Denford

Wow: I only joined yesterday, yet now I feel I’m surrounded by friends! - Seahawk. My ‘Seafire…’ book is dated 1989 (I think there may have been an earlier edition). It is ISBN1-85367-039-1 if that helps. It’s in the first batch of photos (#18) between pages 64 & 65. Curiously the caption refers to Culdrose rather than Culham. - Col. Thanks for your sympathies, but in fact Freightdog, with a little prompting from myself, have included LA545 on FD48008. Unfortunately they didn’t have room for the legends under the cockpit, nor on the belly tank. Their website shows just the decal sheet and no more. Too bad I’m a 1/72 modeller. - Anyone wanting a ‘safe’ choice, with camera port but no rocket rails, could do no better than LA549 ‘107’. Two tone, low dividing line, CH on fin etc. The FAA Museum has two photos of it resting rather inelegantly on its nose with its u\c crumpled into what appears rather soft grass. No belly tank at time of ‘mishap’. - Finally, pro bono publico, here is the reply I received from Ray Sturtivant asking for correlation between squadron id’s and serial numbers. “….Regarding 1832 Sqn Mk.46s, the establishment was 6 aircraft, but they had more than that, though presumably not all at the same time: LA543, 545 110/CH, 549 107/CH, 551 109/CH, 555 105/CH, 556, 558, 559, 560, 561 104/CH, 562, 563….”

Thanks for your prompt reply. I can now finish off my Hasegawa 1/72 TF-104 in confidence. Perhaps when I've done they will offer the same 1/48 in 1/72. I presume the wings are Gloss White above and FS16473 Grey (or should it be Gray?) below. ‘On Target’ # 1 says the latter was also applied to the tail, but I’m sticking with the Red that can just be made out on the boxtop.

There's a much better picture of the same formation (different photo though) in 'The Spitfire that went to Sea. The serial isn't visible, but Sturtivant identified it (for me) as LA545

Some years ago researching late-Seafires for a decal sheet I found, to my eye: - LA545 was the last machine (in fact only the fifth built) to be finished in the ‘Temperate Sea Scheme’ of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey upper surfaces with Sky undersides. - LA546 was the first machine to be finished in the later scheme of EDSG and Sky. The change of colours appears to correspond to the change of upper-wing roundel from ‘Red and Blue only’ to the later Red-Thin White-Blue. Interestingly the official painting plan shows the fuselage roundels further forward than Spitfires, completely covering the camera hatch. Codes were therefore placed aft. Somewhere, I believe in ‘The Spitfire that went to Sea’, mention is made that rocket rails and camera ports were installed locally. The position of the latter necessitated moving the fuselage roundel aft and hence the codes were placed forward of them. Therefore, at the time of the photograph, LA546 had not had been modified to take oblique cameras if indeed it ever was. As for rocket rails, the well known ‘104’ (LA561) did have them though these are invariably omitted from all kits I’ve ever seen, perhaps because they are fiddly to include. The decal sheet (to have been called ‘The Roaring Forties’) was still-born with the demise of ED models. However some years later I passed markings and other details of two never- previously illustrated 46’s (neither with rocket rails) to David Hannant himself for Xtrakit’s future Seafire 46. Alas, a recent e mail from him includes “… as for the Xtrakit Seafire 46, I am afraid that this is now never likely to appear, due to the fact that another Czech company has picked up the Spitfire/Seafire series and there would be no point in doing two.” Will we see ‘104’ sans rocket rails yet again?

The lettering ‘SNAKE’ was applied to some aircraft of the SEAC, denoting I believe that such aircraft should not be retained by or diverted to other commands. Can anyone confirm that this was really so, and why such letters? Perhaps an acronym - but for what?

Thanks for posting this: are you by any chance able to post the painting instructions for the machine illustrated on the box?