Solar

Very nice. How did you get the rasied panel lines/rivets/screws etc to look darker? Is it a wash or a drybrush? Anyway, fantastic paint scheme!

Thanks Dave, PM sent, my paintbrushes are being prepared for action as we speak.

Thanks Bill. I think what I am going to do is use the yellow bands and also add the squadron markings on the side because even if they are not 100% accurate they will be a personal touch for him. My final question is that Iv read that the big number on the nose was only used on the dayglo scheme, not with the yellow bands*. For example on the photo of WZ556 from 1960 it has the large number, but it also has the dayglo scheme, so both could have been added when it returned to the UK... Can you shed any light on this, or make a judgement call? Yay or nay for the large nose number? No pressure! (If Grandad tells me its wrong I could always add it back in later...)

Hi Bill, thanks also for your comment. I found a picture of T.11 WZ556: This was apparently taken at West Malling in the UK in 1960. Looking at the nosecone area this photo implies that this vampire has the Orange paint scheme unless I am mistaken? Also I found this quote regarding this particular Vampire on these forums: "No.60 Squadron retained its Vampire T 11s until late 1959, which, together with a variety of second-line duties, also took part in operational strikes; the squadron's first recorded strike with Venom aircraft being on 14 May 1956, when two Vampire T 11s, WZ556 and WZ611, flown by Flt Lts David Blucke and Bill Alcock, respectively, accompanied six squadron Venoms during an attack on cleared jungle hideout in Kulai area" If I am out on my dates (which I probably am) it is very possible that my Grandfather flew in this exact same T.11, so my question is when this aircraft was based at Tengah in the 50's what colour scheme would it have had? Silver with yellow panels and then later painted orange when in the UK perhaps or would it have already had the orange nose/wings etc? I feel like im getting close to a final answer now!

Thank you Dave that is brilliant information. I was getting quite frustrated trying to find this out. I'm glad I don't have to attempt the orange colour scheme at least! We went to the De Havilland museum in the summer (which is a really nice place to go) and that's where I found out about his time in Singapore. http://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk/

In the 1960s (sorry I cant be more specific on the timeframe) my Grandfather was based in Singapore at Tengah with 60 Squadron RAF. He was a photographer and used to fly in the Vampire T.11 to take photos the planes in formation. For Christmas Id like to present him with a diorama with a Vampire and T.11 side by side. I wonder if anyone can give me an idea of what colour scheme to paint the T11? Would it have had the day-glo orange scheme or the yellow bands? I have tried to find this out but have not found any photographs from Singapore in this time period of a T11, only normal Vampires. A photograph or information on this would be great. Im not looking for 100% accuracy so any pointers, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.