Graham Boak

The original subject would originally have had black/white undersides, still carried at the time of the Rotterdam attack, but by August 1940 these would have been Sky as in the instructions.

If he isn't interested, I am. I presume you can extend this to the new simplified version, apart from the obvious differences of course. What I have discovered since these kits appeared is the rarity of the thin cannon bulges and the extended horn balances on the Mk.Vc.

Azur will have based it on published profiles, in turn based on research by Paul Lucas into these colours. Extending the use of this scheme into this period is almost certainly an assumption too far.

Probably neither, as the trials predated the use of those codes. Whether they predated the Munich period codes I don't know.

Probably not, as Sky (otherwise known as Duck Egg Blue) was considered too light for the Middle East. This may depend upon just how close a match the Model masters paint was for its intended Sky. If it is distinctly blue rather than having a green tinge then you might get away with this. Azure Blue was prepared to match a local-derived colour sometimes called Iraqi Blue, or perhaps as Middle East Light Blue. This is the likeliest colour to have been used on a Mk.I Hurricane. Hurricanes intended for overseas have been described as having Sky Blue, but as this is lighter than the unacceptable Sky it seems that this was actually a descriptive comment "blue like the sky" rather than the specific Air Ministry colour. For a Mk.II Hurricane then Azure Blue is almost certainly what was used. The other colour sometimes mentioned in this context is Light Mediterranean Blue, but this would look darker and actual examples of its use appear uncommon. If you have no luck getting a tin of AB then you can go with any reasonable intense light blue, rather than anything with green in it. PS I've just seen on the Steel Navy website that Richard Harden has just received a consignment of Colourcoats, so presumably this will have included Azure Blue - but as this was on a model ship site I can't be definite on that.

But a quick answer/summary first: the Tropical Sea Scheme was applied experimentally before the war on a handful (possibly one) aircraft. Further planned trials were abandoned at the outbreak of the war. The appearance of the squadron's camouflaged aircraft in b&w matches the authorised Dark Green and Dark Earth, the latter being considerably faded. With Light Green and Light Earth shadow shading. The undersides could have been Aluminium or Night depending upon the intended use: there was a fairly easily removable black distemper which could have been used rather than permanent Night paint.

It isn't the visible black smoke that is the polluting problem with modern diesels, but the small particles (PM10?) that do the damage. The sooner they are all gone the better for everyone (except their pockets.)

That wouldn't stop them having Desert Scheme on top. It is what Wimpeys carried elsewhere in the Med. For shipping strikes they should have been in TSS, but I'll bet they weren't.

The Arma Mk.I kits certainly should have a different spinner, as the Rotol "bullet" type (or rather types) was only seen on very late Mk.Is. They have, I'm pretty sure, the shorter conical DH spinner and/or the almost hemispherical larger Rotol. Likely both. Can check later today.

Not as late as the Sea Harrier on carriers, but said earlier about the Harrier in general. It is usually credited to its Chief Engineer(?) John Fozard, in the form that it is safer to stop...etc..

If you do, be sure to get their thinners too. Being naphtha based the smell is greatly reduced, and can be used with other enamel paints too.

Not that unusual for Pan film, perhaps, but probably accentuated by the glare and very light background (everything else in the photo).

I suspect the lack of "wall" camouflage is because this is well after the 1941 siege, and that camouflage wasn't universal. I would accept that photos of RAF ground support vehicles during the siege are not exactly common. The photo I recall of a Matilda in airfield use, it is not exactly towing but dragging a belly-landed Beaufort.

The film/filter cannot have affected the overall blue but not the blue of the roundel. Nor have I ever seen PRU blue that faded. It is also very uniform, and quite clean. Nothing like a well-used paint finish. My money is on a repaint to a lighter colour, but not on any particular one.

Really? Despite the much less powerful engine? Compared to the MiG.9, yes. The later developments with the more powerful engine might have been better than the Mig.15 but I don't think that it was ever proven. And as often shown, it doesn't matter how good you are if you are too late and the opposition is good enough..