ben_m

The most recent thread on the "PR" Mk.I with clipped wings is this one:

I think it was normal for several aircraft in a bomber formation to be taking strike photos while bombing. I think heavy bombers were all/nearly all fitted with cameras, and photoflash for night bombing.

The PRU Mauve looks sensible given the mix instructions, but doesn't match the shade of grey in the black and white photo. So either the aircraft wasn't in this scheme, or the mix instructions aren't accurate for the colour used on this aircraft. The oblique camera opening/radio hatch was not a standardised part in Type G's, 140 Squadron (that was formed from 1416 Flight in Sept 1941) were certainly had some bulged doors, as seen in this photo: The July 1941 date is dubious for the photo of P9328, as there is snow on the ground, and trees have no leaves. My guess is this aricraft was technically in 140 Sqn at the time of the photo, but they hadn't change the squadron code letters to 140's ZW on this aricraft.

@28ZComeback A bit late to this thread. My research into the colours on G-AESJ for this time period are in this post: The mission to Wilhelmshaven was flown by Niven and the photogrpaher was supposedly from the SIS, and was normally taking passport photos for agents' fake documentation. The photos were taken hand-held out the cabin windows with a Leica 35mm camera.

You could scratch build the type 35 camera control that was in the same location as the gunsight. (Photo from this walk around: https://www.ipmsstockholm.se/home/spitfire-pr-mk-xix-in-detail/ )

Necro-posting into this thread to keep all original-scheme PR Mk.I photos in the same place, after a 'new' one turned up in a Facebook thread (https://www.facebook.com/SpitfireAA810/posts/pfbid0kkPjzydxYgUGo8jXbmheBfB9wvHHcPZV8H6qoQktUFTTHBmkzoHUEZxMtJqmBsiRl): Taken onorthographic film, so the yellow in the roundel looks black. Also re-posting this which was originally posted by Jim Kiker, in case Photobucket stops free linking at some point.

Although maybe a bit out of date, this thread was pretty extensive in its coverage of available paints to match Sky:

They're already in Finland: this photo was taken at Malmi Airport, Helsinki, Finland.

Just re-posting the photo that was in the first post in this thread, as the link in original post doesn't work any more.

I'd be surprised if the person illustrating the scheme would have used a colour this light if the blue was supposed to be Extra Dark Sea Grey, particularly with the contrast to the green. When I get around to painting mine, I'm going for something that matches this illustration fairly closely.

Great, I'll try and find it. Many thanks for the tip. Edit: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/warplane-workshop/on-demand/73860-006

In case anyone is interested, G-AFTL, the original Lockheed spy plane, is back in the UK, back in camoutint, and under restoration: https://www.facebook.com/UltimateWarbirdFlights/videos/478523674159124

Yes, the photo shows the fuel dumps are normal, and no tailwheel doors, so the modifications that Cotton claimed on a further modded aircraft were not carried out on this one. Off the top of my head, he claims (in Aviator Extraordinary, and maybe also reported in Evidence in Camera) +30 mph top speed in the most modified version- which was said to have retractable tailwheel, modified main gear doors, and retractable fuel dumps. This version with just paint and filler, etc. was said to be 18 mph faster. But I'm very sceptical of what Cotton said, so the photo evidence is the main guide for me.

Just posting an update: there are scans at higher resolution of most of the photos shown above at Air-Britain (all from same time, after full mods): https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/L1348 I think these solve the mystery of the underside camera location(s): the bulges on either side of the belly that I interpretted as camera window fairings are just doped-over protrusions (like the left side of the cockpit where the venturi tube for the instruments is)- and I think the cameras were in fact mounted in the nose where a big new window is installed on the right side (see this brightened image):

Freightdog models does the non-bulged bomb bay doors in this set: https://www.freightdogmodels.co.uk/product/freightdog-1-72-dh-mosquito-b-xvi-h2s-conversion-set-2/