Anyone know the answer to my Wingnuts Bristol F.2b connundrum?

[Beardie]

Hi all, I am working on a Wingnut Wings Bristol F.2b and I am a bit confused. The decal schemes in the kit are not given any attribution to crew members but they are on the Wingnut Wings website. One of the schemes is given for C814 and, on the website, is credited as a machine flown by Captain Keith Park and Lt R. H. Little. In the Osprey aces book this machine is shown as one of the profiles but is only credited as being flown by R. H. Little. It does say that Major Parks was photographed with this machine but doesn't say that he ever flew it. In addition to this the machine is not listed as one that Keith Parks scored any victories using according to the Aerodrome aces bios and searching the Aircraft serial on the Aerodrome the pilots and observers listed as having flown C814 doesn't include Keith Park.

 

Can anyone clear this one up for me.

 

 

[europapete]

hhmmm.....maybe send a note to hendon? see if they can help. regards, Pete

[Bear Paw]

Sounds like a case for Cross and Cockade to me. 

[Jeff.K]

following. speaking of Biffs. if anyone knows for sure the letter on Atkey's 2 against 20 Biff i'd sure like to know. it looks pretty clear on what the 2 were, but not who was in what Biff.

if Park and Atkey prove too frustrating to nail down i'll just do mine as McKeever's (PHeon). 

 

[Jeff.K]

I went through a stack of books on the Biff and haven't found anything so far to say Park even took C814 up for a joyride. Profile Publications have a profile attributing it as Park's aircraft but I think they're just looking at the photo of Park in front of that bus. The Osprey Aircraft of the Aces book says "poses in front of but never scored in." 

 

From the looks of things 48 squadron weren't too particular about which aircraft they flew on any given day. The Osprey book has a photo of A7220, Park scored once in that. There's also a pic of him standing in front of A7274. He seems to have had a habit of getting photographed in front of aircraft he didn't score in. 


I've seen some profiles of A7182 and A7227, I might build mine as one of those. Or I might just get the Pheon set, and build my Biff as McKeever's. 

[Beardie]

I reckon it is possible that other pilots or ground crew etc. would ask Park for a photo and he would walk up to whatever aircraft was nearest for the pic. A7182 does seem to have been his most successful mount. I want to do A7220 identified as an aircraft used by Binnie for five of his victories. I have never made my own decals so this one might have to wait a while until I figure out how best to do it.

[Jeff.K]

let us know how it goes when you start printing decals. 

i may have to try it sooner rather than later; my cousin was a sonar tech in a P-3c (USN). i'm building a diorama of one of his birds, but can't find the unit insignia. also want to do some SPADs and French unit insignia decals are hard to find. 

 

the Biff is going to be put off for a bit later, due to the complexity of the rigging (before the DH.2, same reason).