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RN Buccaneer S.2 Intake Color


Murph

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It's been asked before, but there still seems to be some debate.  I've checked what books I have and on line, and based on that it seems like a dark brown-gray color was most likely and the theory seems to be that the intakes were unpainted composite material.

 

vngJOy3.jpg

arZB4Xe.jpg

eFhaaqi.jpg

ePM2wpm.jpg

 

But then we get to this picture where the Buccaneer in the foreground plainly has yellowish intakes (Untinted Zinc Chromate?) while the aircraft further back has the usual dark intake color.  

 

jTg2p25.jpg

 

Any ideas?

 

Regards,

Murph

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I remember @perdu asking about this, and this is just my take.

I've tapped with my knuckles and had really good close up look at Bucc intakes and they look like alloy to me.

My absolute guess to the finish colour is that they were unpainted and tarnished to various degrees of dull grey, brown or tan.  But, maybe tinted coatings were used at some stage?

Lighting really doesn't help, and some photographs will render the dark intakes as almost black (instead of a colour) due to film quality, lighting and the fact that we are viewing digital copies.

 

It's surprising how many FAA jets seem to have unpainted intake ducts, Scimitars and Sea Vixens for example, especially given the operational environment they were in, I can only wonder if it helped during corrosion inspections?

 

Nice last picture with the Martel on one and data pod on another Bucc.

 

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I remember this topic arising back awhile.

 

I tend to be of the alloyed metal discoloured by environment school me self.

 

Working with a variety of metals in the past I consider James's theory to be most likely, as for instance the way hot steel gets recoloured on exhaust pipes.

 

Alloys in steel or aluminium can bear other colour tones and weather differently

 

Paint it browny-aluminium-ish mix purrups

I cheated and fitted intake blanks

 

😱

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I've checked by own 'walk around' photos.

Without exception they all show the exterior colour aft of the stainless steel rim to the first stage of the compressor which is roughly inline with the aft-most part of the canopy

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4 hours ago, 71chally said:

I remember @perdu asking about this, and this is just my take.

I've tapped with my knuckles and had really good close up look at Bucc intakes and they look like alloy to me.

My absolute guess to the finish colour is that they were unpainted and tarnished to various degrees of dull grey, brown or tan.  But, maybe tinted coatings were used at some stage?

 

 

3 hours ago, perdu said:

I remember this topic arising back awhile.

 

I tend to be of the alloyed metal discoloured by environment school me self.

 

Working with a variety of metals in the past I consider James's theory to be most likely, as for instance the way hot steel gets recoloured on exhaust pipes.

 

Alloys in steel or aluminium can bear other colour tones and weather differently

 

Paint it browny-aluminium-ish mix purrups

 

That's the way I'm leaning now.  I was planning on doing the 1970 Hermes based 801 Squadron S.2 from the Xtradecal sheet.

 

Regards,

Murph

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2 hours ago, Black Knight said:

I've checked by own 'walk around' photos.

Without exception they all show the exterior colour aft of the stainless steel rim to the first stage of the compressor which is roughly inline with the aft-most part of the canopy

 

2 hours ago, 71chally said:

The question is about Navy Buccaneers though.

The RAF did paint inside the intakes, certainly in the later years, I've got pictures showing dark grey, white, and a green being used.

On my photos, RN Buccs, Extra Dark Sea Grey on outside and inside the intakes.

On the photos I have where the Bucc is white underneath its still EDSG inside the intake.

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I would go against the idea of untreated metal allowed to oxidise/colour normally as if its RN this is a marine environment and dont tend to let metal go untreated unless its stainless or of that ilk. The Navy do like to paint things. Also wont get heated to any degree in there I would think to any degree like exhausts would. 

 

buccaneers2b_royalnavy_xv333_faam08.jpg

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Julien, that is an ex RAF Buccaneer. As I mentioned in my first post there were types in FAA with natural metal inlet ducts, possibly for the reason I mentioned, but would love to know for sure.

These may have been treated with a laquer or varnish coat, I don't know.

These areas wouldn't get heated but they would suffer erosion and tarnishing.

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2 hours ago, 71chally said:

Julien, that is an ex RAF Buccaneer.

Yes I know that,  but you would kind of hope the FAA museum painted it correctly?

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What, like their completely spurious Avenger.

 

I could be wrong but I'm guessing the intakes weren't touched, it just retained the dark sea grey intakes from the RAF, kind of suits the finish of the rest of the airframe.

Also, unless the restoration is well researched and documented I wouldn't trust the finish of an aircraft for historical correctness.

The airframe still retains a few RAF features.

 

I wonder if @canberra kid has any documentation on the painting of these areas on the RN Buccs?

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Personally I don't think there is a definitive answer to this and it can be era and airframe specific, a case of pick your subject aircraft and try and interpret best you can.

The only thing I will add is that personally speaking I haven't seen an image that convinces me that a solid paint colour was used.

 

In the later service lives some Buccaneers display quite a yellowy finish in the intakes, whereas some it's more a dull grey look, even jets side by side in a slide I have are finished differently to each other.

Jut had another look at some images, one of the best set are of Buccaneers arriving off Ark Royal at St Athan in 1978 by Robin Walker, and some really show that yellowy finish quite well, if you take a good look at this one below in the link

I think you can see details of the structure. I would say that is a coating of the translucent aluminium corrosion prohibitor stuff (forget name) that was used.

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1159379/

 

Other examples of the yellowy finish in various degrees of translucency,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/andy-ford/27416363887/in/photolist-HLG2P6-27kDhQP-UbnJt5-Zh7vUQ-PtjhJU-Urnv45-UFEaKR-UFEaqH-U6wR45-GnaSEn-24a8qaH-Tpavqd-ToXhqj-XfRwhW-CM8RPq-WFSM1F-25e8pyN-25s8Pud-K4zJzZ-27qwWHx-2866Co1-PpHobJ-JQQcHg-29izATf-26NwomN-JQQcJ8-KhDcXw-27kDhTp-dzqrvX-dD91pB-GmZAyz-GDKEb9-TmFPVy-cCkB6w-PpHosf-Uuat1T-U6wQu9-UfkGS4-ZRacUs-A355se-nDeDFY-UocZHw-24GTtaw-27suTvT-29U6oyx-26Nworh-KLaUN7-KLaURd-nLYVyy-26NwoxE

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/andy-ford/42797734441/in/photolist-28cTzp8-JQUZBn-25w4nPF-FT653t-JQQcDP-26wnPFk-25tt9Bj-HLG2P6-27kDhQP-UbnJt5-Zh7vUQ-PtjhJU-Urnv45-UFEaKR-UFEaqH-U6wR45-GnaSEn-24a8qaH-Tpavqd-ToXhqj-XfRwhW-CM8RPq-WFSM1F-25e8pyN-25s8Pud-K4zJzZ-27qwWHx-2866Co1-PpHobJ-JQQcHg-29izATf-26NwomN-JQQcJ8-KhDcXw-27kDhTp-dzqrvX-dD91pB-GmZAyz-GDKEb9-TmFPVy-cCkB6w-PpHosf-Uuat1T-U6wQu9-UfkGS4-ZRacUs-A355se-nDeDFY-UocZHw-24GTtaw

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/andy-ford/42284466481/in/photostream/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/126917003@N05/40625023625/

 

https://www.airfix.com/media/tinymce_upload/a1b0b400e5ebb82c0b19d80f58438fbd.jpg

 

Here's more of the dull metallic finish which seems to be seen earlier in their service,

 

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/model/Blackburn Buccaneer S2

 

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/00/9f/a3009fb9639d67753799ef58b699a893.jpg

 

What I've tended to do is mix a dull metallic (Humbrol 56 or equivalent) and add grey or tan to get the tone.

 

 

 

Edited by 71chally
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4 hours ago, 71chally said:

What, like their completely spurious Avenger.

 

I could be wrong but I'm guessing the intakes weren't touched, it just retained the dark sea grey intakes from the RAF, kind of suits the finish of the rest of the airframe.

Also, unless the restoration is well researched and documented I wouldn't trust the finish of an aircraft for historical correctness.

The airframe still retains a few RAF features.

 

I wonder if @canberra kid has any documentation on the painting of these areas on the RN Buccs?

Sorry James. I don't recall seeing anything in the AP's I have, but for a pure guesstimate on my part I'd go for an anodised aluminium (dull grey) but that's just my feeling.

 

John

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