Beech C45 Expeditor question (Colours)

[bigbadbadge]

Hi All

I am finishing some kits off to clear the shelf of doom for a hopefully fingers crossed impending loft conversion. One of them is a PM C45 and I wanted to do the SEAC option.

The Kit advises the colours are Dark green Humbrol 116?) over Dark sea grey (Humbrol 106) over Medium Sea Grey (Humbrol 165).

I have been looking for references to such a machine and I can only see the Dark green/dark earth variants.

Please can anybody advise if the green/grey machine existed or is it completely spurious ?

Thanks in advance

Chris

[tonyot]

Hiya Chris,

I would say that it is spurious mate,....I have only seen Expeditor`s wearing Dark Earth/Dark Green or overall silver with SEAC markings mate,.....some RN ones `may' have had Olive Drab/Neautral Grey camouflage but I`m not fully sure,

Cheers

Tony

[bigbadbadge]

Cheers Tony. I thought so. In that case would the underside be sky or is the medium sea grey be right.

Thanks again

All the best

Chris

[tonyot]

Hard to say Chris,.....personally I`d go for MSG but that is just a punt in case they were repainted. I`ve even heard that they could have yellow undersides which would make sense.

[Seahawk]

Never noticed the underwing serials in that photo before. I've always plumped for MSG but esp from that photo could be persuaded towards Trainer Yellow.

PS here's an earlier thread discussing the same subject:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/51684-what-raf-squadrons-flew-the-c-45-expeditor/?hl=Expeditor

Edited September 3, 2016 by Seahawk

[Graham Boak]

It looks a bit dark for MSG but could perhaps be Azure Blue. Alternatively, if it was classed as a transport it should have been Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey over Azure Blue.

i think we've been around this loop before.... I've done a search but not found it.

[Dave Fleming]

I recognise that photo! :-)

Now that the IWM allows better copies of their images to be viewed, this one is interesting:

AMERICAN AIRCRAFT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SERVICE, 1939-1945: BEECH MODEL 18 EXPEDITER.. © IWM (CI 1149)IWM Non Commercial Licence

AMERICAN AIRCRAFT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SERVICE, 1939-1945: BEECH MODEL 18 EXPEDITER.. © IWM (CI 1154)IWM Non Commercial Licence

Compare the underside in the first pic with the Harvard in the background. I'm more convinced that it's yellow. It's not IMO MSG, could possibly be Sky.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Dave Fleming

[bigbadbadge]

Thanks guys for the info and the links, the second to last photo is very interesting as that is the machine in the decals, I might well plumb for the sky undersides.

Thanks and all the best
Chris

[Graham Boak]

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?69794-RAF-Beech-C-45-Expeditor-s

I don't think this is the thread I was thinking of, but it is interesting.

[Dave Fleming]

The one that Seahawks links further up is more recent (after I had found the Flypast pic Tony posts). Still hope a colour SEAC Expediter pic turns up one day

[Graham Boak]

Yes: our posts crossed and I missed the link. That is the one I was thinking of. I still have the "memory" of a colour photo of a SEAC Expeditor in TSS but was rather hoping you'd kept a tag on it, as a quick check proves that I didn't.

[tonyot]

I have a wartime colour Expeditor pic,.....I`ll try and find it,......from memory it was Dark Earth and Dark Green,...stand by!

Edit,.....here it is;

No underside view I`m afraid,....

Here are some interesting b&w ones too,...you could always revert to bare metal;

Cheers

Tony

Edited September 3, 2016 by tonyot

[bigbadbadge]

Thanks Guys

That is great changing the camo to Dark Earth instead of the grey. That colour image is great too Tony Thanks

All the best
Chris

[JWM]

The C45 from post #7 of Dave Flaming, originating from IWM collection of photos has a very bright undersurfaces - for me it could be even (and simply) just white! Is it possible?

Cheers

J-W

[gingerbob]

For the record, I just came upon an Expeditor in Flight magazine (SEAC)

[Dave Fleming]

Interesting underside shot - as the other 2 are on the IWM site (as post #7) I wonder if they have that one too?