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Night/White undersides...


GMK

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Being rather intrigued by the night/white underside painting of early-war RAF types, I was wondering what types were so painted.

So far I have both the Hurricane & Spitfire, but am curious about whether other types, such as the Gladiator, Blenheim, Wellington, and Battle were similarly marked.

Thanks.

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Fighters were so marked: so yes to Gladiator, Blenheim fighters, Defiants, Beaufighters, and earlier types just prewar. No to bombers such as Wellingtons, Blenheim bombers, and Battles.

The purpose was to distinguish between attacking forces and the defender. Radar could track the approaching enemy out to sea but once they crossed the coast the Observer Corps was the only means of keeping track of what was happening.

Edited by Graham Boak
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Whirlwind too ? Thought the Whirlwind entered service well after the night/white era. Didn't the type sport sky undersides initially, with a black wind added for a while ?

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Whirlwind too ? Thought the Whirlwind entered service well after the night/white era. Didn't the type sport sky undersides initially, with a black wind added for a while ?

Yes. In all my reference material on the Whirlwind, I've only ever seen the Night port wing on a Sky underside.

cheers,

J.

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Fighters were so marked: so yes to Gladiator, Blenheim fighters, Defiants, Beaufighters, and earlier types just prewar. No to bombers such as Wellingtons, Blenheim bombers, and Battles.

Interesting, thanks.

Dark Earth/Dark Green uppers were the norm on those types, weren't they?

Time for some Google-fu. The Gladiator & Beaufighters have piqued my interest.

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Yes: it was called the Temperate Land Scheme and was standard for all except Fleet Air Arm shipboard and Coastal Command aircraft.

The Beaufighters were only prototypes, but the Gladiators served in France, Orkney and in the South West.

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Or perhaps I just wasn't looking hard enough! Having made a firm statment, I've just found this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/6313274986

It's a prototype of course, but it certainly looks like Night and White.

J.

Well, those are definetely white/night undersurfaces, so even if only as a prototype the Whirlwind did wear this scheme. Thanks for posting the link !

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Well, those are definetely white/night undersurfaces, so even if only as a prototype the Whirlwind did wear this scheme. Thanks for posting the link !

Hi

The bearded one speaks the truth ...

sorry couldn't resist it :)

cheers

jerry

ps

the gloster f9/37 also wore the same

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Theoretically, the lower fuselage and lower wing uppersurfaces would have been in the lighter colours. This may depend upon whether the painting was done at the factory/MU or whilst the aircraft was serving on a front-line unit at the time of repainting - there is evidence that at least some of these seem to have only had the DE/DG paints.

Sky followed on from the Night/White undersides - the lower wing undersurface will have been painted Aluminium.

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