mstares

Is the photo of 'Red K' in Torch markings publicly available (Online or in a particular text)? I would be curious to find and see it, or was it seen in a private collection? Thanks Mark

Folks, thanks to all those who responded. Whilst I think I found what I needed, I thought I would also pass along the following image I just found on twitter. A Torch IIc, again with the star overlapping the yellow band of the roundel, but no traces of serial or codes.

So, looked at the forum guidance for posting images, hopefully I stay under the limits. A few images to contribute to the discussion. First is a shot purported to be an 801 Ib.... Likely as part a single light coloured code letter can be see to the right of the roundel (Note the star points overlapping the yellow surround) As to the yellow surround vs faded roundel on the wings see these 885 IIc (No serial but apparent c wing cannon stubs) O6-G screen grabs from the armoured carrier video (Slipper tank, yellow wing id bands, no sky ID bands)... Rough overpainting of the roundel is also a possibility Lastly another armoured carrier video screen grab (I can't find the corresponding IWM footage for these, and I would love to) showing a Torch seafire tail on the outrigger... no serial, no sky band, and no codes behind the roundel.... Also the star point overlap what should be the yellow surround (type of film may be impacting how the yellow is captured/depicted)

Test...

Folks, Thanks for all the replies. Most helpful. The MB366 'K" shot is nice as that is one of the profiles kicking around. There are a few single code letter 801 squadron Seafire Ib shots out there but this is the only one I have seen with code markings and that can be tied in proximity to Torch. As for my own Newsreel searches. Check out: https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/37476 The silhouetted Seafire discussed above can be seen around the 1:45 mark. Armoured Carriers has some Seafire and Martlet videos with some Torch materiel it you sift through it. Some of it is from the IWM newsreel listed above.... Others are unknown to me but are quite curious. One scene shows the American markings being painted on the underside of the wing, whilst another shows the tail end of a Seafire with the American marking,... No code is visible, no serial is visible and it does not have the Sky ID band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnVJJ9BVLGU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rib2yDH02PI Pathe has a rather poor quality, as far as I can tell, unlike a lot of their material they have not posted a cleaned up version on youtube https://www.britishpathe.com/video/VLVA9GAGBKFI0ZNN26QFR5HD2KSFG-THE-ROAD-TO-TUNIS-ANGLO-US-LANDINGS-IN-NORTH-AFRICA/query/Road+to+tunis Mark

Hello, I have started a Seafire IB, using the 1/48 Tamiya Spitifire Vb Trop as a starting point. I am debating between finishing it as a 885 Squadron aircraft as seen on HMS Formidable around Operation Husky or as a 'defaced' 🙂 801 Squadron bird on HMS Furious during Torch. A few decent pics exist of 885 Ib examples in mid 1943, but photos of 801 Squadron Ib examples during November 1942 are nearly non existent (Same situation with 807 Squadron during Torch ... I prefer to work on a documented subject). Would be appreciative if anyone can point me to either photos or newsreel footage of Ib examples during Torch? While digging through the IWM site for clues, I noticed something in the extreme left of a couple well known colour shots of Martlet operations off of HMS Formidable during Torch. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205188317 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205188318 I had not noticed that before and to my eye that is a Seafire with a blue spinner , yellow leading edge wing ID markings, Vokes filter and and temporary US star marking (Some IWM newsreel footage of Martlet landing Ops likely shows the same aircraft in the same spot, as seen from the port side but rather silhouetted). Any thoughts on type (Ib or IIc) and Squadron? Here is where my conjecture starts - 885 was on Formidable at this time, (in theory only having IIcs at this point.), but 885 aircraft were typically photographed with light (white or sky) not dark (in this case blue) spinners. Vokes filters were more common, (but not exclusive to) on Ibs than IIcs at this time (885 IIcs photographed around this time seemed to have the standard inlet). Lastly many of 885's IIcs had the RAF style sky ID band on the rear fuselage, and some had the yellow wing ID strips (Like the blue spinnered subject, can't tell if that has the band). Not sure if I have seen Ibs with those ID markings (Saw a reference somewhere to these being an artifact of prior service in the UK or home waters). Any thoughts, facts, conjecture etc would be welcome. Thanks Mark

Great job on the Warrior. You mentioned the idea of an Academy / Meng kit bash. I picked up both kits with plans to do just that... the end goal being an Irish Guards Warrior in Kosovo, June 1999. I was planning on using the Meng hull, basic turret, running gear, and common details, then adding whatever is necessary from the Academy kit for the sake of back dating - Chobham armour, stowage bins, antenna mounts etc. I am curious if you have any thoughts on that? I am hoping that the core Meng parts are universal, but fearing whether or not certain dimensional or detail differences will derail things ? Thanks, Mark