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Nose Art on Fox Moth of SEAC?


JWM

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Hi,

Two Fox Moths were impressed to SEAC:

MA954 was impressed 31.10.42 and was used by 3rd TAF Communications Sqn, Comilla in .44. Soc 31.7.44.
MA955 was impressed 31.10.42 and was used by Bengal CU and later by 3rd TAF Communications Sqn, Comilla. Soc 31.7.44.
There are at least two photos in IWM collection showing of one of those machines, they were recently quoted in a topic on this forum on SEAC types
On the photo of second post there - presenting SEAC Fox Moth - there is something on the engine cover, on right lower corner. I cannot recognize - is it a kind of nose art, or rather this is just a lack of paint? Position of it suggests rather the second option - but perhaps somone knows it better.
Second question - the visible national insignia (roundel) on top of the wing has unusual proportion with very small light center. This recll me rather those used by FAA in Indian Ocean area then typical SEAC mark. Is it possible, that it was like FAA one - with white middle, not light blue?
Can anoboty help? I am finishing with my Fox Model in this markings....
Regards
Jerzy-Wojtek
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Hiya Jerzy,

I see what you mean about the nose but it looks like chipped paint to me.

As for the roundels, when SEAC roundels were first introduced they were blue and white, mostly by painting over the red in the standard roundel. When the white centres proved to be too easy to see and ruin the camouflage there was quite a bit of experimentation done by units to try to address this by reducing the white disc (as per many Fleet Air Arm upper wing rdls), by reducing the size of the whole roundel or by toning down the white disc by adding blue to the white. Eventually the SEAC roundel was both reduced and had light blue centres added but it took time to reach this `standard'.

Most larger aircraft such as Liberators, Dakotas, Catalinas etc retained standard sized roundels with a larger central disc painted using light blue, which some call `India White'!

The Fleet Air Arm in the Far East Fleet (East Indies Fleet) centred on Ceylon had its own basic rules for roundels which were separate from the RAF and although it followed SEAC directives by removing erd from the roundels it never adopted light blue for the centre of its roundels.

All the best

Tony

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Thank you very much Tony for comment. I will try to summarize - no nose art and national insignia should be with blue inside (since Fox Moths were impressed in October 42 and served till middle 1944, and the side roundels are already small on photo). Soon my Fox should be on RFI :)

Cheers

J-W

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Thank you very much Tony for comment. I will try to summarize - no nose art and national insignia should be with blue inside (since Fox Moths were impressed in October 42 and served till middle 1944, and the side roundels are already small on photo). Soon my Fox should be on RFI :)

Cheers

J-W

No problem,......I`m not sure whether the centre of the roundels are white or very pale blue but you could get away with either. I`ll look forward to seeing your Fox Moth, it is a model that I would like to build myself,..is it an Aeroclub kit?

Cheers

Tony

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Hi,

I`ll look forward to seeing your Fox Moth, it is a model that I would like to build myself,..is it an Aeroclub kit

Actually I made a scrach work - I conibalized AZ Tiger Moth (tail, engine, propeller, parts of u/c) and spare wings (sloteless) from A-model Gipsy - obviously with new central part and with different angles.... The fuselage is "sculpture". It is almost done. I hope to post it tomorrow, perhaps.

Cheers

J-W

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