Advice needed: Typhoon - Silver Bullet

[SimonL]

Apologise if this has been asked (and answered before). Just looking at planning some builds for the year. I have the 1/72 scale Airfix Typhoon 1b sitting in the stash and was intrigued by the silver painted Typhoon in the Airfix Model World Supplement a little while back (aka the Silver Bullet, MN666). I think I can cobble together the serial, my question is what sort of roundels should I use on the wings?

Should they be:

(1) National Marking type I (Type B ) on upper surface, National Marking type II (type C) on lower surface

Or

(2) National Marking type 1 converted to National Marking type III (Type C1) on upper surface, National Marking type III (type C1) on lower surface

Or

(3) "smaller" fuselage sized National Marking type III (Type C1) on upper surface, National Marking type III (type C1) on lower surface

Or some other combination? The decals are available in the kit for any of these options. The the side on profile in the supplement seems to hint at option 1.

In relation to that, while I am thinking of doing my "clean" with no bomb carriers or rocket rails, I gather these were a possibility on MN666 (see http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234965631-yet-another-24th-scale-tiffie-thread-hopefully-short/?hl=%2Bsilver+%2Bbullet+%2Btyphoon#entry1708285).

If I decided to include these, what colour would they likely be? Medium Sea Grey?

Thanks :-)

[Chris Thomas]

First a warning; most of what follows is supposition, as no photos of the Silver Bullet have come to light.

MN666 was with the FLS for a year, Sept 44 to Sept 45, and would presumably have had Type B roundels above the wings, Type C below and Type C1 on the fuselage, originally. FLS was UK based and not part of 2nd TAF so it would not have C1 roundels in all positions from Jan 45, however, from that time it would have had a white ring added to the Type Bs, to make them Type C.

The aircraft was not painted 'silver' but was stripped of paint, except for the fabric covered rudder. You can get some idea of how this looked by referring to pictures of stripped Tempests, which had the same fuselage structure. The shades of Aluminium panels were not uniform and although I tried to suggest this in the Airfix mag supplement it does not seem to have reproduced to well.

The panel immediately in front of the windscreen and the long rear fuselage panel which bore the serial, and alternate similar panels around the fuselage were significantly darker. Someone who knows more about Aluminium than I may know why (was there a grain which benefited laying alternate panels in different directions? ). The effect is quite noticeable in all photos of 'natural' Tempests.

As for stores, the only shot I have of an FLS Typhoon with RP shows Mk. III Aluminium rails which were aluminium coloured, presumably painted. Earlier Mk IA rails may have been carried and these were usually painted; MSG would be my guess too. Type III rails were introduced c.Dec 44.

I don't have much info on the practice bomb carriers but they seem to be Aluminium painted too. They were suspended from the standard Typhoon bomb carriers, with a pair of RP rails outboard of them. There are some photos in 2ndTAF Vol 4.

Chris

Edited January 26, 2015 by Chris Thomas

[SimonL]

Many thanks Chris for taking the time to write such an informative answer. I am not much of a painter when it comes to metallics. I suspect I will spray it with a rattle can of Tamiya Aluminium, make it a bit grubby and then use a matt coat to cut the shine back. I can have a go at making panels different shades as you suggest, but I am not sure my skill level is up to it! I am not sure whether it's is actually different colours, it may be differences in reflectivity of the aluminium oxide coating? (I am a chemist not a metallurgist :-))I am not sure about having any stores on my aircraft at this point, and considering the decals I have it will be done pre-Jan 1945. Excellent article on colour scheme by the way. As you say, the Typhoon may technically have had only one camouflage scheme but there is a wealth in variation. I have filed the supplement away for the day I can afford the kit, space, skill and time to have a go at the 1/24 scale kit.

[SimonL]

Woohoo, found all the letters and numbers I need in the approximate size to put together the serial - think I know what my next build is.

[Tempestwulf]

If you need roundels lemme know, I have excess in supply (3x Aeromaster insignia sheets)

[SimonL]

Many thanks, but I have enough from the kit.

[The original Kit Builder]

In respect of the metallurgy, the variance of apparent shade is caused by the alignment of the panel in relation to its granular structure.

Heating and rolling metal into thin sheets causes the crystalline structure of the material to lengthen and align in one direction due to stretching effects.

This structure is clearly visible, particularly in lighter alloys and it scatters reflected light in a particular way. Where the metal is aligned with the grain at right angles to the reflected light, it appears a differnt shade to that aligned parallel to the light, hence the evident light and dark areas.

In surfaces that have been treated, by painting or other means and subsequently stripped, the effects of oxidation and chemical contact will also affect the appearance of the underlying metal.

[FalkeEins]

doesn't this machine feature on a Freightdog sheet somewhere ?

[Chris Thomas]

doesn't this machine feature on a Freightdog sheet somewhere ?

I don't think so. I believe they did a (painted) silver Tempest II.

Thanks to Kit Builder for his insight. It is always the same panels which show up darker in photos (so much so that they have been interpreted as pre-war style squadron markings); is that because they are always photographed from similar angles? Or because the skinning was laid in alternate directions?

CT

[gingerbob]

Perhaps both. The panels were probably consistently cut with certain grain alignment- sometimes it matters, because there is a degree of strength difference- not to mention getting efficient use of a standard size sheet of aluminium (i.e. these parts get cut out of a sheet in this pattern, sheet after sheet). And aircraft do tend to be photographed from similar angles (say, about the eyeball height of a human) most of the time.

bob

[Chris Thomas]

Perhaps both. The panels were probably consistently cut with certain grain alignment- sometimes it matters, because there is a degree of strength difference- not to mention getting efficient use of a standard size sheet of aluminium (i.e. these parts get cut out of a sheet in this pattern, sheet after sheet). And aircraft do tend to be photographed from similar angles (say, about the eyeball height of a human) most of the time.

bob

Thanks Bob, that makes sense.

Chris

[Edgar]

It's possible to get the same effect, when covering a model with cooking foil; while difficult to see, there is a "grain" to it, and one can use that, to good effect, by setting adjacent panels with the grain at varying angles.

Having done all that, it's then easy to kill the whole thing by spraying with a matt varnish.................