French bombs, colours & markings?

[Gazontipede]

I've never actually built a WW2 French aircraft.  A strange admission sure, but for some reason it is bugging me now.

So in an attempt to remedy this dismal state of affairs, I sourced a Breguet 693 (one of my childhood favourites) from the egregious Mistercraft. (Yes, yes I know. I couldn't find a Smer example, let alone an original Heller.)

In an attempt to make something vaguely decent of what may be a sow's ear of a kit I'll be doing a fair bit of experimental scratch building & modding. Fortunately there is quite a bit of reference material around on the intranets regarding the innards of this little beastie. Among other things, I intend to model the bomb doors open and will be mocking up the internal bomb rack and loading it using some spare Soviet FAB-50s from a Revel I-153 which look like pretty reasonable analogues for the French weapons seen below.

However, there are a couple of things I wonder if the forum can help me with.

Regardez s'il vous plait:

(Image swiped from Pinterest.)

Now I have found out that early WW2 French bombs were painted yellow overall which certainly seems appropriate given how bright they appear in the picture above..

1) Can anyone help with a more precise shade? Lemon yellow? Trainer Yellow? Something else entirely, like the Buff colour the RAF used early on?

2) I'm noticing a band painted between the fins and the suspension gear on the bomb being manhandled upright in the right foreground. If this was British ordnance I'd assume the band would be in a colour identifying the fill. Does anyone know what this band signifies on French ordnance and, more importantly, what colour it is?  (I'm not sure if I can see another pale band or something on the nosecone of that weapon too. Is this another marking, or just a shadow?)

I imagine there will be more questions to follow when I finally get to grips with the little brute. But for now, if anyone can help with this info I'd really appreciate it.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Cant help with the colors but it definitely is a band. To straight to solid to be shadow.

[Gazontipede]

1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Cant help with the colors but it definitely is a band. To straight to solid to be shadow.

Oh good, you're seeing it too! I was wondering if I was imagining it.

I'm guessing that it might actually be a white band on the nose ogive as it appears paler than the base colour of the bomb itself.

Maybe.

[BS_w]

these bombs , explosive, were for training.

The body and tail were pale yellow and the stripe(75mm wide) around body was dark blue with "ECOLES" in white lettering

The marking around the body was black letters forward the stripe:

P.CFD 1-35

MD 3-115-31

DN-SC-20-29

MFDM

1-35

and red letter aft the stripe

F DE CULOT

220 K

 

 

the "exercise bomb' was black, "EXERCICE" in white lettering on ogive.

- with dark blue stripe(75mm) forward the fin tail

-(or white stripe(75mm) with marking "LESTEE")+ trailing edge of fin tail in white

 

the "school bomb' was  white body & fins, "ECOLES" in black lettering on ogive

with dark bkue stripe

 

the real  bombs (10 to 570kg) were entirely yellow without stripe except 570kg which had two light blue stripes

located at the lugs for the special shackle.

 

 

EDIT: Color code used since 1936 on french bomb

 

EDIT:

 

 

On your pic, it's  "ECOLES" bomb, not explosive, white body and fin tail + dark blue stripe.

The fins are characteristic of these school bomb.

Probably 50 kg

Edited August 11, 2017 by BS_w

[dogsbody]

Some info:

 

http://www.pangea-systems.com/wwiiws/aircraft/bombs/

 

http://www.bombfuzecollectorsnet.com/USERIMAGES/OP 1668 Italian & French Explosive Ordnance.PDF

 

 

Chris

[Gazontipede]

Wow! Merci beaucoup mes amis!

That has given me plenty of food for thought and some interesting choices to make.

Brilliant!