Neil.C Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 As above, why is the leading edge of the wing yellow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thud4444 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 I thought it was for quick id of friendly aircraft. Is that wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 (edited) It's an identification marking to allow pilots and AA gun crews to tell friends from foe in case the aircraft is approaching frontally. Was used on RAF fighters only with the day fighter scheme and was supposed to be used in the ETO. Aircrafts in DFS operating in other theatres sometime had these and sometime didn't Edited June 6, 2018 by Giorgio N 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil.C Posted June 6, 2018 Author Share Posted June 6, 2018 Thanks Giorgio! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 I read somewhere that the Tempest Vs of 150 wing had them removed during their "Diver' Ops against the V1's which wouldn't seem to make sense as they'd be flying in their own AA gun areas! Duncan B Edit: It was a Unit called the UKAD which had the yellow markings removed from the leading edge of the wings on their Tempests not 150 Wing as i stated above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre B Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 It's a good thing that Airfix these days make those "yellow leading edges" as decals in some 1/72 kits (P-51D Mustang, Spitfire Mk.IX and Hawker Typhoon). But it wouldn't be bad as seen more common as decals in most (Spitfire) kits... Cheers / André 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 I don't know of any unit called UKAD, but Air Defence of Great Britain was the unpopular new name for Fighter Command in 1943 after the formation of 2nd TAF. It returned to being Fighter Command in 1944. There was an Air Defence of the United Kingdom but that was a mixed Army/RAF organisation between the wars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre B Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Mmm... One some japanese aircraft's the leading edges on the wings also was painted yellow. Wonder if those decals for to the Airfix 1/72 Zero also can be used to an Spitfire or Hurricane albeit with som cutting. Is the yellow ok as trainer yellow? Cheers / André Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewerjerry Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Hi I often wondered if the yellow paint was more a warning for groundcrew working around the aircraft needed more on fighter aircraft due to the height of the leading edge. a bit like the yellow prop tips warning cheers jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 It would be more damaging to walk into the trailing edge, but there are no yellow markings there or on the tailplane or rudder for that matter. All equally vulnerable to inattentive ground crew. The point about the propeller tips being yellow is that this makes them more visible when the propeller is rotating and thus effectively invisible - not a problem with wings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 I think it was rather for RAF and especially USAAF bomber gunners - not to shot to all approaching airplanes, only to enemies... J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Thomas Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Reference to the removal of yellow leading edge stripes ('yles') from Tempests - this came about following a visit to ADGB units engaged in anti-Diver ops, by RAE in July 1944 to investigate wats of increasing fighter speeds. One of problems noted was that reprinting of the yles was causing cracking of the surface of the leading edge which had an adverse effect, particularly on laminar flow wings, such as the Tempest and Mustang. I am away from my records at the moment but IIRC, the instruction, which applied to all aircraft engaged in anti-Diver ops, stated 'may' rather than 'should' be removed. How widely this was carried out remains a mystery to me. However, there are many photos of 501 Sqn Tempests (the only Tempest unit left in the UK for anti-Diver work after the others joined 2nd TAF) taken in Oct 44 and all those have yles. There are few photos of 150 Wing Tempests in the late Diver ops period but those which show leading edges still have their stripes. CT 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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