nickinflorida

I thougt those of you following and contributing to this thread might enjoy seeing how things turned out. As of this morning, I've completed seven flights with this 1.9m span (1/4 scale) Mew Gull. In the end, I opted to reproduce Henshaw's 1937 edition, more or less, and I'm happy with the results. It looks fantastic in the air. Thanks to everybody who helped!

I found an "e-version" of Henshaw's book, and searched this additional reference -- at the least, Henshaw is consistent in his memory of the color: On 20th of March 1937 I went down with Dad to Luton to discuss aircraft with Captain Edgar Percival. Percival showed me the Mew ZS-AHM glistening in white and gold, which had been returned from Belgrade, and fitted with a Gipsy Six Se- ries I engine and fixed-pitch airscrew and sold to Bill Humble.

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) and that his registration of G-AEXF was British racing green from the start. I think it'd be an odd thing to mis-remember (AHM having gold lettering), so I'm inclined to take it as "the fact of the matter". The book is copyright 1980 so decades after the event.

I think you make a really good point about the blue! While it generally seems to be agreed that the modified (cut down canopy/deck) G-AEXF was British racing green (reg.), do we know that was the correct color pre-mod as shown in the photo? It would make sense that Henshaw wouldn't have repainted the registration, at least on the wing (I've seen no record of how "torn up" the fuselage was during the change or whether the work was confined to the curved decking only). I really thought the gold would be a nice change from all the other R/C Mew Gull kits that have been G-AEXF, and usually black (as the green was supposedly very dark and looked black). But I don't want to make gold transfers only to learn that without a doubt the alternative registrations were blue. Your Hawker photo shows without a doubt that AEKL and ACND could be as dark as the "roundel" blue, and not some medium blue as might be assumed. In the RC world it's amazing how many pre-painted, pre-marked WW2 planes are done to represent an existing restored example. I guess then there is no question what the colors and markings are! And I have to admit, before I realized how completely different G-AEXF was, pre- and post-mod, I was inclined to do my model exactly as it exists today in the Shuttleworth Collection, since there is a great deal of available documentation!

A French article mentioned earlier (PDF form), here: http://richard.ferriere.free.fr/bleneau/mewgull/mewgull.pdf On page three, the caption for G-ACND google-translates to: "Edgar Percival only used white planes for his personal needs, the registration being painted in gold letters, showing little contrast in the photos. The E.2H G-ACND (c / n E.21) had the same registration and the same serial number as the E.1 of 1934, which made some people say that it It was the same device, modified." Amazing so many different conclusions on such well-known (in their day) aircraft. Also worth pointing out, and I think somewhat overlooked -- the canopy framing appears to be natural (unpainted) aluminum (where it's the original, unmodified canopy design). The Henshaw modified canopy frame was white, and when restored c.1980 with original canopy design, the frame was painted white then as well.

The first shot is interesting because the number 2 on the rudder is almost certainly black and provides a value reference. This photo of ZS-AHM is useful -- Harry Robinson (scale drawings) claimed gold registration. But in this single shot you can clearly see "The Golden City" is lighter -- and likely gold, whereas the registration is darker and unlikely gold at all! Henshaw with the pre-modification version of G-AEXF, which was said to be British Racing Green. I'm guessing the racing number was black. At the stock photo site https://www.alamy.com/ search these two images for Percival in the cockpit of G-AEKL: 2BW3TMG 2BW3M17 (the latter doesn't show the fuselage as well, but does show the upper wing)

I'm trying to remember where I just read that the first Mew Gulls were Percival's "house colors" of white with gold registration letters. Further, I have good photos of G-ACND and G-AEKL where the lettering certainly looks like gold. Unfortunate, I don't see an option to attach the images to the post. If I can find the photos online again, I'll post the URLs. Thanks!

That makes a lot of sense.

Black and white photos, especially pre-war, can be very tricky with some colors, where they may read darker or lighter than the actual color might lead you to believe, due to the specific film's color sensitivity. ZS-AHM, for example, looks darker than gold in most photos, while the shots I have of G-AEKL and G-ACND have lighter-appearing letters, consistent with what I'd expect gold to look like in black and white. In some shots "The Golden City" looks black and in other, lighter as you'd expect gold to look (the registration letters, unfortunately, obscured in the lighter looking shot). So I'm not 100% convinced that "The Golden City" (ZS-AHM) had gold registration letters -- although that is clearly noted in Harry Robinson's scale drawings, certainly the best ever done. My model is an "ARF" (almost ready to fly) -- balsa/ply framework, precovered in white iron-on material. I wish it had been covered with red, then my choice would have been simple -- gold G-AEKL lettering!

While on the general subject, has anybody seen a good photo or drawing of the circular Percival Mew Gull logo seen on some of vertical stabilizers? Harry Robinson did draw it and indicate colors, but it's too small on my copy to get more than a general idea.

I had seen your model build thread -- in fact, that provided proof that Harry Robinson had done drawings of ZS-AHM, which I finally found in the SKYWAYS issue refernced. I'd seen that French article (PDF) and bookmarked it -- but neglected to translate any of it. So I took a chance on the caption for the profile photo of G-ACND, and got the following: "Edgar Percival only used white planes for his personal needs, the registration being painted in gold letters, showing little contrast in the photos. The E.2H G-ACND (c / n E.21) had the same registration and the same serial number as the E.1 of 1934, which made some people say that it It was the same device, modified." So now I know that G-ACND had GOLD registration letters! I found one photo of Percival in the cockpit of G-AEKL, when it was all-white, and the letters look light -- so probably gold as well, or perhaps a medium blue? G-AEKL had subsequent color changes from all-white. The decals with your model show his personal G-AFAA having medium blue letters. Thanks for the help!

I'm working on an R/C model of the Percival Mew Gull, which has the "as manufactured" canopy and rear deck. As famous as this aircraft was in England, it's all but unknown to us in the USA, even those of us very interested in the prewar National Air Races held in Cleveland, Ohio. Finding reference material has been a surprising challenge. The current restoration of G-AEXF is of Henshaw's "cut down" canopy and rear deck. I have Harry Robinson's drawings for G-AEXF and it's original scheme/registration, ZS-AHM, which includes color notes. My model will be all-white, and considering how few Mew Gulls were made, I've been surprised at my inability to identify colors. I believe the following were all-white airframes: ZS-AHM "The Golden City" gold letters G-AEXF British Racing Green letters G-AEKL G-ACND (not included: Capt. Percival's own G-AFAA, as this was essentially a different aircraft) G-AEXF did exist in unmodified form, so this is a possibility, as is the original incarnation, ZS-AHM. Can anybody fill in the blanks for the other registration letter colors? I've done exhaustive internet searches and I'm very surprised at how few photos of Mew Gulls turn up (not including the Shuttleworth restoration). I've found no reference books -- just two magazine articles (Air Classics, Oct. 1977 which included Robinson's drawings of G-AFAA and Skyways, Jan. 2004 which included Robinson's drawings of G-AEXF, modified, and ZA-AHM). Did Robinson document any of the other Mew Gulls? His excellent drawings are very difficult to come by. Thanks in advance!