Help please with Hurricane Mk 1's of 242 Sqdn, a couple of quick questions regarding the color scheme

[Tail-Dragon]

I'm working on Willie McKnight's aircraft from 242 Squadron, and I'm hoping someone here can help clarify a few points.

 

I'm looking at doing the Nov-Dec 1940 period and planning (?) on a "Duck egg blue" lower surface, with "Sky" spinner and tail band, and a black port wing. Is the "Duck egg blue" lower surface correct or should it also be "Sky', and would the lower colors (black and blue/sky?) be painted inside the radiator intake and the radiator exhaust area's, or would they be solid blue, or aluminum?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Colin

[PhantomBigStu]

Sky Type S underside, band and spinner  

[Graham Boak]

I would do it Sky undersides and Sky Blue spinner and trim, in order to match the appearance of similar aircraft in this timescale both in colour and b&w, where the trim is distinctly lighter than the underside.  It has been argued that this is simply varying shades of Sky, but if so I'd expect to see some examples where the trim is darker than the undersides, and I don't.  It's possible that the colour photos do show two different shades of Sky, but in that case the second shade is so close to Sky Blue as to make it the same for any modeller.  A simpler explanation is that it is Sky Blue.

 

Apart from what the colour photos show, the reason behind this is that the factory was painting the undersides in the correct colour, but not the Command-specific trim.  The MU issuing the appropriate paints to other MUs didn't catch up until very late in 1940.  However, as in all things, rely on photographs of preferably this aircraft or a squadron contemporary.  If it shows no difference between the trim and the underside just use Sky for both, as it should have been.

[PhantomBigStu]

There's a picture of a load of the 242sqn hurris and whilst it isn't exactly a great pic, doesn't look like any of them including McKnights show a contrast between the underside, band and spinner, plus the fact war time pressures and what not, find it hard to believe they were still using sky blue by November

[Graham Boak]

Whether it shows any difference or not is exactly why it helps to rely upon a photo for a particular example.  However, there's nothing unique about the delay because things do take a while to pass through the system, even after the supply side has settled down.  I'll have to dig thorough a pile of mags to find the appropriate article, but IIRC in November 1940 the MU that supplies paint sent a memo to the AM asking just what colour did they mean by "Sky"? and saying which colour they were sending out.  The memo unfortunately contains a typing error, because the number quoted is a dark shade (brown?), but is only one digit away from Sky Blue.  If they weren't sending out "Sky" then it's most unlikely that the trim was being done in the same shade as the underside - which is precisely what many photos show, and colour ones exist showing a colour which if it isn't Sky Blue is a remarkably close match.  One of these pictures is from an OTU in the middle of 1941, so these anomalies can endure, particularly when it is something that has no operational effect.  Both Sky and Sky Blue can be described as duck egg blue, after all.

[303sqn]

3 MU Milton was the place from which paint was issued. It seems that after Fighter Command was ordered to apply new recognition markings on 27th November 1940, requests were made to 3 MU for supplies of paint to paint the spinners and tail band markings. On the 18th December 3 MU sent a signal to the RAE stating that it had no Vocabulary of Stores reference for Sky. The RAE were requested to inform the MU what shade of Sky, Blue or Grey was required. They then stated that they were issuing 33B/191 and 33B/262. 33B/191 is Dark Earth which makes no sense in the context of the signal. Most likely it was a mistake for 33B/291 - 1 gal tin Sky Blue to DTD 314. 33B/262 was light grey primer. In a nutshell, someone at 3 MU had no knowledge of Sky and assumed it must be Sky Blue, and was issuing that colour. 

[Tail-Dragon]

Thanks, everybody. I had no idea this was such an issue. Sounds like sky lowers with a duck egg blue spinner and band is the way. Would anyone have any insight into the radiator inlet and outlet area colors?

 

Thanks,

Colin

[Coors54]

The unrestored Finnish Hurricane has silver painted insides to the radiator bath so I'm going with that on my model.

I am looking for a clear picture of the area behind the pilot on an early non armour plated cockpit if anyone can help.

 

Dave