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Yes, when Covid infection rates allow, I have a little list: Hermes (1919) Ark Royal (1937) Indomitable (1940) Implacable (1942) Glory (1943). Indefatigable (1944) It's a great shame that Glorious and Furious' Ship's Books do not survive, but given there are only around 50 RN Ship's Books extant at TNA from the first half of the c.20, the group above is not too bad.

Fantastic looking model.

Sorry - I can't help.

Thanks for the update. Can't wait.

Now in store, I believe

Builder's model of Indomitable, Fleet Air Arm Museum. I'm looking forward to your article.

I think it is a grey-green. It seems to be similar, if a little darker, to the Dark Slate Grey on the Seafires.

No, I meant boot topping.

Thanks for the clarification on (v). The balance of probabilities strongly suggest grey when sunk it seems. Could the black P&B paint relate to the painting of plimsol lines? I assume that it would be desirable to paint plimsol lines in anti-fouling paint.

On the subject of the bottom hull colour of other RN warships, I had, in the past, wondered about this builder's model: In the light of these revelations concerning Hood, I shall check the Ship's Book at TNA

Thanks for the link. I've read the 3 or 4 pages related to this with interest. My precis of this discussion with respect to the hull bottom is: (i) it seems certain than Hood was painted a grey colour for the first twenty years or so of her career; (ii) the precise characteristics of this grey colour are not yet known; (iii) the colour of her bottom hull in May 1941 is not known for certain at present, but maybe revealed if documents are extant relating to her Rosyth docking; (iv) in the meantime, the arguments for anti-fouling grey in May 1941 are continuity of practice, first hand testimony

If Hood's underwater hull was grey, how many other RN warships were similarly painted? Waterline modellers might be experiencing a little schadenfreude. Edit I've just checked Mearn's wreck photos of the underside of Hood's centre section and there seems to be some anti-fouling red paint in evidence - especially on the photo of one of the grates (3rd photo down). Or is that red rust? http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/2001expedition/hood/wreckhull.htm

Oops - yes, I forgot to add that. However, the partial, non-structural, metal skinning of the undersurface of the lower wing pre-dates the switch to Mk.II. When exactly this modification was incorporated into the production of Blackburn Swordfish is not clear, but it probably commenced in the production block following the the DKxxx serial block. The DXxxx block were to be produced with the existing type of wing, but an option was obtained for the aircraft to be fitted with the new type of wing before delivery. Whether this option was exercised I do not know, but it is taken from a letter da

So just to be clear, the change in engine was unrelated to the change from Mk I to Mk II Swordfish. Mk I all Fairey built with Pegasus IIIM3 and Blackburn built with Pegasus IIIM3 or Pegasus XXX Mk II all Blackburn built with RP installation. All had Pegasus XXX Of the 1,699 Swordfish produced by the Blackburn Aircraft Co., 834 were Mark I, 545 were Mark II and 320 were Mark III. The number of Mk IV is not recorded in the Blackburn records, though it is known that the numbers were quite small (the Mk IV was a modified Mk I for training duties in Canada, the main m

Admiralty records set out particulars of different Swordfish marks (CAFO 173 27/1/1944) as follows: Mark I: The original type, fitted with ASV Mark IIN, front gun, facilities for high-level bombing and F.24 camera. Either internal or external overload fuel tank could be carried. Mark II: As Mark I, but fitted with R.P. installation. No provision for front gun, high level bombing or F.24 camera in later production aircraft. A number were fitted with a special version of ASV Mark XI that permitted a crew of three to be carried (referred to as Mark II ASV Mark XI)