Coastal Command Whitleys query

[John B (Sc)]

Hi.

 

I am building an Airfix Whitley, Since many years ago I built my Frog kit as an early war bomber variant, this time it just has to be Coastal Command. (Living up on the Moray Firth, Coastal Command & the 'Kipper Fleet' is still part of the background...)

 

My question; my sources tell me that the later mark Whitleys, from the MkV onwards, typically had wing de-icing boots fitted.  The Airfix model has believably appropriate wing LE definition lines, however the kit colour instructions show nothing of that sort. I have found illustrations of 612 Sqn Whitleys showing the normal black rubber wing de-icing boots - and what appear to be fairly narrow fin LE boots as well. Logic suggests there would also have been horizontal tailplane boots too. (Can anyone confirm that?)  No scribings on the kit match what I’d expect as tailplane boot fittings.

The kit machine is from 502 Sqn and the only photo I have found so far was taken from the rear threequarter, so no de-icing kit is visible. It seems unlikely that the machines of the same mark would vary in that regard from squadron to squadron; I'd view de-icing as vital for maritime work, if possible. Unless of course these were removed in some cases for better performance reasons; I have found at least on picture of a 612 coded machine which appears bootless. 

 

Any comments, thoughts or help appreciated – maybe I should contact Mr Smock of the Whitley project, or Midland Air Museum.

 

John B

 

Edited December 29, 2019 by John B (Sc)

[rossm]

Attached is an excerpt from the Whitley V pilot's notes. Looks like it will depend on the serial.

 

[rossm]

PS - De-icing boots weren't necessarily black, there may have been a thread on here recently but certainly some Liberators had silver de-icing boots. The paint obviously had to be flexible and plain black (rubber or paint?) compromised the white camouflage although it was used on "white" scheme aircraft.

[John B (Sc)]

Thanks rossm. Most interesting. I wonder if that also applied to the MkVII machines, I suspect it did, since they were essentially MkVs with the Coastal equipment and ASV added. That would also explain why the 502 Sqn machines, from early Mk V conversions, show no boots while the 612 machines, built as later conversions, do. 

It does make clear that where boots are fitted they are on the horizontal tail too, which is logical of course. Looks as though my Coastal machine with boots will be in 612 markings!  And well weathered with operational wear and tear too...

 

I was aware of there being different coloured boot materials, thanks, though I think the USA had more variation (earlier) than we had - different and arguably better materials available there sooner than here.  Painting rubber, even with fairly flexible cellulose dope, doesn't work particularly well, since the stuff peels off quite quickly and patchily. (Long ago I saw that tried, for reasons that made sense then)