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DH 91 colors and markings


72modeler

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I just got the new Valom DH91 Albatross kit, number 72129, today and it looks very, very good! I don't know much about the airplane, except that it is a classic DH design and is one beautiful airplane; there isn't a  lot on the internet that I could find as far as cockpit/wheel bay/interior details are concerned, but my intention is not to superdetail it, but to do a decent job on one of the impressed examples or one of the two flown by 271 Squadron on courier duty. Therein lies my question:

 

The kit color profiles show two marking choices, both BOAC courier aircraft; G-AFDM, "Fiona" and G-AFDK, "Fortuna" I also like one of the 271 Squadron aircraft, G-AEDW, "Franklin" coded BJ-W and with the serial, according to one written source, AX904. The kit color callouts  list DM's colors as dark green/dark earth/aluminum and DK's colors as extra dark sea grey/dark slate grey/aluminum. Another source also stated that these two were finished with aluminum dope on the undersides, but that the civilian examples that were impressed had trainer yellow undersides. What were "Franklin's" colors?

 

Does anybody know whether the Valom color references for the two choices in their kit are correct? Can anybody confirm the colors for AX904? I am assuming, from the few photos that show the undercart fairing doors and wheel bays of DH-91's, that they are also aluminum? Sure would be grateful for some light to be shed on this subject! I have attached a link to some useful Albatross information.

 

 

Mike

Edited by 72modeler
removed useless link
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1 hour ago, 72modeler said:

C:\Users\Mikey\Documents\my documents 2017\modeling, aircraft\modeling  details-references\prop, multi-engined\DH 91 Albatross text-photos-specs.mht 

  

Mike

That appears to be a link to your hard drive. That's not gonna work for the rest of us!

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Can't help with the military colours, but the gear bays definitely aren't aluminium. There are some bare aluminium panels at the rear centre of the wheel well, probably stone protection, but the rest is painted some indeterminate medium shade.

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This could be a matter of operating on different dates.  At the start of the war impressed civil aircraft (usually light aircraft) would normally have DG/DE (the Temperate Land Scheme, and the AM's default scheme) over Yellow undersides, but for those adopted into service as airliners then DG/DE over Aluminium was the expected colour scheme.  Later in the war this was replaced for transports by EDSG/DSG (Temperate Sea Scheme) over Azure Blue, but I suspect this would be too late for the type.    TSS over Aluminium was an early war scheme for Coastal Command, it would seem to be unlikely here but it would be risky to draw too-definite conclusions from these general statements.

 

For what it is worth, my memory of photos of these aircraft in camouflage certainly suggested TLS, but the appearance of TSS can vary dramatically on different films, filters and lighting conditions.

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Paul- thanks for the links- believe it or not, I had all but the last one, but it was the best of the bunch! Great minds and all that?

 

Graham- as always, thanks for sharing your wisdom; I really, really like the 271 squadron DH 91; something about an airliner with squadron codes and TLS that does it for me. Valom show the interior of the fairing doors to be light grey, FS36440 (gull grey) and the wheel bays to be  dark sea grey, FS36173, which is really puzzling. From the photos, it looks like part of the wheel bays are a dark color and part are unpainted or aluminum. OK, worms- get back in your can!

 

Space Ranger- oops! Removed the link, which was to the file saved on my laptop; sorry about that, but good catch!

 

Mike

Edited by 72modeler
corrected spelling
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Have you perhaps  noticed disscussion in Rumourmanger section?

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235029170-172-de-havilland-dh91-albatross-by-valom-released-avalon-masks/&tab=comments#comment-2866207 

There were nice photos posted.

From impossed to RAF besides BJ.W was also BJ.V with serial different by one (I do not remeber better now) :(

Regards

J-W

 

 

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1 hour ago, JWM said:

Have you perhaps  noticed disscussion in Rumourmanger section?

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235029170-172-de-havilland-dh91-albatross-by-valom-released-avalon-masks/&tab=comments#comment-2866207 

There were nice photos posted.

From impossed to RAF besides BJ.W was also BJ.V with serial different by one (I do not remeber better now) :(

Regards

J-W

 

 

J-W- I think you are correct. I have found AJ-V Faraday as AX903 and AJ-W Franklin as AX904, but am looking for photos to confirm. Just now read the posts in the Rumormonger section and it looks like I will need to do some research and study of the upper and lower nacelle fairing contours...like Roseanne Roseanna-Danna used to say, "It's always something!"

Mike

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Faraday
Mail carrier variant was delivered to Imperial Airways in August 1939 as Faraday and registered G-AEVV. It was transferred to BOAC when it was formed in 1940 but was impressed into Royal Air Force service with serial number AX903 for operation by No. 271 Squadron RAF, coded BJ - V.

It was destroyed in a landing accident at Reykjavik on the 11 August 1941.

Franklin
Mail carrier variant was delivered to BOAC as Franklin and registered G-AEVW. Impressed into Royal Air Force Service with the serial number AX904 for operation by 271 Squadron, coded BJ - W. It was destroyed when the landing gear collapsed on landing at Reykjavik on the 7 April 1942.

Frobisher
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDI and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Frobisher in 1938. It was destroyed on the ground during a German air attack on Whitchurch Airport on 20 December 1940. Never impressed.

Falcon
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDJ and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Falcon in 1938. Found to have the same de-lamination problems as G-AFDK.

Aircraft scrapped in September 1943. Never impressed.

Fortuna
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDK and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Fortuna in 1939. Destroyed in a crash landing near Shannon Airport, Ireland on 16 July 1943. Accident attributed to de-lamination of wing skins. Never impressed.

Fingal
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDL and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Fingal in 1939. Destroyed in a crash landing near Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, England on 6 October 1940. Never impressed.

Fiona
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDM and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Fiona in 1939. Found to have the same de-lamination problems as G-AFDK.

Aircraft scrapped in September 1943. Never impressed.

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the

1 hour ago, PhoenixII said:

Faraday
Mail carrier variant was delivered to Imperial Airways in August 1939 as Faraday and registered G-AEVV. It was transferred to BOAC when it was formed in 1940 but was impressed into Royal Air Force service with serial number AX903 for operation by No. 271 Squadron RAF, coded BJ - V.

It was destroyed in a landing accident at Reykjavik on the 11 August 1941.

Franklin
Mail carrier variant was delivered to BOAC as Franklin and registered G-AEVW. Impressed into Royal Air Force Service with the serial number AX904 for operation by 271 Squadron, coded BJ - W. It was destroyed when the landing gear collapsed on landing at Reykjavik on the 7 April 1942.

Frobisher
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDI and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Frobisher in 1938. It was destroyed on the ground during a German air attack on Whitchurch Airport on 20 December 1940. Never impressed.

Falcon
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDJ and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Falcon in 1938. Found to have the same de-lamination problems as G-AFDK.

Aircraft scrapped in September 1943. Never impressed.

Fortuna
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDK and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Fortuna in 1939. Destroyed in a crash landing near Shannon Airport, Ireland on 16 July 1943. Accident attributed to de-lamination of wing skins. Never impressed.

Fingal
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDL and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Fingal in 1939. Destroyed in a crash landing near Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, England on 6 October 1940. Never impressed.

Fiona
Passenger variant was registered G-AFDM and delivered to Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as Fiona in 1939. Found to have the same de-lamination problems as G-AFDK.

Aircraft scrapped in September 1943. Never impressed.

The above is in Wiki about Dh 91 :)

Cheers

J-W

 

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16 hours ago, JWM said:

the

The above is in Wiki about Dh 91 :)

Cheers

J-W

 

Wouldn't know, very rare I use Wiki.

The above info was taken from the five sites I recorded in my first post for Mike. 👍

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