RAF Meteor T7 colour scheme

[GordonM]

I’m about to start a Classic Airframes Meteor T7, I’m building it as WH186 ‘72’ from 5AFS RAF Oakington. This aircraft was in the dayglo scheme, however I’m light on references for 50’s trainers. Xtradecals do sheet 48160 which has dayglo stripes for a TT aircraft, would the pattern be the same for trainers? If so were they carried in all positions as per Xtradecals instructions? Also aircraft carried individual numbers on the nose,what size were the numbers, were they the same as the underwing serial numbers? Ass7ming they are I’ve got enough decals to cobble together the full set using spare serial numbers. If they were different any idea how big and a source for them would be appreciated

[Don149]

Hi Gordon , back in `55 I was stationed at RAF Dyce , home to 612 County of Aberdeen sqdn , the two Meteor 7s on the

squadron were in overall silver with just yellow training bands . They were both fitted with the T/Towing hook at the rear

of the belly tank which made them dual purpose kites , if this answers part of your question .

                                                                                                                                  Don.

[GordonM]

Thanks Don

I'm after the later scheme from 1961 when the yellow bands had been replaced with dayglo orange. There is a photo on P90 of Meteor by Bryan Phillpott of WL465 ‘67’ after an emergency landing following a double flameout at 28,000ft. Unfortunately the dayglo is not visible, I think I can make out the 67 is on a dayglo orange panel, similar to 5 FTS Vampires, however I’ve got no other photos or illustrations of the aircraft. Apparently the Meteor T7 was retained for those pilots too tall to fit the cramped cockpit of the Vampire thus they changed to the later scheme.

I’ve just re-read my original post (always a good idea!) and noticed I referred to 1950’s trainers, when I’m doing an early 60’s aircraft and also mentioned 5 AFS, when I should have called it 5 FTS.

Edited November 7, 2017 by GordonM
Edited due to innaccuracies

[71chally]

16 hours ago, GordonM said:

This aircraft was in the dayglo scheme, however I’m light on references for 50’s trainers. Xtradecals do sheet 48160 which has dayglo stripes for a TT aircraft, would the pattern be the same for trainers? If so were they carried in all positions as per Xtradecals instructions?

Generally speaking the Meteor T.7s were painted in orange, unlike the dayglo stripes finish of the TT Meteors.

The orange was applied to the nose ahead of the windscreen, with the demarkation line curving back down the side to just aft of the nose gear doors, the rear fuselage and lower fin (not the rudder), and the outer wing panels (not the ailerons), much like the Jet Provost scheme of the time.

There were some slight variations to the scheme on some Meteors.

 

Sorry can't help the nose code.

 

[GordonM]

That’s brilliant, thanks

[71chally]

Just found these, but you have probably seen them,

Aviation Photo company

 

Mike Hines - Air Britain Photographs

 

Note the black anti-glare panel in the first pic.

 

This pic is a good colour reference for the scheme in general,

Chris England - Air Britain Photographs

 

Edited November 7, 2017 by 71chally

[GordonM]

I’d seen the middle one after your reply, however the first is new and is exactly the aircraft I’m after. Thank you

[Radfan Hunters]

I was about to offer you a selection of photos of the T.7 taken during the early sixties but 71chally has posted some excellent images. I have copies of sketched drawings produced by CFS for the introduction of day glo on RAF T.7s in 1958 and will look them out.

 

One minor point, nearly all RAF T.7s received red day glo stripes from the early sixties.

[GordonM]

I was going on the reminiscences of Pilot Officer Ivan Spring who arrived at Oakington on 10/5/61 in Meteor by Bryan Phillpott. He states WL344 ‘68’ was collected in October 61 to replace a crashed a/c and “was repainted to confirm with the FTC Daglo ‘Blaze Orange’ scheme in place of the overall silver doped finish and yellow ‘T’ bands it had worn with Fighter Command”  as I’ve got a Vampire T11 vacuform which I intend to do in the same markings as Airfix’s 1:72 example I thought it would be nice to have a matching pair from the same period.

[Radfan Hunters]

Hi Gordon,

 

Here is the sketch adopted by the dayglo evaluation team at CFS in 1958; hope you find it useful.

 

Sorry, got a problem. Can someone advise me how to insert a JPEG image please, I cannot see an obvious way of doing it? Thanks.

 

 

[Radfan Hunters]

Gordon,

 

The dayglo scheme was usually applied to aircraft as and when they came up for refurbishment at the MUs. Most Flying Training Command aircraft had received the new colours by 1961.

 

However, the powers that be were not happy with the orange dayglo as it tended to peel away from the leading edges and nosecones, so CFS was tasked with devising a new scheme using strips of dayglo red scotchal tape in the autumn of 1961. One of each type of aircraft then based at Little Rissington were treated onsite and the scheme was adopted by FTC over the ensuing years.

[GordonM]

It sounds like dayglo paint is the way forward? Certainly the pictures of WH186 ‘72’ posted by 71chally seem to show a painted area on the nose. I had thought that trainers went from silver/yellow bands straight to the dayglo orange stripes I remember when I was a youngster, I hadn’t realised there was a painted scheme in between. Possibly my confusion wasn’t helped by a least one image I found (probably a preserved aircraft) that shows yellow paint where the dayglo orange area is In the colour photo. I was born in October 61, so an aircraft of that timescale appeals.

[Radfan Hunters]

Sorry Gordon but I have tried several ways of uploading the image none of which work. What doesn't usually show up on photographs is a view from above or below that enables you to see the delineation of dayglo on top and undersides of the wings. If someone can describe a sensible way of uploading a JPEG image I'll give it another go.

 

 

[GordonM]

Ok thanks. Sadly I’m a technology Luddite, so I’m no use for suggestions!

[71chally]

The first picture in my post shows WH186 when it was withdrawn from service in 1963.

Very few T.7s served beyond that time as RAF FTS trainers, I don't think that many would have got to the dayglow strips scheme and most pictures of scrapped ones show the painted scheme.

One exception here though,

Mike Hines - Air Britain Photographes

 

The scheme echoed that of other RAF training scheme aircraft of the era, such as Jet Provosts, I don't think the dayglo strips scheme came in until c.1963/64.

The orange application on the wing is a bit more complicated in that it was also on the trailing edge areas of the inboard wing, apart from the flap surfaces.

The Navy T.7s illustrate that schemes demarkation well.

 

Radfan Hunter, you will need to upload your pictures to a photo host site, such as Flickr, and then link them to your posts here.

There is a how to guide in the forum near the top somewhere. 

Edited November 8, 2017 by 71chally

[GordonM]

@Radfan Hunters pm sent

[Radfan Hunters]

Have emailed a couple of images to you Gordon. Hope they are of use.

 

FYI, with reference to your comment about the striped livery being applied to the T.7 71chally, I managed to photograph five in the 1966/7 period and I know there were more.