rossm
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Posts posted by rossm
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47 minutes ago, Andy Fletcher said:
You are correct. The PR.IV, VII, XI, XIII and PR.XIX all had jettisonable mud flaps over the rear camera ports, although they were prone to jamming when released.
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.
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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.
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9 hours ago, Graham Boak said:
However the NF.30 had distinctive exhausts not seen on the earlier variants nor on the conversions I have seen.
Would some from the old C.Scale Sea Hornet conversion work?
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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.
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I've not gone for any of the previous ones but this one is on pre-order!
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33 minutes ago, Tbolt said:
The Special Hobby kit contains two different props, though the instructions just say they are options and don't say which one to use for which markings. So I guess you probably at least need to know if you are building a Mk.I or II.
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).
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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
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5 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:
Look higher in the thread. The Airfix kit is currently being shown as with TT.Mk.35 bomb bay doors.
Correct, so I won't be waiting for SH to release their kit(s)
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8 hours ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:
Special Hobby prepares many versions of the Mosquito, here it is shown on the example of the nine different bomb bay doors.
https://www.specialhobby.net/2021/03/mosquito-s-dvoustupnovymi-kompresory.htmlI myself will wait for the release of Special Hobby and see what versions they announce.
Doesn't look like they're doing the TT35 bomb doors though - and that's the version I want.
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1 minute ago, jpk said:
I think a really cool WIF scheme would be the Washingtons in bomber command camo scheme with WWII roundels.
Or to WHIF on the nuclear theme how about anti-flash white?
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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.
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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!
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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.
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On 6/20/2021 at 10:59 AM, Richard E said:
An idle question for the knowledgable on a Sunday morning:
The RAF operated the Boeing B-29A as the Washington B Mk.1 for a short time in the early 1950s. Whilst they were never used operationally, were they equipped with UK or US pattern bombs and, presumably, were only intended to be used in the conventional bombing role ?
Many thanks
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.
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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.
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A TT35 suits me
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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.
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36 minutes ago, BillF67 said:
P.S. I’d appreciate photos of a Martinet and a Beaufighter Target Tug. VMT
PM me an email address and give me a couple of days, I've books on Chivenor which contain such things.
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5 minutes ago, Fastcat said:
I'm not sure about the black, red and gold scheme, however. The Aeroplane supports this scheme but I think it records it at a later date and that it was in this livery when it was destroyed during the war, obviously after 1938 and during WW2.
I would have thought that more likely - maybe the Air britain book got confused between Mollison's possible record attempt and his later ownership.
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5 hours ago, BillF67 said:
I’m with Ed on this. The emblem was chosen because of the aircraft, not vice versa.
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.
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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.............
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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.
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9 hours ago, nickinflorida said:
I think it's pretty clear that Henshaw meant he acquired ZS-AHM with gold lettering (even though that would seem to conflict with some photos) ................
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
9 hours ago, nickinflorida said:Mew ZS-AHM glistening in white and gold
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.
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1 hour ago, VH-USB said:
Dujin produced a 1/72 resin Gull Four that appears to be fairly decent, much better than most of their stuff.
This kit may be your best starting point.
Tim
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.
Spitfire PR details
in Aircraft WWII
Posted
Great, thank you - even that was hard to be sure of from the drawings in "Spitfire the History" even though they look official or factory drawings.