Miles M100 Student Colors?

[Ernie]

Hello,

I am looking for some help / clarification on the colors the Miles M100 Student wore.  I currently have the Protojets kit spread out across my workbench. According to the instructions at the time of its MOD Trials wearing the XS941 registration the lower fuse and underside of the wings and tail was black. However, color photos of the aircraft wearing the reg. G-APLK (which were apparently painted over in white before the XS941 reg. was painted on) show the lower fuse and wings / tail painted blue. Also according to the instructions the final scheme with reg. G-MIOO was "black and white with red trim". Again, color photos show the "black" areas to be blue.

So, did the aircraft ever wear the black lower fuselage, wings and tail colors and if so were these the actual colors during the MOD trials?? Or, were these areas always blue and just misidentified by the instructions?

Also, as rolled out and first flown the aircraft was in natural metal with "trainer bands" on the wings and fuselage. I would assume these were yellow?? I have seen another source that claims they were "dayglo color", again any clarification on this would be much appreciated.  

[cngaero]

Hi Ernie, 

If you have a look at the Berkshire Aviation Museum website, they've got a couple of colour photographs of the actual aircraft that they have on display. It certainly appears to be a very dark blue on the top surfaces with the remainder in white with a red cheatline. 

I may be wrong, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that there may be a reference to it in British Military Test and Evaluation Aircraft written by Malcolm V Lowe and illustrated by Mark Rolfe. 

I'm away from my references at the moment, but I'll check it out tomorrow if that's any help to you. 

[Ernie]

Thank you very much Chris, much appreciated. By all means if you can check any other references you might have that could shed further light on the colors that would be great! I have nothing myself, and what I have found so far only confirms the dark areas were blue, but would like to be sure of the colors before I comit paint to the model.

[Sabrejet]

@Ernie: hope these help - first is the crash wreckage of G-MIOO:

 

 

Then a few detail shots of the restored a/c at Woodley (it's packed in, so overall shots are 'challenging'):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I recall seeing the Student (as G-APLK) back in the 1970s and recall it as just dark blue and white, with the registration letters in Times New Roman font. Will check on the other details later.

[Ernie]

Sabrejet,  thank you for the pictures, they are very helpful for details, particularly around the exhaust area. Much appreciated.

Edited June 29, 2019 by Ernie

[71chally]

I was interested in this a few year back and I noted from various references,

 

Intially high polished aluminium as G-35-4

duller aluminium finish (painted?) with standard RAF golden yellow training bands as G-35-4 and G-APLK

Rebuilt as Mk2

Dark blue undersides and white top as G-APLK and XS941

finally in 1985, dark blue top, red stripe and white undersides as G-MIOO

 

I don't think I ever found a colour pic of the Student as XS941, but there are some of it as G-APLK at around the same time frame.

[Ernie]

5 hours ago, 71chally said:

I was interested in this a few year back and I noted from various references,

 

Intially high polished aluminium as G-35-4

duller aluminium finish (painted?) with standard RAF golden yellow training bands as G-35-4 and G-APLK

Rebuilt as Mk2

Dark blue undersides and white top as G-APLK and XS941

finally in 1985, dark blue top, red stripe and white undersides as G-MIOO

 

I don't think I ever found a colour pic of the Student as XS941, but there are some of it as G-APLK at around the same time frame.

Ah, thank you Sir! That was what I was thinking; that the black undersides were actually blue. I too have not been able to find a color picture of it as XS941.  At least now I feel more comfortable painting the lower surfaces blue with either the G-APLK or XS941 registration. Thank you for the info on the training bands as well; that was going to be my fall back color scheme if I could not get clarification on the blue 😉