rossm

That hasn't shown up in any of the technical drawings of the camera installation that I've seen - sounds like it could have been a modification to the original spec based on user feedback. If you've got any more info (dates?) I'd love to see it as I have a PR.VII planned.

Just had a chance to check my books and the plate shows on the XI as well. There is a note in AEQ17 that the apertures had an optically flat cover suggesting they were slightly recessed. A couple of photos in one of the Ventura books seem to show a slight recess. Drawings in Spitfire the History are a bit vague but could be interpreted that way. Earlier marks don't seem to have been photographed from angles that show the area.

Would some from the old C.Scale Sea Hornet conversion work?

Interpreting the information and photos in Terry Higgins articles in SAM and Airfix Magazine 404 squadron had full stripes until at least 27th August and progressively overpainted wings (early September) then upper fuselage in stages until the markings vanished completely around November 1944. Due to a crash in October 1944 and subsequent career as a "hangar queen" NE355 still had full stripes on the fuselage (and maybe wings - the photos aren't clear) when it rejoined the squadron very briefly in March 1945.

I've not gone for any of the previous ones but this one is on pre-order!

The Putnam book Fairey Aircraft since 1915 states the 251st and later Fulmars were fitted with a 1300hp Merlin 30 in place of the 1080hp Merlin VIII and this and later aircraft were tropicalised and becam MkIIs.....................detail changes including fitting of a new type of Rotol propeller............... The Aeroclub price list I still use as a reference for such things states P047 is a Rotol 3 blade 12' diameter L/H typically used on the Fulmar (no mark given).

Nothing to do with me but I believe this is a Fulmar prop - expensive though -https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334058533947?hash=item4dc770b43b:g:UNUAAOSwrbhg23sE

Correct, so I won't be waiting for SH to release their kit(s)

Doesn't look like they're doing the TT35 bomb doors though - and that's the version I want.

Or to WHIF on the nuclear theme how about anti-flash white?

Osprey Mosquito Aces of WWII has photos of a XII starboard side VY.S and a XXX port side B.VY Ducimus Camouflage and markings has a diagram based on a DH drawing showing a 36in C1 roundel centred 54in behind the trailing edge of the wing. It also has a drawing of DG302/G port side VY.R, no cutout for the serial and a note the radome was unpainted. So no clear answer and a drawing which differs from a photo of a later a/c from the same squadron. All very inconclusive.

The Air Britain Washington File says the aircraft were supplied under MDAP - Mutual defense Aid Program - "which allowed the UK to operate American owned equipment before its eventual return or disposal at the discretion of the US government" and were supplied from USAF stocks, mostly the desert but some from USAF units. The first four were delivered from the US direct to Marham with RAF roundels but USAF serials. Later it says "The aircraft, electronic installations and spares were providied by America". Two aircraft (WF497 & WF499) retained the black undersides they carried in USAF service and two (WF552 & WF547) had the elongated top turret. The only modification mentioned is the fitting of "No Smoking" signs in the cockpit despite the retention of the ashtrays!

I didn't find the answer in my references but did find a photo of one from the same batch with the ventral turret so worth checking if that should be fitted.

The Air Britain "Washington File" has a couple of photos of a Washington bombing up but I don't know whether the bombs shown are US or British. The general references in the text suggest the aircraft were very much US standard aircraft with little in the way of modifications - except presumably for the 192 Squadron ELINT examples based at Watton. The book also makes a woolly reference to the occasional appearance of covered items on bomb trollies and suggests they were nuclear weapons. While this is doubtless possible the text does not convince me that it was more than hearsay. It does say there are no reports these items formed part of the offensive load at any time.

I have photos of the TT35 bomb bay from Cosford, I haven't checked drawings but I think the difference is the TT35 has some small bulges and cutouts at the rear of the bomb bay where the bomber was smooth, see below. There may also have been some sort of mounting for the winch which was carried under the bomb bay but that area isn't easy to see. The first of my Mosquito books I looked at says the TT35 was a straightforward conversion of the B35 so I would expect the bomb bay contours to be the same.

A TT35 suits me

IIRC the Trumpeter G missed the enlarged tail fin of the G and their D is pretty unconvincing, I did wonder about grafting a Hasegawa B nose onto a Trumpeter D to get a modern B but gave up when I found the noses almost matched! I don't recall issues with the Monogram kit and I second @tempestfan - the detail blew me away when I purchased one many years ago. The raised lines are the only thing I wasn't overly happy with.

PM me an email address and give me a couple of days, I've books on Chivenor which contain such things.

I would have thought that more likely - maybe the Air britain book got confused between Mollison's possible record attempt and his later ownership.

I agree having read JDR Rawlings Fighetr squadrons of the RAF. "...............commemorates the type of aircraft the squadron was flying when the badge was awarded". He also captions a photo of a Snipe in zig-zags ".......It was on these that it instituted the double black zigzag". I think the Pegasus Snipe had these markings. I can scan you some photos of Beaufighter, Martinet and postwar Spitfire XVI including some in German markings pretending to be Me109s for a re-creation of the Amiens raid. There's a partial pic of an Oxford included in there too.

John Silvester actually wrote a book "Hunting and Percival Aircraft" which reads as if it was meant to be a Putnam. I have picked up one definite error in the Mew Gull section so I wouldn't be surprised to find more. And now it seems I have, probably a mix up of recollection of dates. I've now found a reference to G-AEKL as dark blue with light blue lettering and trim in July 1937 in the Putnam "British Racing and Record Breaking Aircraft". The same book also captions a photo of G-AFAA at the Kings Cup in 1937 as "cream, blue and gold" which covers a multitude of variations but not including the description in the text of "white with blue registration and trim, edged in gold". In fact the book is a mine of useful info as there is a photo of G-AEKL wearing "4" where no upper wingtip trim is visible. Another piece of the G-AEKL jigsaw from the Putnam referring to the London-IoM race in June 1938 "In fifth place was Giles Guthrie piloting the Mew Gull G-AEKL, now maroon with gold trim". So I should revise my notes above with information from the Putnam........... G-AEKL – Prior to registration to Air Publicity in September 1936 it was probably in the house white and blue and was then repainted white with a black top to the fuselage and black wing uppersufaces, black lettering on the white surfaces and white lettering on the black. Post accident (19th September) it was rebuilt and painted dark blue with light blue lettering and trim for the 1937 racing season then in December 1937 it was repainted overall black with red lettering outlined in gold for a possible attempt on the England Australia record. After a change of ownership for the 1938 season it was maroon with gold lettering, wingtips and flashes along fuselage and undercarriage. Wikipedia states it had six different colour schemes so I'm still missing one.............

Air Britain give J8408 with 17 Squadron from Feb 1928 to May 1929. The gauntlet is the official badge of 17 Squadron so may well have been used pre Gloster Gauntlet. I haven't found any photos either.

There was probably a bloke with a paintbrush and can of gold paint quietly fuming in the background waiting for the photographer to finish and let him get on with his job Good find, I didn't think to go back before delivery to Henshaw. The photo with the dark registration has Capt. Percival (or someone wearing his famous hat) in the cockpit so maybe "factory finish" and the letters were changed by the new owner on delivery ? We can only speculate.

I didn't know of that kit, I just looked at what is readily available in the UK. There is considerable difference between a Gull Four and Gull Six, The Gull Four fuselage is closer than that of the Vega Gull but it was completely redesigned for the latter. The detail parts like undercarriage in a Vega Gull are probably closer to the Gull Six than those of the Gull Four. But the Vega Gull wing span must be reduced in the centre section. So check out both possibilities and decide which you are most comfortable with would be my advice. Another, possibly lower cost option is a Novo (Frog) Proctor requiring similar minor wing and major fuselage mods to the Vega Gull.

For the markings I guess it will depend on what point in its history you want to represent. There is a colour photo in the Air Britain book "On the Wings of a Gull" as it was in 1995 with the flags of New Zealand followed by Brazil, Uruguay and the Argentine at the bottom. As far as I can see the only kits to use for a starting point are the Dora Wings Vega Gull in 1/72 or 1/48. There are 1/72 drawing in the book which claim to have been redrawn to be more accurate than any predecessors. You will need a substantially different fuselage and canopy.