Jump to content

Rhodesian Hunter colours


David Womby

Recommended Posts

I know the original 12 Rhodesian Hunters were delivered in RAF camo - DSG/Green/Silver and carried D Type roundels with 3 assegai heads in the centre. I know that eventually they became DkEarth/Green/Dk Earth carrying the green roundel with the lion in the centre and later carrying no roundels at all. After Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, the survivors got the bird on the tail and were, IIRC, DSG/Green/Sky.

What I am looking for is information between the dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and the introduction of the green/lion roundel. Looking at lots of pics, it looks to me as though they went to DSG/Green/Silver with Type C roundels with one large assegai. Scale Aircraft Modelling has an issue in the Rhodesian Air Force that contains drawings showing Hunters in 1965 and 1968 in a scheme of Dk Earth/Green/Sky with the Type C roundels. They are the two on the righthand page.

scaleaircraftmodellingaugust1982rhodesia

I can't find any pics that really show this colour scheme and it isn't shown in a later Air Enthusiast article called 'Assegai Hunters'.

Image320a.jpg

Can anybody point me to solid evidence for the hunters ever wearing the DkEarth/Green/Sky and C Type roundels colour scheme, other than that SAM article, please?

David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not the world's most brilliant photo but still solid evidence for the roundels, but the colours look more like green and grey....from War in the Air, Rhodesian Air Force 1935-1980, Cowderoy and Nesbit, Galago Publishing, 1987:

aPLVlnNp

 

Edited by bryanm
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree, Dave. I've been searching and I can't find any evidence that the Hunters wore Dk Earth/Green/Sky and the C Type roundel except that SAM article. There are pics (like the one from Bryanm above) that seem to show the green/lion roundel on grey/green/silver Hunters.

David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

I remember making a frog hunter model between 1974 and 1979, I was told by someone who was there, they were flying in overall dark earth with no national markings, so i did one in that scheme, the guy also gave me a set of rhodesian air force pilots wings, which i still have tucked away safely somewhere.

The model hunter i lost many moons ago.

Cheers

Jerry

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had a look through my not so big collection of African Hunter photos, the only colour photos I have are of the dark earth and dark green with dark earth underside. The ones of the three colour scheme Hunters are in black and white and I'm not going to try to guess what colours they are.

One thing I would like to add to the discussion, the Rhodesian Air Force Canberra fleet were originally delivered in High Speed Silver. When the time came to camouflage the Canberra's (and other aircraft?) trials were carried out with the Dark Earth Dark Green and Sky camouflage on the Canberra fleet to see how effective it was, the testes found that the topside colours worked very well but the underside was a very poor colour against the dark african sky, the aircraft were very visible up to 50,000 feet. On the 23rd July 1965 two Canberra's were flown over Salisbury one with the sky underside the other with dark earth, apparently observers on the ground thought they were being tricked as they could only see one aircraft! So a dark earth it was, why they went with dark earth I don't know, perhaps it was a compromise to allow better camouflage on high level transits to the target then during the the low level attack phase, or just to save money? So did the Hunter go through a similar process after the Canberra trile?

John

Edited by canberra kid
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have done some research into the Rhodesian Air Force Hunters in the past and to my certain knowledge they have never been operated in a Dark Green/Dark Earth and Sky colour scheme. As others have said, they were delivered in the 'standard' RAF colour scheme of the day (Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey/Silver) and three assegai roundel before converting to the single assegai roundel. As the 'bush wars' loomed, the aircraft were repainted in a infrared absorbing paint scheme of Dark Green/Dark Earth, as shown in the bottom left side profile of the Air Enthusiast pages shown above. I do not ever recall seeing one of these 'low visibilty' style aircraft sporting the full colour markings as depicted in the bottom right hand side profile. Later still almost all markings were removed on the Dark Green/Dark Earth machines. Following the creation of Zimbabwe, all remaining aircraft 'reverted' to a Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey/Light Aircraft Grey colour scheme with the National Insignia on the fin only. There were no wing or fuselage markings. Warpaint Series No.8 Hawker Hunter and 'Britain's Rebel Air Force - The War From the Air In Rhodeasia 1965-1980' by Roy Nesbit and Dudley Cowderoy (Grub Street) provide some further references

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've found this and a few others from the same show, it's hard to tell but it looks like Light Aircraft Grey to me? I've also got colour photos of some Hunters in standard RAF Dark Sea Grey Dark Green Light Aircraft Grey,

Hunt_edited_zpsymwljjtd.jpg

John

You look at the one on the left and you can see where the idea of sky came from, although it is Light Aircraft Grey.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
On 5/13/2016 at 12:12 PM, David Womby said:

I agree, Dave. I've been searching and I can't find any evidence that the Hunters wore Dk Earth/Green/Sky and the C Type roundel except that SAM article. There are pics (like the one from Bryanm above) that seem to show the green/lion roundel on grey/green/silver Hunters.

David

 

Earliest reference I have found is an early 70s Airfix mag

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, Dave.  What made that pop in to your head today?

 

Is this evidence for there being Hunters with sky undersides?


David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weird co-incidence of seeing the profile in a scan of an old Airfix mag, then about half an hour later someone asking the question on Facebook!

 

It is interesting, but I suspect it’s still a misrepresentation of a colour photo. It may be the Airfix profile was the origin of the Sky undersides

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the Canberra's had the dark earth, dark green and sky camo, is it not possible for the same colours to turn up on the Hunter? but as has been said, there is a distinct lack of photographic  evidence. I have found one that may be, but it could just as easily be HSS. 

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's probably a bit later than your time scale in 1976 I saw 2 Hunters in SR they were painted all over brown with disruptive green on top.

No markings or serial number except what looked like an emblem on the tail.

Interestingly 2 of the ex SRAF Pembrokes were in a hanger at Livingstone airport along with 5 Chipmunks a couple of Beavers and a Dornier28.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

The RhodAF aircraft pre 1980 (Independence) were mostly dark earth brown and dark green. The undersides were dark earth brown and only changed when they bought ex-Kenyan Air Force Hunters and new build BAe Hawks when the grey bellys appeared. 
The training aircraft, Provost and SF 260 from 1976 onwards had dayglo orange (Provost) and yellow (SF260M) panels to improve visibility. The SF260Ws had light grey squares over the main and tip fuel tanks to reduce the fuel temperature to help solve and fuel vaporisation/engine failure issue. The Ms had yellow panels on the fuel tanks for the same reason. 

Hunter

 

Edited by Frantan Freddie
  • Like 1
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...