Malta Spits: upper wing roundels?

[Nick Milham]

You BM'ers provided a wealth of knowledge the last time I asked for help....so I'm back! This time the topic seems to be among your favorites: Malta Spits.

After studying published photos I'm wondering if the Spitfires arriving as part of Operation Calendar had their upper wing roundels overpainted.

I recently saw a shot on the RAF Museum website of a dark-painted Spitfire purportedly taking off from Wasp which appears to show no upper wing roundels. (This also is the photo that opened my eyes to those extra outboard wing bumps I am now attempting to add to my BR112.)

I subsequently re-examined the shots of Barnham's Vc being re-armed and those of BR112 on the beach in Sicily. Though by no means clear, they seem to show the roundels overpainted on these aircraft as well (at least they do now!)

What say the experts? Any evidence one way or the other? Opinions?

This is the page with the photo in question: RAF Museum

[stevehnz]

I'm no expert but could those bumps mean it was a PR Spit about to fly off. I can't think of what else it could be & have not seen anything similar for any other purpose. As for the upper wing roundels. Oh Help!

Steve.

[Edgar]

Those "extra" wing bulges were unique to (early?) Vc Spitfires, and, although illustrations show them, they give no indication of their purpose; the position gives rise to the suspicion that it was something to do with gun heating, but the jury's still out on that one.

Edgar

Edited October 13, 2010 by Edgar

[stevehnz]

Thanks Edgar, a new one on me, I don't think I've even seen this in a pic before that I've noticed. Just another wee thing to add to the huge list of what I don't know but wish I did.

Steve

[Edgar]

So far, all of the evidence is circumstantial; we know that there were as many problems, with gun heating, on the Vc, as the Vb, possibly worse, due to the 4, rather than 3-gun set-up, but one of the biggest problems, in all things Spitfire, is finding why a particular "solution" was found. We know, for instance, that, on the Vb, the hot air was directed from the exhaust tubes, through the l/e, past the .303" Brownings, then out via two cone-shaped exhausts in the wing underside; on the Vc there were no such exhausts, nor on any "C" wing, as far as I can tell, so where did the hot air go? It seems that it was just allowed to leak out of the wings, somewhere.

Edgar

[Test Graham]

There are several photos of Barnham's aircraft being "refuelled", it being a photo-opportunity when he made ace. At least one of them shows upperwing roundels (and also his white spot, if you hadn't noticed that yet). I suspect that the apparent non-appearance is due to the hue of the "Calendar blue-grey" being close to that of the roundel blue, and the red will also appear dark if otho film (or an appropriate filter?) is used.

[Super Aereo]

There are several photos of Barnham's aircraft being "refuelled", it being a photo-opportunity when he made ace. At least one of them shows upperwing roundels (and also his white spot, if you hadn't noticed that yet). I suspect that the apparent non-appearance is due to the hue of the "Calendar blue-grey" being close to that of the roundel blue, and the red will also appear dark if otho film (or an appropriate filter?) is used.

And the fact that the photo is taken against the light with the wing reflecting the sun obliquely should perhaps also be taken into account.

[Steven Eisenman]

The reason the wing top roundel can nt be seen clearly is probably due to a combination of the dark camouflage and sun. In the picture of BR112 below, you can make out the red center.

Al three aircraft below have the outer wing top bulge.

[Nick Milham]

The reason the wing top roundel can nt be seen clearly is probably due to a combination of the dark camouflage and sun. In the picture of BR112 below, you can make out the red center.

Al three aircraft below have the outer wing top bulge.

Yes the roundels are definitely there. (Now to get the decal to lay down over that silly bulge!) Many thanks for the look at these new (to me) photos!