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Mosquito PR XVI 'Candy Stripe Tail' 60 & 680 sqns


Hutch

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I'm about to begin the painting stage of this marvellous aircraft and want to paint the candy stripe tail rather than use the decals in the Airfix 1:48 kit.

 

Does anyone know which shade of red the stripes are, and what paint will be a good match?  I tend to use Tamiya acrylic and would not be adverse to mixing, although I do have quite a good stock of other paint manufacturers.

 

Also, the aircraft only seem to have the black/white stripes around their fuselage so I guess they are not the same as 'invasion stripes'.  Can anyone shed some light on this for me? 

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Hutch

 

 

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2 hours ago, Hutch said:

Does anyone know which shade of red the stripes are, and what paint will be a good match?  I tend to use Tamiya acrylic and would not be adverse to mixing, although I do have quite a good stock of other paint manufacturers.

3032868486_3ee903d021_o.jpgSAAF Mosquito mk. XVI in Italy. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

Hard to tell properly, but the stripes look like the fin flash,  and roundel red would be a good bet.

It's a rusty red.   There are mixes for Tamiya, nothing available out the jar.

 

Vallejo Light Rust 301  looks a good match to the RAF Museum chip

47324893582_d4345b4452_b.jpg50620611 by losethekibble, on Flickr

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Standard roundel Dull Red.  These were added as a recognition aid after Me 262s were operating over Southern Europe and Mossies were often misidentified as Me 262s  by fighters escorting the 15th A.F. bombers.   If you think it unbelievable that some pilots couldn't tell the difference between a Mosquito and an Me 262, then think again.  Aircraft recognition wasn't exactly high on most aircrew priority of education, there were huge numbers of 'friendly fire incidents  on both sides during WW2.  Part of which was ignorance and part being highly stressed when in a combat situation.  But some were unpardonable.    Four RAF Coastal command Hudsons out of Gibraltar on AS patrols off North Africa in November 1942 were shot down in  three days by USAAF pilots in Warhawks  from Morocco.  Their combat reports stated of attacking 'white painted Italian bombers with rear turrets, type unidentified'.  

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Hello

Actually, while PR Mosquitos had been attacked by Me 262 jets, red stripes had been added to prevent mistaking Mossies for Luftwaffe Me 410 reconnaissance planes. However, 15th AF escort fighters did regularly attempt attacks on reconnaissance planes, both Mosquitos and Spitfires alike. Sometimes USAAF pilots recognized their brothers in arms relatively quickly, but in most cases PR pilots ascended above attackers' ceiling, just to be on the safe side. Cheers

Jure

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