PhilChris Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Hi, I am currently building Tamiya's Spitfire MK.Vb Trop and being quite a novice for this airplane, could anyone enlighten me on the colour of the landing gear as well as wheel wells? Thank you in advance for your usual cooperation, Christophe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenshirt Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Typically it was aluminum paint on the gear and inside of the doors, wheel wells were in the underside color. There are exceptions and variations, photos of your chosen subject, or a near one in the same squadron is your best bet; if none forthcoming, then I follow the above guidance. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilChris Posted February 11, 2016 Author Share Posted February 11, 2016 (edited) Thank you Tim, that's what i thought too but the below picture kind of confused me as the landing gear legs are the same colore as the underside: Thx, Christophe Edited February 11, 2016 by PhilChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancient mariner Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Good photo. If thats the one your doing why not go with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilChris Posted February 11, 2016 Author Share Posted February 11, 2016 Yep, I will be doing AN-V, I was just curious about the wheel wells color in particular. Christophe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Spitfire wheel wells, doors and gear legs can be found in several colors... Aircrafts when leaving the factory would have had legs and inner of doors in aluminum paint but during in-service repaints everything could happen and finding these parts in the underside colours was possible. Wheel wells too could be in aluminum or the underside colour and I have memories of interior grey-green being possible too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sky Pilot Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 (edited) Hey Chris Your piccy of AN-V appears a bit dark compared to this The colour of the filter housing appears dark because it's in't shade HTH John Edited February 11, 2016 by Sky Pilot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 (edited) John, They are different aircraft and they have different propeller/spinner types, plus they are operating in a harsh environment,...the paint soon faded! Note how they also have semi transposed colour schemes, one has Mid Stone running through the cockpit area which was the usual standard scheme but the other has Dark Earth running through this area! For the wheel wells I usually go for the underside colour and sometimes paint the inner part in Interior Green. Cheers Tony Edited February 11, 2016 by tonyot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sky Pilot Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Tony I've just noticed that the a/c I referred to in the foreground in Chris's reply is AN-T not AN-V. That might possibly account for the different serials. I must admit that I am suspicious of the seemingly different spinners on the two a/c. Also could the colour differences be attributed to the photography ? What'cha think ? Cheers John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 They are different spinners because the upper photo is of DH propellers and spinners, whereas the lower picture has the bullet shape of the Rotol pairing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenshirt Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 The serial of AN-T is not readable on my screen, it appears to be a Vc, whereas AN-V is a Vb, if that matters. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilChris Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 Well, thank you all, lots of food for thought though! I think that I will be going for underside color (Azur Blue) for the wells and the legs as shown on AN-T... Even if AN-T is a Vc and AN-V a Vb, it is feasible to believe that they were operating at the same time and would have had similar colors. Then again, as mentioned by Tony, variations seem to be the order of the day, and having no pictures of AN-V on his legs... Christophe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 From an examination of the photo under magnification as well as finding some discussion of this same Spitfire on some other forums, I think it might be 417 Sq. Mk Vc, serialled BR195, coded AN-T. Hope I'm right- these old Mk 1a eyeballs ain't what they used to be! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilChris Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 Thanks Mike, the aircraft chosen is actually AN-V a MK.Vb, as per second picture. The first picture was there for information purpose only. Christophe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Christopher, I found an entry for 417 Squadron's AN-V on the website I have posted a link to below...this Spit's serial really tweaked my interest, and I nearly went mad trying to search for it on the 'net as many different ways as I could think of. Might this be the proof you need to complete your model? Hope so! Cheers from Texas! Mike http://rwrwalker.ca/RAF_owned_BP100.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilChris Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 Thanks Mike, I am always amazed of the depth of response this forum always provides! Anyway, great info and now on to the modelling! Cheers from the Philippines, Christophe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 I'm building a 1/32 scale Vb Trop and following Edgar's words of wisdom will be painting the wheel wells Azure Blue but the section of the wells that the oleo retracts into silver. "Oleo legs and door interiors started life painted silver (over the grey undercoat, as far as the doors are concerned.) Wheel wells are anyone's guess, since Supermarine drawings don't mention them; the areas into which the oleos fitted were likely to have been silver, since that was the standard colour for interior areas, except (obviously) for the cockpit, engine bearers and firewall, which were cockpit grey-green. I've seen silver, green, and underside colour wheel wells, so it's really your choice, and no-one can say that you're wrong" From here, http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/54753-questions-about-tamiyas-132-spitfire-ix/ Cheers Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilChris Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 Thanks Dennis. Christophe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilChris Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 (edited) So Mike, according to this website, AN-V serial is BR483 and it was a MK-Vc... Tamiya has it as AN-V serial BR487, an MK-Vb... so obviously not the same wing as well. Not the same airplane I guess? Christophe Edited February 14, 2016 by PhilChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Both serials are for Mk.VC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Christopher, According to the Shacklady Spitfire book, all the BR-serialed Spitfires were all originally built as Mk Vc's with some exceptions; BR483 is listed as a Mk Vc, but clearly your photo shows what appears to be a Mk Vb wing; there is the possibility the original wing was replaced by a Mk Vb unit at an MU because of overhaul or crash/combat damage, which was not an uncommon action, as I have discovered in my readings. This is a curioisty! FWIW, both BR483 and -487 are listed as being at No. 47 MU at some point, but BR483 is the only one listed in the website I found that was used by No. 417 Squadron. I am so sorry if if I have opened up a can of worms; wish I could be of more help. You do have the photo that clearly shows the configuration and codes, and the website does list BR483 as a 417 Sq. airplane, albiet a Vc...welcome to the wonderful world of modeling! I thought I was the only guy who always wants to build a model that there are either no decals for or can't be confirmed! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilChris Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 (edited) Mike, Thanks, and you might have opened a can of worms, but certainly an interesting one! You see, I was thinking that I was going with a simple (!) option as Tamiya MK-Vb Trop has been available for a long time and I though that it was a given fact... Obviously more to it than I thought! I would probably go for the possibility that BR487 got replacement wings at some point? Must have been on strength at No. 417 Squadron at some point? Anyone with the key to the holy Grail? Christophe PS: might be that BR487 is really BR483 and Tamiya did not get the right serial No... As I have no picture that shows the portside, where the serial No. is not hidden by the plane individual code... Edited February 14, 2016 by PhilChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephLalor Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 (edited) Hi Christophe,  I don't know if you made your model eventually but I've been trying to sort out the serial of AN-V of 417 Sqn myself with a view to completing the 1/72 Tamiya Spitfire Vb. I'm aware of the BR483 listing. I haven't come to a decision yet on the serial number but the armament configuration seems quite clear from a well-known photograph of AN-V with other aircraft of 417 Sqn over Tunisia in 1943. The blister is positioned aft indicating (to me at any rate) a Vb. If it had the 'c' configuration I would expect the blister to be more forward against the main spar. As noted above, I suppose it could have been a Vc with a replacement 'b' wing. It would be great if a photo turned up showing the port side, given that I'm a bit of a  '--Look at the black cows --This side of them's black' type. Edited June 28, 2020 by JosephLalor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Hemsley Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 (edited) Two sources:  "RCAF Squadrons and Aircraft" (S.Kostenuk & J. Griffin) and "417 Squadron History" (written within the squadron, as no one author is listed)           "RCAF Squadrons and Aircraft" detail each squadron individually, listing serials and individual code letters by aircraft type, amongst other data. In the WW2 section on 417 Squadron, they show AN-V as a Spitfire Vb with a serial BR483.  "417 Squadron History" has a full page colour in-flight (pg.91) featuring 4 of the squadron's Spitfire flying over Tunisia, with AN-V in the foreground. It's the same photo that Joseph refers to and it clearly proves AN-V is a Vb.  Note the spinner compared to the above photo of AN-T which is a Vc.  As TonyO and Graham Boak pointed out, the Spitfire Vb and Vc had different props, thus different spinners designed for those props. Speaking of AN-T … the serial that "RCAF Squadrons...." gives for it is ER364.   Camouflage for both types was Middlestone and Dk. Earth over Azure Blue with a red spinner. White codes.  FWIW … both types were flown by the squadron between Oct. '42 and Sept. '43.     Scott   Edited June 28, 2020 by Scott Hemsley 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 13 hours ago, Scott Hemsley said:   Note the spinner compared to the above photo of AN-T which is a Vc.  As TonyO and Graham Boak pointed out, the Spitfire Vb and Vc had different props, thus different spinners designed for those props.   Just to clarify this point, the different props used on the Spitfire V can not be used to identify the wing type as both Vb and Vc used both DH and Rotol propellers depending on who built them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now