RAAF Spitfire Vc A58-254 QY-V Rima II colour problem

[FinnAndersen]

Many moons ago, I modified a Spitfire into this subject with a balsa Vokes filter. Those were the days...

 

Fast forward to 2018 I started a Sword Vc to update the idea, as I rather liked the subject. I still have my old references, which stated that the Spit was repaired and repainted for the 452 CO in Foliage green, light earth and sky blue.

 

In the meantime, I did purchase the High Planes Vc, which had these marking, so now the transfers were secured, however, the colour notes from HPM specifies the colours as Foliage green and RAF dark earth.

 

The photos in my references (Spitfire Markings of the RAAF Part 1, Smith&Pentland) shows a non-standard camouflage scheme that could be consistent with the repainting story using Light earth.  

 

So, does anyone know more? HPM quotes Peter Malone and Steve McKenzie, are they members of this forum?

 

TIA

Finn

 

 

[cdk]

Hello Finn,

Ian K. Baker in his -RAAF Spitfires Camouflage Special- has A58-254 as an profile and give the same colours for it. Also his impresson is that the airplane was polished. Have a look in the Spitfire Markings of the RAAF Part 1, Smith&Pentland under the pic of A58-254 is a pic from BR539 in desert camo. The Mid Stone is in his greyscale not so far away from the lighter colour of A58-254. So I think Light Earth can it be. The camouflage pattern on the fuselage follows only very loosley the factory  drawing so a repaint in Australia is a possibility. That is only my impression and I hope someone with moore knowledge will jump in.

Best regard

Claus

[Magpie22]

G’day Finn,

 

Both Steve and I are regulars on this forum, but I will have a go at answering your question. This post will be a bit long but may help to explain why I believe that this aircraft was painted in a particular way.

 

I think the idea of a ‘custom job’, using Light Earth and Sky Blue, for A58-254’s finish is a load of rubbish. 

 

A little history on A58-254 may help understand its paint scheme.

• ·         Built at Castle Bromwich as MH591, rolled out August 1943.
• ·         14 Sep 43, Embarked on Hotoata for shipment to Australia.
• ·         25 Oct 43, received at No. 1 Aircraft Park, nr Melbourne, where it was erected.
• ·         9 Dec 43, received at No. 14 Aircraft Repair Depot Replacement Pool.
• ·         5 Jan 44, received by No. 452 Sqn. Coded as QY-F.
• ·         5 Feb 44, F/S Haile overshot taxiway and undercarriage collapsed.
• ·         9 Feb 44, issued to No 7 Repair and Salvage Unit, for repairs.
• ·         9 Mar 44, received by No. 452 Sqn. Coded as QY-V.
• ·         1 Aug 44, received by No. 14 ARD/RP.
• ·         11 Sep 44, received by Central Gunnery School.
• ·         19 Apr 45, F/O Fireash force landed with wheels up at CGS. The aircraft was then placed into storage and eventually written off.

Spitfire VC aircraft built by Castle Bromwich were finished in RAF Desert Camouflage. On arrival in Australia the Middle Stone would have been over painted with RAAF K3/177 Foliage green.

 

S/L Spence took over command of No. 452 Sqn, from S/L MacDonald on 3 February 1944. At that time he inherited MacDonald’s Spitfire, A58-240, coded QY-D.

 

A58-254 was received by No. 452 Sqn in early Jan 1944 and coded QY-F. One month later it was damaged in a taxiing accident. S/L Spence was flying A58-240 at that time. It, in turn, was damaged in a landing accident on 5 April 44. After A58-254 was returned to No. 452 Sqn in mid March 44, Spence took it over as his own and had it coded as QY-V, rather than QY-D that had been used by No. 452 Sqn COs up to that time. (After Spence left the squadron, QY-D was revived as the CO’s code). Spence named the new aircraft 'Rima II', after his wife. It remained with the squadron until replaced by Spitfire VIII. A58-254 was a late production Spitfire VC so had  narrow bulges over the cannon feed mechanism, 'streamlined' rear view mirror, and no ID light on dorsal spine.

 

When received by No. 452 Sqn, A58-254 would have been finished in RAF Dark Earth and RAAF Foliage Green on the upper surfaces. The under surfaces would have been RAF Azure Blue. Codes were in RAAF K3/195 Sky Blue, serial in RAAF K3/183 Medium Sea Grey. Roundels and fin flash were K3/170 White and K3/197 Dull Blue. Those on the fuselage sides and under wing were 3:5 ratio. Those on the wing upper surface were 2:5 ratio. Note the smaller size common on later RAAF  Spitfires. Note also that the 24” wide fin flash has been modified merely by over painting the red leaving the blue at 11”, but the white is now 13” wide.

 

 

A58-254 after her mishap in February 1944. Note that the white LE only extends out to the outboard mg, and there is an oil deflector fitted behind the spinner. The small upper wing roundels are also evident.

 

 

 

 

Clearly, after the accident of February, A58-254 had a repaint job. This would have been done at No 7 RSU as part of the repairs. The new pattern loosely follows the original, but the upper surface colours now come down on to the sides of the air intake fairing. It is often said that Light Earth and Foliage Green were used. I find use of the former colour difficult to justify. It was a paint specifically intended for use on the lower wings of biplanes. No. 7 RSU was part of NWA and tasked with providing support for the Spitfire, Boomerang and, occasionally, Beaufighter units. Their paint shop would have no requirement for Light Earth, and it was probably not in their stocks.

 

I regard it as far more likely that the the RSU would have used RAAF K3/209 Dark Earth, (a very close equivalent to the RAF colour of the same name) for the repaint, as they did with other Spitfire repair jobs. The apparent lighter shade in the well know photo below is probably due to the fact that the RAAF colours had a slight sheen to them compared to the RAF colours which were more matt. The colour ‘seen’ by photographic film is the reflected light from the subject, and the apparent shade will vary with the reflectiveness of the surface. That the aircraft was probably also waxed and polished would exaggerate that effect. The under surfaces seem to have been retained in Azure Blue. The RAAF colour K3/316 Azure Blue was close to its RAF namesake.

 

The fuselage and under wing roundels seem to have remained the same, but the upper wing roundel is back to 54” dia and 3:5 ratio. The fin flash is now smaller with the white and blue the same width. Serial is now black in a rather ‘blocky’ stencil style. Codes are of the later style of lettering, (note the ‘Q’), and are Sky Blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After it left No. 452 Sqn, A58-254 went to the Central Gunnery School at Cressy in Victoria. Initially, it retained its QY-V codes but, later these were painted over. Spinner was now White or Sky Blue. The photo below may help with a few more details for your model.

 

 

Finally, a, not very sharp, shot of several of CGS's Spitfire VC aircraft. A58-254 is in the foreground. I can discern little difference in the tones of its camouflage and the aircraft behind, indicating to me that it is not painted using Light Earth.

 

 

Hope the above is not too long and helps you with your model.

 

Cheers,

Peter Malone

 

[FinnAndersen]

28 minutes ago, Magpie22 said:

...

Hope the above is not too long and helps you with your model.

...

 

Hi Peter

No, it's not too long at all and answers questions I never thought to ask.

 

I was not happy with the light earth anecdote, tempting as it was to produce an unusual Spit. I have also recieved a PM from Ed Russell that ties in with your answer.

As I told him, caution has become my initial reaction to stories of special paint jobs on fighting aircraft in WW2, as too many people would have been involved in doing work agains orders, it's simply not the military way.

 

So my model will have a paint job of Foliage green, Dark earth and Azure blue in the non-standard scheme that your pictures show.

 

Again thanks for your time and effort, it's much appreciated

 

Kind regards

Finn Andersen