Swordfish LS434 Camo query

[Fifer54]

I am currently building a Matchbox Fairey Swordfish in 1/72 scale. It is from the period when Matchbox-branded kits were manufactured by Revell. The finishing options in the kit are a FAA machine  (actually LS434) of B flight, 836 NAS from January 1945, or an all-black

RAF Coastal Command kite (NF410) from February 1945.  I intend to build LS434.

The colour guide, in Revell's usual cryptic style, doesn't name any of the camouflage colours used, but suggests mixes of Revell's own brand paints to achieve the right colours. It's easy to work out White, Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey. However for the upper surfaces

of the lower wing, they suggest mixes that seem to me to approximate to Dark Sea Grey and Medium (or Light) Slate Grey. Now, I understand the principle of shadow-shading as applied to biplane upper surfaces in the early days of the war, but I thought the practice had been

discontinued long before January 1945.

What do the Swordfish experts think? Should all the upper surfaces be in EDSG/DSlateG, or Fuselage and upper wing top surfaces only in those colours, with DSG/MSlateG on the lower wing tops?

My own feeling is that by 1945, it should be EDSG/DSlateG only, although the other option might add a bit of interest to the model, but if it's obviously wrong, then it's a No-No . . .

[Fifer54]

I've found an answer AND learned a lesson here.

The answer is that the lower wings should indeed be different to the upper.

The lesson is don't just google the 'net with a query, search on Britmodeller. The answer was here all the time!

[expositor]

Hey Mad,

 

Not to be naysayer here, but if I remember correctly, that kit has the later rear cockpit for the radar version, even though they provide markings for the earlier version...unless you do surgery to make the fuselage equipment cover look like a 55 gallon (well here in USA) fuel drum used in the Taranto raid....If you do the later version, as you indicated, no need for the lighter colors on the lower wing; but I've been known to be wrong!

 

 

Edited July 15, 2017 by expositor