Wards airstrip Port Moresby.
07/12/42 damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire in starboard wing.
14/12/42 15 RSU for repair.
13/02/43 30 Sqn

There is some discussion here and a scientifically sound interpretation of the pictures of a Beaufighter VI C in RAAF service

http://www.aussiemodeller.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6731

[justplanecrazy]

I'm interested, especially in the B-25, & Beaufighter sheet. Great discussions here as well.

Nick

[Sydhuey]

I think the B-25 sheet is correct , nothing wrong jumps out at me, the Beaufighter sheet as you can tell has some issues, on the Beaufighter sheet IMO- 1 ,2 ,3 ,4 ,5 ,6 and 8 are ok, 7 and 9 are the suspect schemes, though I'm sure enough people on here will come to a logical conclusion soon.

the B-25 sheet,

2 Sqn RAAF

1/ A47-21, KO-L, B-25D-35, 43-3789, ex NEIAF serial N5-213, 35 missions. painted for night ops with black lower surfaces

2/ A47-27, KO-A, B-25J-1, 43-27691, ex NEIAF serial N5-219, 22 missions. painted for night ops with black lower surfaces

3/ A47-29, KO-D, B-25J-5, 43-27928, ex NEIAF serial N5-225, 33 missions, only B-25 with shark mouth, std US paint scheme

4/ A47-34, KO-E, B-25D-30, 42-87608, ex NEIAF serial N5-186 19 missions, in overall Foliage green, one of several "D" models in this scheme

All RAAF B-25's ran full strafing kits, 2 fixed .50 in R/H nose, flex .50 in nose, gun packs each side 2 x .50 each , top turrets, side waist .50s and tail guns , 1 x .50 in D's , 2 x .50 in J's (12 x.50 in D's and 13 x.50's in J's)

18 Sqn (NEI) RAAF

5 & 6 Late B-25C's with gun packs on side

7 & 9 early B-25C's without gun packs

8, N5-245 B-25J-15, full gun fit as 2 Sqn B-25's

Early Dutch B-25C's that had the lower turret were soon removed once in action, Late C models had no lower turret and the D models had the full field kit fitted with waist gun positions and single .50 in tail position.

[Matt G]

I would be very keen to see these in 1/48, particularly the B-25s. I've built A47-29 (KO-D) using decals I made myself, but I'm keen to do A47-21 (KO-L). The artwork on the noseart of A47-21 was a bit of a stretch for my decal making capabilities, however!

Matt

[justplanecrazy]

Interestingly the designer has altered the plans to reflect the discussions here!