JOAN Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Hi all, I am looking for any information about the DAP 21 named "the Saint" : serial, crew names, operation history ... Is the starboard side engine white ? what do you think ? Many many thanks for your help. ( snapshot from my collection ) Many thanks ! olivier 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Normal paint wouldn't last long on the exhaust ring. Some bombers in the UK fitted with Hercules had a heat proof paste applied to the rings in an attempt to cut down the 'glow in the dark' of the very hot exhausts. Odd that it's only applied to one engine but it could be a work in progress or a trial. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdk Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Hello Olivier, Geoffrey Pentland in " RAAF Camouflage and Markiengs Vol2 " on page 94 show a profile off Beaufighter A8-23 EH-C. In the caption he writes:" ...white aeras around the engine cowlings were treated with special heat reflecting paint. " Other pics in that book show also Beaufighter with cowlings not unlike that in your pic posted above. Claus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrzeM Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 One collector ring my be simply newer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
occa Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 ... and the prop blades are much lighter than being black .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leyreynolds Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Try Aussie Modeller site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Puff Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I've had a run through Neville Parnell's "Whispering Death", the bible on RAAF Beaufighters, but it doesn't help. I'll keep searching and see what I can scrounge. From the background, it looks like the photo might have been taken at Coomalie Creek, which may be some sort of starting point. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
occa Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Here the prop blades are some kind of light grey: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8270787@N07/5194206599/in/album-72157605269786717/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magpie22 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Hi all, I am looking for any information about the DAP 21 named "the Saint" : serial, crew names, operation history ... Is the starboard side engine white ? what do you think ? Many many thanks for your help. The aircraft is from No.31 Sqn and the photo is taken at Coomalie Creek, circa Oct / Nov 1944. (A8-21 was received by the Sqn in early October, and at the end of November the Sqn relocated to Noemfoor Island). The version I have of that shot shows A8-21, EH-R, in the background. Squadron codes would have been EH. Can't help with individual letter or crew details though. The white covering on the exhaust manifold is common on DAP built Beaufighters. I doubt that it was 'heat reflecting': the manifold was already bloody hot. The props on many DAP Beaus appear to be painted aluminium on the front face and Black on the rear. HTH a little, Magpie 22 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Aereo Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 White paint (stowing enamel?) was already in use on the exhausts of light bombers in the RAF of the thirties, IIRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 White paint (stowing enamel?) was already in use on the exhausts of light bombers in the RAF of the thirties, IIRC. Do you mean " stove enamel "? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozhawk40 Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 (edited) There were two types of Beaufighter exhaust collector rings. See diagram below (I can't remember where this came from - another post?). Fig 11 Shows the type that was fitted to most if not all English built Beaufighters sent to Australia Fig 12 Shows the type that was fitted to all Australian DAP manufactured. It has an additional cooling baffle attached which directed airflow across the front. The picture of "The Saint" shows the aircraft to have both types. When an engine change was made the exhaust collector ring was not usually removed, but removed and installed with the engine as a unit. The Saint's port engine has been replaced at some point. The starboard engine is of the type that was orginally fitted to this aircraft from the factory. The baffle on the first 42 DAP produced aircraft (or there abouts - it could be more) had the baffle painted or enameled white. The area directly behind the baffle was not painted but covered with stainless steel or alloy covers. The picture below (source DAP) of a brand new A8-14 shows this reasonably clearly. These exhaust covers where segmented and had additional fastners on the rear edge of the cover. You can see one on the RAF Museum example RD253 (source wiki commons). Fastners and segment break highlighted. From around the Beaufighter A8-49 (possibly before) and onwards the baffles were painted semi gloss black and the stainless or alloy exhaust covers were deleted. This black paint did not adhere very well to the baffles and was soon lost on operational aircraft. The propeller which also started out black also had a tendency to lose paint. See this still from a film of A8-85 SK-F. . For those aircraft that had seen considerable service particularly on unpaved strips, most if not all of the propeller paint was stripped off. I think this is the case with "The Saint". It shows (I think) 23 missions. I would suspect that the photo was taken on one of the islands rather than Coomalie. Maybe Tawi Tawi. This is a picture of a near new A8-159 "Nancy" which does show the orginal black finish of the props. (RAAF) Any further information on the Saint would be welcome. It's probably in the range of A8-2 through to A8-47, looks to have a tally of 23 missions under the cockpit window and could be one of about 20 different possibilities that served with 31 Squadron. A review of the ORB, aircraft status cards and accidents may narrow it down further if you don't mind the detective work. Thanks for posting the pictures. Cheers Peter Edited August 6, 2015 by Ozhawk40 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 The diagram above isn't about Beaufighter exhaust collectors, it's showing the two main variants of the Bristol exhaust collector. I posted that images a few years ago here to demonstrate the difference. As I can only go as far back as 2014, I can no longer find the original post. It apparently comes from an old issue of SAM magazine that I found on some forum, but forgot to keep track of. For clarity, I will post the four page article here. Chris 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 All the Bristol Hercules engines that were used on DAP Beaufighters were imported from the UK. Hercs weren't made in Australia. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme H Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 A possible contender would be A8-14 only because it is the only one mentioned to have a replacement engine from ADF serials A8-14 29/09/44 31 Sqn Code: EH-J (Parnell p.115). 10/01/45 damaged by AA over Halmaheras, engine salvaged from A8-22 used as a replacement. 03/03/45 tail strut collapsed on landing Morotai and aircraft hit ditch. 14/04/45 5 RSU. 19/05/45 converted to components. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOAN Posted August 7, 2015 Author Share Posted August 7, 2015 Woww ! thanks all !! Many many thanks to all for these answers... I love Britmodeller ! Have a nice day olivier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magpie22 Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 A possible contender would be A8-14 only because it is the only one mentioned to have a replacement engine from ADF serialsA8-14 29/09/44 31 Sqn Code: EH-J (Parnell p.115).10/01/45 damaged by AA over Halmaheras, engine salvaged from A8-22 used as a replacement. 03/03/45 tail strut collapsed on landing Morotai and aircraft hit ditch. 14/04/45 5 RSU. 19/05/45 converted to components. I don't think so. Two reasons, 1. The photo at the head of this thread was taken at Coomalie Creek before the squadron moved to Noemfoor. A8-14 was damaged after the squadron moved to Noemfoor. 2. A8-14 was known to carry the emblem in the pic below. Magpie 22 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozhawk40 Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 (edited) Yes, definately not A8-14. A8-14 carried the name "Patricia II" under the cockpit port side and ended its days on the dump at Morotai. (San Diego Air and Space Museum) (31 Squadron association website) Edited July 30, 2017 by Ozhawk40 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydhuey Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 A bit of drift but that last shot of "Patricia II" on the Morotai aircraft dump shows one of the scrapped 22 Sqn A-20G's in the background. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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