Colours for RAF Tiger Moth used as a unit 'hack'

[AndrewClark]

Hi all. This is my first post on this forum, so please be gentle with me! I'm looking to make a model of the Tiger Moth used for No.1690 Bomber (Defence) Training Flight.  Could anyone advise me regarding its likely colour scheme please? I'm guessing that it would have been camouflaged, but would the underneath be yellow, or some other colour? Thanks in advance, Andrew

[rossm]

Hi Andrew,

  Welcome. I'm pretty sure camouflage and yellow. It's always worth searching your query on google and including the word britmodeller e.g. Tiger moth colours britmodeller

 

This usually works better than the search facility on the site!

 

I tried - tiger moth underside colour britmodeller - and the answer seemed to be always camouflage and yellow but, as ever, there might be exceptions I haven't come across.

[Graham Boak]

Agreed, and this late in the war with a low demarcation on the fuselage.  It is possible that it would also have yellow wing tips and perhaps fuselage bands at this time, but whether these were carried by all such aircraft or just those in/from training units is another matter.

[AndrewClark]

Cracking, thanks guys, both very helpful replies. I forgot to mention that I think it may also have carried a single code letter. If it did, what colour might it have been? Thanks again. Andrew

[rossm]

1 hour ago, AndrewClark said:

Cracking, thanks guys, both very helpful replies. I forgot to mention that I think it may also have carried a single code letter. If it did, what colour might it have been? Thanks again. Andrew

 

without seeing a photo I would think Medium Sea Grey is most likely.

[Seahawk]

2 hours ago, AndrewClark said:

Cracking, thanks guys, both very helpful replies. I forgot to mention that I think it may also have carried a single code letter. If it did, what colour might it have been? Thanks again. Andrew

 

AP 2656A of October 1944 specified Dull Red for practically all aircraft except day fighters and Coastal Command aircraft.  But frankly your guess is likely to be as good as ours. 

 

BTW the Air-Britain book RAF Flying Training and Support Units lists Tiger Moth II R5245 as serving with 1690 BDF: no mention of a code letter though.  The corresponding  A-B serials book has 1690 BDF as R5245's last posting before becoming maintenance airframe 4934M in Dec 1944.

 

PS I agree with everyone else: Dark Earth/Dark Green/Yellow.

[AndrewClark]

Thanks Rossm and Seahawk. I do have a copy of the aircraft's AM Form 78 which shows that had been with No.1485 B&G Flight before moving to No.1690 B(D)TF (presumably when the former evolved into the latter. Prior to that it appears to have served with No.10 EFTS, then spent some time with maintenance units and being repaired in works, before being issued to No.1485 B&G Flight. So, in my humble opinion, it seems even more likely that it would have had yellow undersides. With regards to the code letter I have double checked my sources and can find no record of a code letter being allocated to it - so I'm going to assume that it didn't carry one. However, as a complete novice to modelling, can anyone tell me I would be able obtain suitable decals to use for the serial number. I'm using is an Airfix 1/72 kit for the model. Thanks again, Andrew

[rossm]

1 hour ago, Seahawk said:

 

AP 2656A of October 1944 specified Dull Red for practically all aircraft except day fighters and Coastal Command aircraft.  But frankly your guess is likely to be as good as ours. 

 

Now there was a surprise - it's always good to have an assumption shot down. Further digging reveals some time prior to that the colour was specified in DTD 360 (in a little diagram hidden away at the end). DTD 360 also gives dull red for most types so I stand corrected. At some time earlier again (July 1942) AMO A664 gives training command aircraft to have school letters in sky - whether that would apply to BDF aircraft I've no idea.

[rossm]

17 minutes ago, AndrewClark said:

Thanks Rossm and Seahawk. I do have a copy of the aircraft's AM Form 78 which shows that had been with No.1485 B&G Flight before moving to No.1690 B(D)TF (presumably when the former evolved into the latter. Prior to that it appears to have served with No.10 EFTS, then spent some time with maintenance units and being repaired in works, before being issued to No.1485 B&G Flight. So, in my humble opinion, it seems even more likely that it would have had yellow undersides. With regards to the code letter I have double checked my sources and can find no record of a code letter being allocated to it - so I'm going to assume that it didn't carry one. However, as a complete novice to modelling, can anyone tell me I would be able obtain suitable decals to use for the serial number. I'm using is an Airfix 1/72 kit for the model. Thanks again, Andrew

 

Serials can be found on https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X72157?result-token=7nebG

or

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/VA7252?result-token=bWoaW

[Seahawk]

The Ventura sheet Ross highlights is my favourite.  Cheap, thin but tough and lots of style variations: look at all the different 2s and Ms.  Also has stencil styles.

[AndrewClark]

Hi again. I'm not sure that this helps, but there is a photo of one of No.1690 BDTF's Spitfires (which the Flight probably acquired at roughly the same time as the Tiger Moth, at

 

http://www.vickersvaliant.com/1690-bdtf.html

 

This aircraft carries a single letter which appears to be a light grey colour but, again, this doesn't prove anything. Incidentally, most of the Spitfires that came to the Flight came from the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford. The unit code letters '9M' were reportedly allocated to the Flight, but I have found no photographic evidence of them being used and no 'primary source' documentation to confirm the reported allocation. I digress, as I wont to do these days, so will shut up! Thanks again everyone. Andrew