dalea Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 Perusing the instructions on my Sword Re 2002 I was struck by the yellow tips on the propeller. On going through the Wiki images I'll go along with this but the early 1940 vintage images of e.g Fiat G 50 do not show these. I don't think it is an individual manufacturer's foible so the question is - is there a timeline? When did the changeover from a practice similar to the U,S. to one more like that of the U,K. take place? It seems to be evident before the 1943 surrender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiampieroSilvestri Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 The Regia aeronautica introduced the new paint regulations in july 1941.Until then propeller tips were not painted in yellow. Saluti Giampiero 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalea Posted July 27, 2021 Author Share Posted July 27, 2021 Thank you, Giampiero. Question resolved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmaas Posted July 27, 2021 Share Posted July 27, 2021 Hello Giampiero - one additional question please. What was the size (from the tip) of the yellow propeller tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiampieroSilvestri Posted July 27, 2021 Share Posted July 27, 2021 (edited) I am sorry but I do not know the size of the yellow.Here is the link to a Italian web page that explains the Italian camouflage colours and the regulations of July 1941 but there is not a word about the size of the tips of the propellers. https://modelingtime.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1337 Saluti Giampiero Edited July 27, 2021 by GiampieroSilvestri 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted July 27, 2021 Share Posted July 27, 2021 2 hours ago, jimmaas said: What was the size (from the tip) of the yellow propeller tips? None of the Regia Aeronautica colors/markings references I have specified the width of the yellow prop tips, but from looking at photos, I would say 3-4 inches would be pretty close. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmaas Posted July 27, 2021 Share Posted July 27, 2021 Thank you both. I strongly suspect just under 4 inches, since that would equate to 10 cm, a neat number for a bureaucrat to assign. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 Just had a look at an ancient publication by the Ravenna club, but a quick leaf-through didn't show anything. Possibly not helped by my decidedly limited abilities in Italian. I think @Giorgio N is quite well-stocked with references, so he may be able to give a definitive answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiampieroSilvestri Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 Here is a colour picture of a Macchi MC200.The yellow tips of the propeller a just visible and they look to have been painted by hand. Saluti Giampiero 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 What a great photo, thanks for posting it. Cheers Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 6 hours ago, spitfire said: What a great photo, Yes, it is! Looks like the landing gear struts and inner surfaces of the fairings were painted with grey-green primer- most likely the wheel bays as well? @Giorgio N,Would that be verde anticorrosione? Mike The Mc200 was such a handsome fighter- too bad the Regia Aeronautica didn't have powerplants with more horsepower. An MC.200 with an R-1830 or R-2600 would have been a pretty formidable fighter, especially with four 12.7mm guns- two in the upper cowling and one in each wing . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 @dalea, Found a good photo of the MC.200 that is part of the Air Force Museum collection- looks like the prop tip markings are the same width as the one photo posted above; I am guessing two inches. The usual caveat about using a museum aircraft for color reference applies! (Wish I had taken wheel bay, undercart, and prop/cowling photos the last time I visited the museum, but at that time (1990's) I had little interest in Regia Aeronautica aircraft- they have a very nice MC.202 also.) Mike https://media.defense.gov/2018/Sep/06/2001962274/-1/-1/0/180906-F-IO108-018.JPG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiampieroSilvestri Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 Italian aircraft were painted in grigio azzurro chiaro below and verde anticorrosione on the inside. Saluti Giampiero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiampieroSilvestri Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 (edited) The Macchi MC202 with DB601 engine was the logical development of the Macchi MC200 with stronger engine and the MC205 with DB605 of the Macchi MC202. Saluti Giampiero Edited July 30, 2021 by GiampieroSilvestri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 (edited) @72modeler, the green would have been one of the anticorrosive paints approved by the air force. More than one have been identified and generally each manufacturer had one or more paint supplier. Macchi seem to have favoured a light grey/green, I'm away from my references at the moment so can't tell which were their suppliers. Will get back on this. Wheel wells were treated differently by different manufacturers, with many painting them in the undersurfaces colours and others using other colours. The later Tavola 10 prescribed Grigio Azzurro Chiaro for wheel wells too but this was not always followed. Last but not least: MC.200s were built by both Macchi and Breda, each manufacturer would have followed their standard practice so details may differ between series from the two companies Edited July 30, 2021 by Giorgio N 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 The DB engined Macchis were developments of the MC200, not simple reengining. Having to put an R-1830 might have been possible with similar (not identical) changes but going to an R-2800 requires an airframe the size of a Corsair or Hellcat, dwarfing the Macchi. Or at least an Fw.190/La.5, but plus a bit. You can't double the power of a fighter without having to make fairly major changes. That the Italian industry could have done better with superior engines is however certainly true. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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