Whitley Question

[e8n2]

I recently saw this decal sheet for Whitleys being a future item at Hannant's and have a watch on it.  What intrigues me though is option number 15.  Did Coastal Command actually have Whitleys painted as shown with black undersides?  It doesn't seem right to me, but hey, you never know.  Any confirmation or denial of such a scheme would be appreciated.

Thanks

Dave

 

 

[Nigel Bunker]

Well a quick google shows several profiles of this aircraft in this scheme, but no photographs to corroborate it.......yet. Perhaps somebody has one or can guide us to a book somewhere?

[Junchan]

Aircraft #15 of the decal sheet is Mk.VII BD622, WL-U from the No. 612 Squadron of which photo is appeared on page 220 of the Coastal Support and Special Squadron of the RAF and Their Aircraft by John D. R. Rawlings. The photo confirms that the color profile of the decal sheet is very damn right.

 

Jun in Tokyo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums

[Mike Starmer]

One point I noticed, the codes on the pre and early war subjects appear to be Medium Sea Grey.   The colour should actually be Sky Grey as MSG wasn't in use for codes until early 1940.  On early period photographs the tone of the codes nearly matches the white or yellow in the roundels, which is not the case with MSG.  These codes and some serials often appear to be white.  There are numerous examples in 'Bombing Colours 1937-1973' by M, Bowyer were he writes about very pale grey or white codes.   There was a discussion on here some while ago regarding the reissued Airfix  Fairey Battle having yellow codes, which on some photographs does appear so.

 

 

[Seahawk]

1 hour ago, Junchan said:

Aircraft #15 of the decal sheet is Mk.VII BD622, WL-U from the No. 612 Squadron of which photo is appeared on page 220 of the Coastal Support and Special Squadron of the RAF and Their Aircraft by John D. R. Rawlings. The photo confirms that the color profile of the decal sheet is very damn right.

 

 

Good and very quick find!  Photo dated 1942 (BD622 was in a batch delivered in July 1942.)

 

Well, it confirms the black undersides anyway.  I don't know what colour the codes are supposed to be on the transfer sheet instructions but in the photo they stand out very clearly, looking almost white: Medium Sea Grey?  Personally I'd also assess the serial as in Red, in common with other late Whitleys with black undersides.

Edited June 28, 2017 by Seahawk

[Nick Nichols]

Is there any confirmation of option # 4?
Thanks

[e8n2]

22 hours ago, Junchan said:

Aircraft #15 of the decal sheet is Mk.VII BD622, WL-U from the No. 612 Squadron of which photo is appeared on page 220 of the Coastal Support and Special Squadron of the RAF and Their Aircraft by John D. R. Rawlings. The photo confirms that the color profile of the decal sheet is very damn right.

 

Jun in Tokyo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums

Thanks for the confirmation Junchan!

Later,

Dave

[rossm]

Temperate Sea uppers with black undersides on a Whitley is a new one on me, it's more of a torpedo bomber scheme. CC Whitleys delivered in July 1942 should, AFAIK, have been in Temperate Sea/White but a photo is a photo and we have to try to make out the story behind it. It's not possible to tell from the photo if the uppers are Temperate Sea or Temperate Land scheme. The latter would tie in equally well with black undersides. Agree with Seahawk Red serial looks likely. Codes are anyone's guess, on a White scheme aircraft they would be Light Slate Grey, on a Temperate Land scheme aircraft Medium Sea Grey.

 

Nothing directly helpful but you might get a bit more background from my web pages

http://hrmtech.com/SIG/coastal_whitley.asp

and

http://hrmtech.com/SIG/articles/coastal_cam.asp

[Bengt]

Delivered in mid 1942 in what to me is Bomber Command Temperate Land scheme and Night. Looking at the picture the red in the fuselage roundel is as "white" as the code. Even the red in the fin flash is a very light grey tone and I think the codes are red as laid out by the Air Ministry specification: Fighter Command day fighters and day fighter OTU's codes are to be Sky. Coastal Command anti submarine aircraft painted white, codes to be Light Slate Grey. All other aircraft, codes are to be red.

 

Bengt

[Seahawk]

Agree that the red in the fin flash is almost whited out but I see a distinct tonal variation between the colour of the centre of the fuselage roundel/serial v the code letters.  I agree with you that the most likely colour scheme for the aircraft is Bomber Command Temperate Land/Black.  Can't see the codes as (Bomber Command) Red which argues for (Coastal Command) Light Slate Grey. 

 

Which still leaves us with the riddle of why an aircraft built as a GR.VII would be in Bomber Command colours.  GR.VIIs seemed to be ordered in batches of 20 interspersed among B.Vs: maybe Armstrong Whitworth couldn't be bothered to change the paint in the airbrush?