Jump to content

Hurricane MK I Tropical


LuisB

Recommended Posts

Hi! I am doing Vale´s aircraft on Greece, V7795. Hasegawa calls for Dark Earth, Dark Green and Azure Blue undersurfaces. Maybe Azure is too early for 1941? I am thinking of using Sky S instead

Looking forward on your opinion

Thanks in advance

Luis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Luis

will check my sources but could be a little while

no doubt some one will confirm before i get back but i have found reference to oct 1941 with azure blue trying to find out when the change occured

according to combat colours no2 there is some uncertainty about the introduction of azure blue-

In 1940 blenheims were shipped out with sky u/sides but middle east command considered this " to be too light and too green for the region" Middle east command mixed it's own colour of blue and asked air ministry to apply the colour to subsequent deliveries RAE had developed a suitable hue by dec 1940 called azure. how quickly this became available is open to conjecture

there was somethingin an old SAM article and a readers letter about greek hurris but they may have been mk11s -like the revell boxing hth

Edited by walrus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm under the impression that some Hurricanes Mk.IId had Sky undersurfaces with Mid Stone/Dark Earth uppers. If that's the case surely it's not inconceivable that earlier Hurricanes in the Med theatre would have had Sky undersurfaces too. As ever, awaiting correction.

Joseph

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi! I am doing Vale´s aircraft on Greece, V7795. Hasegawa calls for Dark Earth, Dark Green and Azure Blue undersurfaces. Maybe Azure is too early for 1941? I am thinking of using Sky S instead

Looking forward on your opinion

Thanks in advance

Luis

Hi Luis - welcome aboard. I think the colour may well be Sky Blue - a shade a lot lighter than Azure blue, and developed by the RAE in 1939 , long before Azure blue was invented & introduced.

Theres certainly some evidence for Malta based hurricanes having this undersurface colour.

HTH

Jonners

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all, for your responses.. if anyone has any info, please dont hesitate on comment

Looking forward to contribute on this great site, first time to register but following it long time ago

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lets get back to basics. It is the Hasegawa instruction that give the Azure color call-out. I'd be suspicious as it would be quite unusual for a Temperate Land Scheme (DG/DE) to have had the underside in Azure.

While Azure was being applied to aircraft as early as first half of 1941, it would have been in connection with aircraft used in North africa and the Middle East and in connection with aircraft being repainted in Desert colors (or the mysterious tropical land Scheme).

I'd like to find some other verification of such use of azure before I would accept hasegawa's instruction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You certainly do not want the Humbrol interpretation of Azure Blue, which is too dark, closer to Mediterranean Light Blue or the prewar Azure (not the same colour as the wartime Azure Blue). I think we have to accept the ruling from ME HQ that Sky was not acceptable as being too light - but the wartime Sky Blue is lighter still. We are left with the prewar Sky Blue or the genuine lighter Azure Blue. I suspect the latter, possibly popularly mis-titled. Steve's comment is correct that the Temperate Land scheme is most often noted with Sky undersides, but this is because the majority of such descriptions are for temperate climates. I don't think that this should be regarded as any restriction on the use of other colours for overseas use.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...