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RCAF Boston MkIII Intruder


Dunny

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Hi All,

 

I'm about to embark on Special Hobby's 1:72 Boston MkIII 'Intruder'. I'm intending to model it as AL468 of 418 'City of Edmonton' Sqn RCAF, which was based at RAF Bradwell Bay in Essex, December 1942 to June 1943. SH depicts the scheme shown:

 

20210828-124245.jpg

 

SH call out Ocean Grey and Dark Green over Night, but my question is this: surely this type of aircraft would have worn the 'Night Fighter' scheme of Medium Sea Grey and Dark Green over Night? I can only find photos of this aircraft in overall Night, so I humbly beseech the hive mind for further clarification - surely @tonyot or @dogsbody will know?

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance rendered,

 

Roger

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The old Ducimus book covered the Havoc/Boston intruders. In 1941 A&AEE ran a series of trials with special schemes similar to that above but they came to nothing.

 

It goes on to note that Mossie intruders were MSG/Green upper surfaces with black lower surfaces and that some Boston intruders were similarly painted but no photos or references in squadron records. But 605 might have had some such aircraft. See page 23

75262ce45b42953f2a232916ddb3c0f8

 

 

It is possible that your scheme existed but possibly as only a “one off”. Given that intruders operated at low level and would need camouflaged from prying eyes above a darker Ocean Grey actually makes more sense the MSG. So maybe someone tried it.

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17 minutes ago, EwenS said:

The old Ducimus book covered the Havoc/Boston intruders. In 1941 A&AEE ran a series of trials with special schemes similar to that above but they came to nothing.

 

It goes on to note that Mossie intruders were MSG/Green upper surfaces with black lower surfaces and that some Boston intruders were similarly painted but no photos or references in squadron records. But 605 might have had some such aircraft. See page 23

75262ce45b42953f2a232916ddb3c0f8

 

 

It is possible that your scheme existed but possibly as only a “one off”. Given that intruders operated at low level and would need camouflaged from prying eyes above a darker Ocean Grey actually makes more sense the MSG. So maybe someone tried it.

Thanks for that Ewen. Although it is possible that it was a one-off, at this stage I'm leaning towards the 'standard' scheme (of course someone will now prove me wrong!)

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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There was an article on Intruder Hurricanes in Model Aircraft Monthly Jan 2008 which gives more detail of the trials, including the note that 12 Group ran their own trials independently of the Fighter Command ones. No mention of Bostons though.

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Hi

    I suppose there is always the chance that being a canadian squadron, that the different scheme was used 

 

think DK decals did the same scheme 

on their night intruders sheet 

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/dk-decals-72068-night-intruders-part-2--1184532

 

 

 

aviaeology link here 

 

https://www.aviaeology.com/store/p154/AviaDossier-1_Canadian-Aircraft-of-WWII.html#/

 

 

it states the aicraft came from 605 Sqn to 418, 605 had been doing camo trials 

 

   cheers

     jerry 

Edited by brewerjerry
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Just now, brewerjerry said:

Hi

    I suppose there is always the chance that being a canadian squadron, that the different scheme was used 

 

think DK decals did the same scheme 

on their night intruders sheet 

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/dk-decals-72068-night-intruders-part-2--1184532

 

 

   cheers

     jerry 

Thanks Jerry,

 

I since noted the same thing - maybe I will go for it just so it looks different,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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I had always thought that it was MSG/DG,..... but this aircraft wa involved in camo trials and Terry at Aviaology convinced me that it wa indeed Ocean Grey and Dark Green. There is a photo here;

http://silverhawkauthor.com/canadian-warplanes-3-douglas-boston_735.html

 

Douglas-Boston-RCAF-No-418-Sqn.jpg

 

Some Hurricane Intruders also wore Ocean Grey and Dark Green camo too,...

Good luck with the model mate,

                                                  Tony

 

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3 hours ago, tonyot said:

I had always thought that it was MSG/DG,..... but this aircraft wa involved in camo trials and Terry at Aviaology convinced me that it wa indeed Ocean Grey and Dark Green. There is a photo here;

http://silverhawkauthor.com/canadian-warplanes-3-douglas-boston_735.html

 

Douglas-Boston-RCAF-No-418-Sqn.jpg

 

Some Hurricane Intruders also wore Ocean Grey and Dark Green camo too,...

Good luck with the model mate,

                                                  Tony

 

Thanks Tony,

 

I have received the same information and am now going to go with OG/DG over Night. I am also going to omit the ventral gun pack, which was phased out by 418 during this period. Thanks for the steer,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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On 8/28/2021 at 8:20 AM, rossm said:

There was an article on Intruder Hurricanes in Model Aircraft Monthly Jan 2008 which gives more detail of the trials, including the note that 12 Group ran their own trials independently of the Fighter Command ones. No mention of Bostons though.

 

Having now seen that photo - just to muddy the waters - the Fighter Command trials mentioned in the article found Dark Green and Dark Earth gave the best results! The article does say it was decided not to use this scheme though and Beaufighters seem to have been the aircraft used for the trials.

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@Carl V has asked me to post these Boston photos:

 

Here are some of my photos of 418 RCAF Squadron’s Bostons which may be of interest to modellers. All are from RCAF negatives held by Library and Archives Canada and are in the public domain although LAC appreciates a credit if any are published.

 

Photo 2 is a high-res zoom from Photo 1.

 

The overseas roundel seen in Photo 3 is light blue with a dark blue outer ring and a red black-veined maple leaf in the centre. I am fortunate enough to have an actual example of one of these. They were supplied and applied in decal form.

 

Carl

 

 

51412423659_0959a86343_b.jpg

 

51411929038_ea40b62e15_b.jpg

 

51411929058_28e9a06940_b.jpg

 

51412423744_47e9f4c279_b.jpg

 

51411663011_12fccde7e6_b.jpg

 

51411663021_c5d075e29f_b.jpg

 

51412650090_940cf75f38_b.jpg

 

51410923012_b13d545a07_b.jpg

 

51411930758_3a3b44d008_b.jpg

 

51411930783_ffe207019b_b.jpg

 

51411930808_28782cb77b_b.jpg

 

51411664676_47773faec1_b.jpg

 

51411931413_df5a8df7b7_b.jpg

 

 

 

Chris, for Carl

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7 hours ago, dogsbody said:

@Carl V has asked me to post these Boston photos:

 

Here are some of my photos of 418 RCAF Squadron’s Bostons which may be of interest to modellers. All are from RCAF negatives held by Library and Archives Canada and are in the public domain although LAC appreciates a credit if any are published.

 

Photo 2 is a high-res zoom from Photo 1.

 

The overseas roundel seen in Photo 3 is light blue with a dark blue outer ring and a red black-veined maple leaf in the centre. I am fortunate enough to have an actual example of one of these. They were supplied and applied in decal form.

 

Carl

 

 

51412423659_0959a86343_b.jpg

 

51411929038_ea40b62e15_b.jpg

 

51411929058_28e9a06940_b.jpg

 

51412423744_47e9f4c279_b.jpg

 

51412423744_47e9f4c279_b.jpg

 

51411663021_c5d075e29f_b.jpg

 

51412650090_940cf75f38_b.jpg

 

51410923012_b13d545a07_b.jpg

 

51411930758_3a3b44d008_b.jpg

 

51411930783_ffe207019b_b.jpg

 

51411930808_28782cb77b_b.jpg

 

51411664676_47773faec1_b.jpg

 

51411931413_df5a8df7b7_b.jpg

 

 

 

Chris, for Carl

Wow, some great images in there! Thanks very much Chris and @Carl V - much appreciated!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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I have the old 1/48 MDC resin/vac/decal set (Hedgehog exhaust, gun pack, vac canopy and gunsight) that I never used as the decals for TH*O (ottawa) were unusably yellowed. I now see that DK Decals has the the experimental intruder scheme in 1/48 - excellent!

Now, my question is, did TH*O, AL468 have the "Ottawa Ontario" script on the R/H side in this scheme? It is not included with the DK decals sheet, but is shown on the Special Hobby markings.  The script is there when the all over Special Night scheme was applied.

 

This is a great subject, by the way, and thanks to everyone that has shared info on it! It has revived my wish to have a companion to my 418 Sqdn intruder Mossie!

 

48021 NI48 navod ZS

 

DKD48021_2

... the Special Hobby markings ...

418 Boston

 

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I'd speculate they took pride in the places and would either have masked the "ttawa Ontario", or repainted it. But am I seeing things, or is there a blister on the port nose of Ottawa, starting roughly in line with the bombardier's rear glazing, just above the gun blister? If it's not an illusion, I don't think it's a standard feature.

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I believe to see it in the 2nd picture Chris posted; it may be the panel just behind the neck of the bloke pointing at the swastika in the next pic, but then it appears that O had the gun blister removed when that pic was taken, so the panel visible probably is the access panel to the internal 303 - otherwise, Alcorn/Bentley do not suppose to have a panel in the vicinity.

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49 minutes ago, tempestfan said:

but then it appears that O had the gun blister removed when that pic was taken

You mean that cover that is just visible behind our chap's back. 

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1 minute ago, alt-92 said:

The rear of the blister fairing is just visible behind our chap's back. 

I don't think that's the blister fairing, as that would extend beyond a vertical line drawn from the rear end of the windshield, and would be in plain sight between the guys. I think the small panel visible behind the neck is, as stated the 303 access panel normally covered by the gun blister. But then the perceived small blister isn't to be seen in this close up (but I think would be just in sight if t was there).

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Yes. I see my edit reason didn't come through, but re-reading it I'd go for that. 

Whatever bulge or blob that would have been should be right behind his head.  The lighter paint patch also doesn't line up... perhaps the distinguishing marks did not go past the censor?

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Yes, probably, or visible just to the left. If it was there, it would be just behind the nose break, which is well visible. As you say, a lot of details do not quite match between the pics. I can see no real reason for any censorship on the in-flight pic, though (which possibly could explain the effect), and the close up does not look particularly messed-about-with.

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