LDSModeller

The RNZAF Anson flying past Mt Egmont/Taranaki if you look, has scalloping on the lower edge of the camouflage. Some aircraft had it more defined than others, such a NZ3060 (P40) in the photo above. The Solomon's are still in the South West Pacific, so still in our back yard

Definitely German, one of the torpedoes was found (had missed) on a Gisborne beach. I will have to re-check the date, but the Newspaper I read, it from was around that time. I thought it most odd too, given that Germany was not that far away from wars end in Europe.

Any "Scalloping" was really only applied to repaints, as in the the photo of NZ413 flying past Mt Egmont/Taranaki I posted above. As far as being far from the front. nothing could be less true. From declaration of war September 1939, we had German raiders laying mines and sinking ships in our home waters. Last attack was a U Boat attack circa April 1945 on shipping in Gisborne Harbour on our East Coast. After declaration of war with Japan 1941, we had Japanese submarines operating off our coasts, and reconnaissance aircraft flying over major cities, as in Auckland where I live. Thankfully we weren't bombed like Darwin (Australia) was. One of my Grandfathers fought in the Solomon's, really just up the road from us. People seem to think that Australia and New Zealand were not part of WWII (or WWI for that matter).

Here you go (RNZAF Official - Air Force Museum of New Zealand - Used with permissions) The above tends more to look like she's wearing RAF TLS than RNZAF Pacific Scheme. Have to agree about NZ413 over New Plymouth photo, would make a very nice model. Regards Alan

Hi Graham, Sorry, should have been a little more specific in my previous posts re: NZ Sky Grey NZ Sky Grey was a BALM Paint manufactured either here in Enzed or Aussie. BALM had Chemists et al here in New Zealand,to create paint colours for our military including the RNZAF, which included NZ Sky Grey. Given that it is a Greenish Blue colour, I believe that the colour is a copy of Dupont Sky Type S - Grey. It was applied to aircraft as part of the RNZAF Pacific Scheme, and really superseded Duck Egg Blue which fell out of use earlier on (though you probably could find Duck Egg Blue as aircraft codes, or on instructional airframes at various TTS's (Technical Training Schools) at various RNZAF Stations)) We know what colour NZ Sky Grey is, because NZ3220 Gloria Lyons (RNZAF P40N) that was in John Smiths collection for some 6 decades was/is wearing it. Below is a link to a post by Pete Mossong (fellow BMer), if you look through the photos, you can see the remains of the NZ Sky Grey, painted over the US Neutral Grey NZ3220 Gloria Lyons The RNZAF Over painted a number P40's in this Colour especially early shipments of P40K/M's' serving in the forward areas, and applied it as a lower colour to many P40's arriving back in NZ circa mid 1944 as an under colour with Foliage Green upper. Below is a group of RNZAF P40K/M's (including NZ3072 Wairarapa Wildcat), note NZ3060 LHS wearing the RNZAF Pacific Scheme (scalloped lower edge) while the remainder are wearing Olive Drab/Neutral Grey (RNZAF Official - Air Force Museum of New Zealand - Used with permissions) To summarize, your Anson circa 1944 would be in a Dark Green, with NZ Sea Blue Grey/NZ Sky Grey paints, which were either BALM New Zealand/Australia manufactured Hope this is of help to you? Regards Alan

Hi Graham, We are very lucky/blessed in this country, we have some relics (whole ones at that) that have original wartime colours (squirreled away for 6 decades), that help with these colour issues. Below (from the RNZAF Museum) a couple of photos, 1st is an Anson at an RAF Station WWII (St Eval) check out the camouflage (RNZAF Official - Air Force Museum of New Zealand - Used with permissions) Now note this RNZAF Anson (NZ413) below flying near New Plymouth (Mt Egmont/Taranaki in the background) This one is wearing the RNZAF Pacific Scheme (Dark Green/NZ Sea Blue Grey/NZ Sky Grey). How can I tell? The scalloping along the lower camouflage edge. The question ask now is the Dark Green as in worn with RAF or NZ Dark Green painted over? The camo pattern is much the same as in the Anson above, except the Brown is now Sea Blue Grey, and lower is Sky Grey. IMHO the Dark Green looks darker than the RAF Green (RNZAF Official - Air Force Museum of New Zealand - Used with permissions) I get the whole experience of having a Dad in the Service. I got to do and see things that aviation buffs can only dream about today Kind regards Alan

Hi Graham, Myths and the such just grow from differing sources, i.e something so one might have said a long time ago etc. One myth passed on by Russell, is that RNZAF Corsairs became pink from the coral - in reality, Dana Bell's research shows it was more a a paint manufacture issue. I grew up on RNZAF Bases, and these types of things were rife then too. Below are actual Dupont Dark Earth/Dar Green/Sky Type S - Grey colours from a P 40E-1 flown by the RNZAF The lower colour being Sky Type S- Grey, is a Greenish Blue colour, hence my comment on NZ Sky Grey being a copy. Regards Alan

Hi Graham, I'm very familiar with Warren Russell's books, having read them too. The actual/Official name for the "Ocean Blue" is actually NZ Sea Blue Grey, and I have never seen any official Document stating that Ocean Blue was an official name, but more a colloquial name. I have seen some spurious colour call outs, in Russell's books and having checked with the RNZAF Museum, didn't exist, such as the Duck Egg Blue colour on an RNZAF Corsair (RHS) The Corsair on the left did exist, but the leading edge colours again spurious - The Roundel colours all wrong As far as the lower colour on your Anson , it would not have been "Sky Blue" but actually NZ Sky Grey, which is a Blue Green colour - a copy (from my research) of the US Dupont Sky Type S- Grey as found on the P40E-1's. Typically being the Kiwi's that we are, saying Sky Type S - Grey, just too much of a mouthful, so shorten to Sky Grey Books and information written around that time have "issues" with colour call outs (including Charles Darby's RNZAF the First Decade - who I have also met). I read an article where some author stated that the four MK III Sunderland's that arrived late 1944, were in upper colours of RAF Dark Earth/Dark Green over lower colour Sky upper colours totally wrong, in that the colours were Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey. Take of what I have said, what you will. Caveat to this is your model your call Regards Alan

With later P40's (E-1/K), the Sutton Harness had a variation in attachments. This is a screen shot of the P40 found in the desert some years ago, you can see the Main harness straps come over the rail at the back and the lower section attached to a back piece lower in the seat, as seen in the picture This screen shot come from this website which also mentions the RCAF Pilot you mention above Vintage Wings Stories Hope that's of help? Regards Alan

Hi Graham, I have never seen Mid Bronze Green for WWII RNZAF Dark Green. The Best and closest Colour for WWII RNZAF Dark Green is Humbrol 3 - Brunswick Green. Given that you are looking at a time frame of 1944, BALM paints would have been in reasonable supply by then either NZ manufacture or Australian. Regards Alan

Hi Adrian, Thank you for your kind words No I haven't finished it, but I have pulled it out from my model cupboard this morning, and will look to finish it off over the next month. Probably more a post in RFI, than continue with a WIP Thanks Alan

Given that you keep commenting on Neutral Grey, early RAF P40's ( Mk I/E-1s) were received in Dark Green/Dark Brown/Sky Type S - grey, the drop tanks would be the same under colour. Azure blue application was painted over the Sky Type S-grey (probably at MU level), depends on how pedantic the MU was on painting drop tanks? Neutral Grey would not arrive till later. As Buz says above time frames are important here. Regards Alan

Thank you Some information about the Weta Wiki - Weta From our Department of Conservation (DOC) Weta info Regards Alan

Hi All and GB Mods, Given that 2025 is still a ways away, I would like to join too if I may? Given that Kiwis fought in the Boer War, WWI/WWII, Korea, Vietnam, with additional areas of conflict like Timor, Gulf War, Afghanistan (VC was won there) on deployment in Middle East with the Drug smuggling and so forth. Plus we have the newer P8A Poseidon now flying with the RNZAF, plenty of scope. We have a version of the Huntsman here, called the Avondale Spider, but the creature below is the stuff of Nightmares NZ Weta Thanks/regards Alan

They were built purely as Transports Aircraft, all of the equipment like guns, bomb racks were left out, the bomb room doors actually folded up as opposed to sliding down The 4 Sunderland's were arrived circa December 1944 after one of the longest transit flight in history This Youtube video gives some great history RNZAF Sunderland Transport Arrival 1944 Hi Harry, Nice Sunderland 👍, the only issue (nothing of your doing) is the decals are the wrong size (sorry to say). I too have the decal set, and also the actual measurements from the RNZAF Museum of Sunderland roundels, and measured against, and they are too small. Quick note, the 4 Sunderland's weren't "Pressed into service", they were offered to the New Zealand Government, by the British Government, for use in the Pacific. The New Zealand Government accepted and they were purchased, arriving circa December 1944. Post war they were stripped of camouflage and flown in natural metal for a period, before being offered to TEAL/NAC for use, but eventuality handed back to the RNZAF. Thanks for sharing your model Kind regards Alan

Hi Nick, In the book "Ocean Sentinel" in my collection, there is a photo of a French Aeronaval Sunderland being towed up the slipway at RAF Wig Bay, with a tractor, similar to ones that towed RAF bomb loads at RAF Bases. The photo below from my Dads Collections at RNZAF Lauthala Bay with Catalina NZ4055 is a similar type as seen in the photo I mentioned above You could if you want to, use the towing tractor from the 1/72 Airfix Bomber Resupply Set? Hope that's of help? Regards Alan

It really depends on where in the grand scheme of things your Sunderland subject was based, and who (Squadron) was flying them? A Sunderland beaching or re floating was really an orchestra of parts Generally a Sunderland was hauled stern first out of the water, and was re floated bow first into the water. Hobsonville would use a Leclerc tractor or towing tugs, same as Lauthala Bay, sometimes it was just plain old fashion manhandling with ropes Regards Alan

Hi James, Given that the Wheel wells had a cover/liner in the well inner as in photo below, the "Interior" colour was not US Interior Green (the Zinc Chromate Green), but a Curtiss colour which is more " brownish" Would the RAF ground crews go to the trouble of repainting of the wheel well with a brand new liner? I would think likely not (though the liner may have ended up with paint) Given that the the desert environment would not be too conducive to the longevity of the liner, I would think again these would be replaced as required. The RNZAF operated P40's in a similar environment in the SW Pacific with crushed coral airstrips, just as destructive to a wheel well liner - these were replaced when worn to help protect the wing interior. When the RNZAF over painted the lower wings of our P40's with NZ Sky Grey the wheel wells were left in the original Curtiss colour. (Note the RNZAF followed RAF/British Air Ministry painting directives (with some lee way) We know this from NZ3220 Gloria Lyons which had been in "Storage" for 6 decades, still had the Curtiss colour (as in photo above) in the wheel well and the well liner too. Others may have other information, but, I would rely on any photos where possible. Regards Alan

Nice Having seen the Red Checkers in person (my Dad served with the CFS at Wigram 1970's), nice to see these builds. Always nice to see RNZAF Harvard's thanks for sharing Regards Alan

They are both the Brewster 339E Pilots Notes, and not (unfortunately) the M&E Manuals, but thank you for the thought and effort though 👍 Regards Alan

I too have the Mk I pilots notes, but they only give information on an RAF 339E version in which there are similarities, but they are also very much different to USN/Belgian/Dutch/Finnish versions. The USN F2A series have differing cockpits/equipment @jimmaas would be the best person to chat to on these (Buffalo Guru 👍) or any Buffalo version actually If you are after an RAF Version, then I have had a build WIP here on BM I built a USN F2A-2 Version with reasonably correct Cockpit etc which if you are after a USN version may assist you? Hope this may be of help? Regards Alan

Are you particularly looking for a a Finnish Buffalo M&E manual or USN/RAF versions? Reason I ask, is that there would be variations in the manuals for the differing aircraft Regards Alan

This is a very early F4U-1a, you can tell from the belly window - (lend Lease ) flown by the RNZAF WWII, which were received in the US 4 Tone scheme (Used for illustrative purposes only) It's rather bent out of shape, but it gives a very good look at the main under cart well. Not a spodge of Green Zinc Chromate/or Yellow Zinc in sight, but the same colour as undersides being NS White Hope that's of help? Regards Alan

Hi David, Depends on what Mark of F4U you are looking at building? Regards Alan

FWIW from my own experiences, I would take these Published "Contemporary" drawings with a atom sized grain of NaCl I have some drawings of a "Sunderland" that has items that are either a "Fanciful" rendition, or the artist had heard something from his Mothers 10th cousin's cousin Vinny who had read/heard it somewhere. A prime example is a Sunderland carrying Spare Propeller blades just aft of the mezzanine floor. To my knowledge, Sunderland's never carried those, nor would the crew have the equipment to carry out such a repair. I do have a photo of a Sunderland propeller being changed while on the water. A whole jig was required, that had to come in by tender from the base it was stationed at. If you can find a proper gazetted Aircraft manual or pilots notes, they will give you some more definitive amounts of detail, and will also (I'm using Sunderland Manuals here) specify if an item of equipment was to be actively used or "Nice to Have" such as a ice box in the Sunderland's galley, but only on special order from Shorts At the end of the day, research for your model can be rewarding and also seriously frustrating If you have sufficient intel that an item was indeed carried then by all means include, if in doubt leave out. Finally, it's your model, your "rendition" built from the best available information to you at the time. If you're happy with the result, that's all that really matters (Yes, I know we're all driven by that goal of perfection (speaking from experience here )) Happy building Regards Alan