tk1608 Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 (edited) Hi all I’ve started airfix’s 1:48 spit Mk V and I’m thinking of building it as Beurling’s Spit mk v with the large chin intake. I have decals from peddinghaus for it, but the codes are a bright yellow matching the Fuselage roundel edges. Does anyone know if the yellow codes are correct. ? I can’t find any actual pictures of Beurling’s spit, but others from that time seem to either have white codes or perhaps a light grey. There’s a restored one in the Malta museum, not as Beurling’s aircraft but same camo, and the codes on that look to be a light grey. I know it’s not the best idea to use restored aircraft as good ref from that time, but maybe they have reliable info.. Anyway, hope someone can advise. thanks a lot Phil Edited August 7, 2020 by tk1608 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 Which of his Malta Spitfires? EP706? If you ARE talking about EP706, Victory Models also has it with yellow codes And there's a thread on it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Harmsworth Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 This build article may be of interest / help. http://maltamodellers.org/Articles/MaltaSpitfire/Spitfire5B.htm Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk1608 Posted August 7, 2020 Author Share Posted August 7, 2020 Hi Mark, yes it’s 706 I didn’t know there were other decals for this subject. Thanks very much, that’s a great help Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackG Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 (edited) Latest publication (2013) on the Malta Spitfire subject by Brian Cauchi, based on the illustrations - yellow codes appear to be reserved to just 185 and 229 Squadrons, while Beurling flew for 249 Squadron. In those illustrations of 249 with two digit fuselage codes beginning with T, he only describes them as grey coloured. Beurling had no personal mount, during those hectic days pilots flew whatever Spit was serviceable. He flew both the Vb and Vc over Malta, see his scoreboard below for particulars: regards, Jack Edited August 7, 2020 by JackG 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fubar57 Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 I'd be very interested if any one had info on C•25 and 3•W. It's the first I've seen of the codes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackG Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 (edited) I believe C•25 and 3•W would be ferry codes as applied when loaded onto carriers? These could probably be traced back to not only a specific carrier, but also the named operation that brought the aircraft to Malta. Again, because the situation at that time, these codes were retained, instead of replacing with Squadron codes that were operating over Malta. The code's colour appear to be white. Here was my attempt of 3W from a past Malta GB: Had no photo specific reference, but going by other similar marked tropical Spitfires, the letter was always placed behind the cockpit, while the number towards the tail end. regards, Jack Edited August 7, 2020 by JackG 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 3.x was the code applied to the first of two squadrons on the Wasp, in Operation Bowery. C.xx appears to be the code allocated in Gibraltar to aircraft delivered by Eagle, but records linked to the code are particularly poor for these. Brian's excellent book is well worth getting, if you can find one, but the latest work on Malta Spitfire colours was published by Paul Lucas in SAM a few years back. Sadly the evidence does show that the majority of this delivery were in Temperate Sea Scheme, but it is possible that there were a few examples left over from the previous Operation Calendar which would be in the Dark Mediterranean Blue, which includes BR126 but not BR128. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk1608 Posted August 7, 2020 Author Share Posted August 7, 2020 Thanks for the info. I knew it’d be a leading question Ok then, I was just getting used to yellow codes The question is now, who makes codes in that light shade of grey. Hannants grey sheet looks too dark to me. If I can’t find any, might just go with the yellow, I’ve seen a few builds with them that look really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 I would say that 249 Sqn codes on the darker blue schemes were light blue,...... similar to Azure Blue,... here is a recent post I did; And another,.....I built T-M years ago and would say that these codes were probably light blue too; Cheers Tony 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk1608 Posted August 9, 2020 Author Share Posted August 9, 2020 Hi Tony Do you think then, that Beurling’s spit was at first painted mid stone/dark earth/azure, with light blue codes, then possibly changed later to slate grey/dark earth/azure with light blue codes ? thanks Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 (edited) 17 minutes ago, tk1608 said: Hi Tony Do you think then, that Beurling’s spit was at first painted mid stone/dark earth/azure, with light blue codes, then possibly changed later to slate grey/dark earth/azure with light blue codes ? thanks Phil I really don`t know for sure,...... from the few photo`s that I have seen of a Spit in Malta bearing Buerlings kills,....it seems to have a darker nose area and has a lighter camouflage colour around the cockpit area, split by a solid, wavy demarcation. The single code letter that I can see, a T,.... appears to be white. and it appears on a darker area of colour,...... the aircraft appears to have been randomly covered in areas with a blue colour which around the nose at least is not following any standard camo demarcation,...... but whether it has worn away in places I cannot tell. I was mainly saying that for the darker painted (Dark Blue) 249 Sqn Spit V`s I think they had light blue T-A+ codes rather than yellow. Earlier 249 Sqn Spits appear to have white T-A+ codes,....... I don`t think that yellow was ever used by the unit? Cheers Tony The photo I`m talking about appears in the book `With All Modesty' by Colin Pomeroy,..... he said that I could use it in my 2nd Malta book,..... but expressly asked that I not post it on the internet or electronically,..... which is fair enough; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modesty-veterans-tales-battle-Malta/dp/B001QGR8MK/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=with+all+modesty&qid=1596983922&s=books&sr=1-2 Edited August 9, 2020 by tonyot 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACALAIN Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 23 hours ago, tonyot said: I really don`t know for sure,...... from the few photo`s that I have seen of a Spit in Malta bearing Buerlings kills,....it seems to have a darker nose area and has a lighter camouflage colour around the cockpit area, split by a solid, wavy demarcation. The single code letter that I can see, a T,.... appears to be white. and it appears on a darker area of colour,...... the aircraft appears to have been randomly covered in areas with a blue colour which around the nose at least is not following any standard camo demarcation,...... but whether it has worn away in places I cannot tell. I was mainly saying that for the darker painted (Dark Blue) 249 Sqn Spit V`s I think they had light blue T-A+ codes rather than yellow. Earlier 249 Sqn Spits appear to have white T-A+ codes,....... I don`t think that yellow was ever used by the unit? Cheers Tony The photo I`m talking about appears in the book `With All Modesty' by Colin Pomeroy,..... he said that I could use it in my 2nd Malta book,..... but expressly asked that I not post it on the internet or electronically,..... which is fair enough; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modesty-veterans-tales-battle-Malta/dp/B001QGR8MK/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=with+all+modesty&qid=1596983922&s=books&sr=1-2 Hello Mister Tony, Do you have the reference of your second book about Malta. I had already the first one, and I am interested by this theater of the WW II. Already made more than 200 models in 1/72 of both side. Best regard Alain PS : do somebody have an idea about Telford this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 9 hours ago, MACALAIN said: Hello Mister Tony, Do you have the reference of your second book about Malta. I had already the first one, and I am interested by this theater of the WW II. Already made more than 200 models in 1/72 of both side. Best regard Alain PS : do somebody have an idea about Telford this year? Hello Alain,..... I`m sorry but the 2nd book is not going ahead,....... I never heard back from the publisher! It is not looking good for Telford,..... I would be surprised if it was allowed to take place,..... especially as an international event. Cheers Tony 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACALAIN Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 4 hours ago, tonyot said: Hello Alain,..... I`m sorry but the 2nd book is not going ahead,....... I never heard back from the publisher! It is not looking good for Telford,..... I would be surprised if it was allowed to take place,..... especially as an international event. Cheers Tony Sad news Tony, for both Alain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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