doorgunner

Hello I am building the Airfix 1/48 Defiant in PS-X markings in the battle of France period. I assume that at that time her undersurfaces were white/black with undersurfaces of engine and tail boom in silver. I would like to ask if in this scheme the ailerons were reverted colours or not. And wheels bay ? Which colour was ? Half b/w ? Silver ? TIA Ciao Maurizio

Hello I come across this interesting thread and would like to ask more on KJ493. I need all is know but in particular ots RAF service, camo scheme and some pic if some exists TIA Ciao Maurizio

Deleted - wanted post

Hello I come across a particular picture included in the book Me109G-6 Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia 6 by Stenman/Keskinen showing one of the finnish Me109 G-6 with an unusual additional lower instrument panel, fitted between the two lower side "horns". The caption says it was fitted with the FuG16 device and also the breaker panel on the right hand side of the cockpit seems to be more busy than usual. I recognize a compass in the middle and perhaps a turn/slip indicator on the left, but what about the dual gauge instrument on the right ? And what was present at the extreme left ? My attention was also captured by a strange gauge on top of the engine cannon cover...what is this ? Are there any other pics of such equipped Me 109 ? TIA Ciao Maurizio

Hello Vonbraun and thanks a lot for this further photo that allows me to see the left wing camo pattern. I think that these three pics were taken when the a/c was just repainted because there are no sign of Yellow fuselage band and no other sign of Yellow theatre markings can be seen because there was no rudder and the entire nose was covered. The picture where the ground crew are busy with paint and many parts are disassembled, suggest that the Aircraft was (later) extensively Painted with many parts in Yellow. The smoke rings too appear to be well defined and neat in the three maintenance pics, while they are faded in the other pics. When they added the many Yellow parts they could have been add a Yellow upper wingtips too.... I think that a pilot that wants to have a showy "smoke ring mottled" Aircraft with large Yellow sectors is far from the concept of camouflage so probably Yellow upper wingtips could be a nice add. This because the pic shows that the Yellow overcome the leading edge of the wingtip and slat and the difference with upper wing camo in the leading edge is evident. Upper and lower Yellow Sector were not equal because is evident that upper one was some 10 cm shorter (please see "step" in the leading edge). My last thinking is that the wings weren't in the official splinter camo scheme as it is evident, a further dark and very light colour were present. So I think like a ground crew and say: if the original colours were faded or so ruined that need a repaint and I HAVE the 74/74 colours, the logical think to do is to repaint the wings as the existent scheme, repaint 74 where the 74 is and the same with 75. But if the wings were faded or a change of camo scheme is needed because in Russia many many Me109 and Fw190 were overpainted to match the russian summer environment colours...why do they have to match the factory splinter or use the official colors ? Don't remember we have a smoke rings Aircraft so far from standard so why the wings had to be LOGICAL ? This is my personal opinion, obviously and would like to thank you so much all of you that joined such interesting discussion. I am in the process of painting it with large RLM 02 areas where I think was the very pale colour, RLM75 with a RLM 70 triangle on the left wing. I have made the smoke rings in the same color This was an absolutely NON standard Aircraft, so no need to follow the STANDARD camo rules (this time) !! Thank you Maurizio

Wow ! Very nice pic...I start believing that hasegawa was right...large yellow wingtips seems being on upper surface too ! Last question remaining is if the wings were 02/71...were the Fritz delivered in this early scheme too ? A couple of replacing wings with an early scheme on a 74/75/76 plane....?

Hello Vonbraun, I thank you so much for your kind posting of those pictures most of them I've never see before. Many questions are now clear and your last post is intriguin me so much. Where did they took the info for such large upper yellow wingtips ? I also noticed that they suggest a wrong upper wing camo spliter pattern...

Hello, I am completing the 1/32 Hasegawa Me 109 F-2 as the personal mount of Hpt hans Von hahn, in the shape of the famous a/c with smoke rings circles camo scheme. Not so many pics are available and many doubts are jumping me, so I hope that some fellow Hyperscaler could help me: 1) Yellow and later toned down cowling (or only Yellow lower cowling ?) 2) Yellow and later toned down rudder ? 3) Yellow theatre fuselage band ? 4) smoke rings in rlm 74 or 70 ? 4) what colour scheme ? To me the wing seems in 02/71 because of the very pale appearance, but there is also a darker triangle..... 5) 70 with a White third spinner or overall 70 ? In both cases striped front spinner. 6) no IFF antenna under the fuselage ? 7) no small air scoop near the crank handle hole right cowl I attach a google found pic as a reference.. Thanks in advance Maurizio ​ ​

Hello and thanks a lot for your reply. From the few wreck parts it seems to suggest an Airacobra ! Found on sea on Lazio region few kilometers north of Rome. Engine serial is C42-17560 Thanks Maurizio

Hello I am helping some fellows that just found an Allison v1710-87 engine underwater, to look for its history and the plane it was fitted on. Who can help please ? I know that usaaf losses in the Med area are recorded also by the engine serial but unfortunately I don't have these files tia maurizio

Hello everybody, I just received the brand new special Hobby's Tempest Mk V...what a wonderful model kit ! As usual in my modelling "career" I will do the usual Clostermann's mount (I did in 72 and 48 many years ago). I checked the decal sheet included in the kit without finding trace of "Le grand Charles" writing, have I missed something or they didn't put at all ? It can be an occasion to re-trace the history of Clostermann's Tempests, I know that he flew several with different serial and different upper wing roundels. Who can be so kind to summarize for me please ? Thank a lot Maurizio

deleted - no traders.

Hello, I am glad and proud to share with you my latest model kit, in 144th scale. It is the Royal Italian Navy "Alagi" submarine during WWII, casted in 60 non-toxic resin parts, a photo-etched sheet and a decal. It is certainly a model that missed in the scale submarine model kits, because no firm ever realized a large scale model of an italian sub. This is a 50 kits limited-run model with an overall lenght of a little over 40 cm. I hope you like it ! Maurizio [/url​

Hello jack this a/c had 31.2 inch type B roundels on upper wings only, according to a wonderful article about the early MkIs published in 1982. In the same article there is also another picture of L1090. Early spits had their machine guns muzzle protruding in different lenght from the wings. Later it was removed and red patches appeared. Your example seems not to have any protruding gun so patches are possible. Regarding the lower surface colouring, the article states that this a/c had the lower wings in black/white with lower nose and lower tail boom in silver. Ailerons were not silver but the light strip you noticed in the aileron should be a block to prevent shutting because of the wind. In the article photo is more evident. Hope this helps Maurizio

Hello I have almost finished my early spitfire in 32 scale, converted from a Revell Mk II. I have painted all the roundels and codes with appropriate home made masks. I am now finishing the last touches and come across a discussion, here at Britmodeller, regarding the fact that serial were cancelled from bottom wing and fuselage just to be repeated, in a very small way, in the lower nose under the spinner. Last night here in Italy, I spotted an old documentary on tv, filmed during BoB 50th anniversary. Galland and Peter Townsend were interviewd and I found it very interesting. At a moment, a 3 second image showed 19 squadron spitfire with WZ codes, during an engine start. I stopped the filming and take a pic with my phone. I spotted the famous serial under the spinner and would like to share with the early spit lovers. I don't know if it is a already seen image, but hope it could be useful... Ciao MAurizio

Hello, I have a doubt regarding the Mk I Spitfire's walkways, in their part close to the tips. I wonder if they arrives to the tips and ended there, or if they makes a 90° turn and goes up to the leading edge of the wing ? And furthermore....my choice is WZ-T of 19 sq at Duxford press day....I know that the early yellow surrounded roundels were painted over and replaced by B types, and I know that this examples had just one roundel per wing (one upper and one lower). Considering that the overpainting of yellow ring in the fuselage is clearly visible, is it realistic that a large overpainting was done also on upper right wing to cancel the roundel by re-tracing the camo scheme with fresh paint ? TIA MAurizio

Hello and thanks a lot to you all that replied to my question. I tried H335 but once sprayed, it seems really dark to me. ! Is there any close federal standard number please ? TIA Maurizio

Hello I am looking for a good match for using a gunze aqueous colour in painting a spitfire undersurfaces in medium sea gray, please (day fighter colour scheme). TIA Ciao Maurizio

Hello, I am realizing a Mk I Spitfire as WZ-T during the famous Duxford display in 1939 and I wonder if that planes were equipped with the fuselage flare tube close to the tail assembly right side. I checked the pilot notes and it is written that a flare tube is installed in the said position, used in case of forced Landing. I saw this item as a hole in Mk Vs, and spotted it on the Cosford MkI Spitfire. My question is if the Duxford's lined up planes were equipped with such device or not. I am not able to detect it. Was it there ? Was it covered by a doped fabric patch ? TIA regards Maurizio

Hello, I am building a mkI spitfire in 1/32 scale from Revell and would like to know something more about the tailplane rivets seen on top and bottom surfaces of the tailplanes. The Revell parts comes with a full rivets layout and many modellers (on the web or on modelling book recently issued) said that they have to be filled and sanded smooth. Yesterday I payed a visit to the wonderful Shuttleworth collection in Uk where I had the opportunity to take a very close look at their MkVC spitfire almost finished. I was able to see the bottom only, just to notice that they are a mix of slotted countersunk screws and flat head rivets. I've not counted them but they are many. They are visible even after a layer of gray paint and I think that my tailplanes would have the same appearance after a coat of black/white, glossy and satin finish paint. What do you think about it ? Why they canceled them ? TIA Ciao Maurizio

I wanted to realize the one pictured in many images both on the ground and in flight. It seems to have the gear bay and undersurfaces of ailerons in aluminum dope and just one roundel on upper and lower surfaces. Which one is it please ?

Don't know exactly what serial WZ-T was, but checking its in-flight pictures is evident that it was fitted with the heating scoops.... M

Hello everybody, I am modelling WZ-T an early spit with flat canopy and two blade prop seen in many pics. Since its correct serial is doubtful, it is impossible to know when it was produced. What to do...? To leave or remove the scoops.....? TIA Maurizio

...a further question.... Which color was painted the leather backpad fitted to early metal seat ? Black or dark/medium leather colour ? TIA Maurizio

Hello it depends how early you intend. I used the wonderful video " the daily inspection of a spitfire" to spot the many details in the cockpit. The video "star" is spitfire r6692 that is not so early but neither so late as a mkI. Infact it shows many early details as double fuel gauge, early clock, both ammeter/voltmeter, early 6 lbs boost gauge limit and so on...it worth a look... Ciao Maurizio