Pin Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 It is time for designing decals for my Syrinx My question is what is the colour of markings, are they black or blue? I have seen arguments in favour of both, are there any conclusive evidence? Also, what is the typeface (font)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 The Putnam volume on HP states Hannibal had its first public appearance after delivery to Imperial Airways "wearing its name and the owners title painted on the polished aluminium fuselage in dark blue lettering; the registration marks on the rear fuselage and the wings were in black on aluminium-doped fabric." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 The HP 42 was done in blue. This is the Arctic Decals sheet for the HP 42 https://www.arcticdecals.com/products.html?id=21443/982606 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 13 minutes ago, bentwaters81tfw said: The HP 42 was done in blue. This is the Arctic Decals sheet for the HP 42 https://www.arcticdecals.com/products.html?id=21443/982606 I know that Arctic decals are printed in blue, and so are CMK decals for Empire class boats, whereas Airfix and Contrail decals are in black. Even the link that you mentioned contains the profile with black lettering, so I am trying to find any factual evidence (not modern profiles) that the registration and / or name plates were in blue or black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazy8 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Imperial Airways specification was that the lettering for mainline passenger aircraft should be in Imperial Blue (often also referred to as Company Blue). Second line aircraft could have the lettering in black. Short Brothers clashed with Imperial on this more than once - Scylla and Syrinx were both delivered with black lettering and, despite quite heated correspondence, it is not entirely clear that it was ever changed. Some of the Empire boats may also have been delivered with black lettering instead of blue. On the other hand, the two Avro 652s probably should have been delivered with black lettering and were almost certainly delivered with blue, and I have yet to find anything suggesting anyone mentioned it. The blue colour was very dark. It was a special colour mixed for Imperial by Dulux, and neither they nor we have any documentation specifying the precise shade. It is almost certainly identical to BOAC Corporation Blue (also Dulux Special, and unfortunately the same lack of current documentation). For restoring models in the BA Museum collection, I have used Ford Midnight Blue, courtesy of Halfords, which seems a good match for the samples we can find, although I'd be the first to admit that it is somewhat subjective. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Lazy8 said: Imperial Airways specification was that the lettering for mainline passenger aircraft should be in Imperial Blue (often also referred to as Company Blue). Second line aircraft could have the lettering in black. Was that all lettering or just their title and the aircraft name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazy8 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Probably all lettering. Company title and aircraft name for certain. The blue being dark, it is very difficult to tell from photographs, and the only surviving documentation relates to errors, so is obviously not giving the full picture. Postwar, BOAC specified black registrations with blue lettering for company title and so forth (and even then there were plenty of variations), which might lead one to conclude that Imperial were the same, but I don't personally think the photographic evidence backs that up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 Thanks, this makes a lot of sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika Jernfors Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 Hello! Please, check these images: https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/imperial-airways-plane-scylla-1938-biplane-biplane-scylla-in-uutiskuva/89858419?adppopup=true https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/scylla-an-imperial-airways-airliner-at-croydon-airport-uutiskuva/2667229?adppopup=true https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/passengers-at-croydon-airport-boarding-the-handley-page-uutiskuva/3423186 https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/the-duke-and-duchess-of-york-alight-from-an-imperial-airways-uutiskuva/3351026?adppopup=true https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/the-handley-page-hp42-was-the-most-famous-imperial-airways-uutiskuva/90780497?adppopup=true https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/giant-air-liner-heratius-of-imperial-airways-at-croydon-uutiskuva/3066456?adppopup=true I am not definitely sure about the Scylla/Syrinx colours, but in my opinion the HP.42 planes had dark blue markings. Regards, Mika Arctic Decals 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMB Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 On 1/2/2022 at 10:15 AM, Mika Jernfors said: Hello! Please, check these images: https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/imperial-airways-plane-scylla-1938-biplane-biplane-scylla-in-uutiskuva/89858419?adppopup=true https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/scylla-an-imperial-airways-airliner-at-croydon-airport-uutiskuva/2667229?adppopup=true https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/passengers-at-croydon-airport-boarding-the-handley-page-uutiskuva/3423186 https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/the-duke-and-duchess-of-york-alight-from-an-imperial-airways-uutiskuva/3351026?adppopup=true https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/the-handley-page-hp42-was-the-most-famous-imperial-airways-uutiskuva/90780497?adppopup=true https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/giant-air-liner-heratius-of-imperial-airways-at-croydon-uutiskuva/3066456?adppopup=true I am not definitely sure about the Scylla/Syrinx colours, but in my opinion the HP.42 planes had dark blue markings. Regards, Mika Arctic Decals Actually those photos are very useful. Although in b/w, comparing the tone of the obviously black tyres on the aircraft, the lettering is not that dark, so surely must be dark blue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 On 1/1/2022 at 7:42 PM, Pin said: I know that Arctic decals are printed in blue, and so are CMK decals for Empire class boats, whereas Airfix and Contrail decals are in black. Even the link that you mentioned contains the profile with black lettering, so I am trying to find any factual evidence (not modern profiles) that the registration and / or name plates were in blue or black. My Airfix HP.42 decals were blue: Dave 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 52 minutes ago, AMB said: Actually those photos are very useful. Although in b/w, comparing the tone of the obviously black tyres on the aircraft, the lettering is not that dark, so surely must be dark blue? I don't see decisive difference in the tone in Scylla / Syrinx. On 1/2/2022 at 10:15 AM, Mika Jernfors said: I am not definitely sure about the Scylla/Syrinx colours, but in my opinion the HP.42 planes had dark blue markings. Regards, Mika Arctic Decals I am somewhat convinced that HP42 were blue. Are you having any plans to release decals for Scylla/Syrinx? Vinyl window frames will also be quite useful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika Jernfors Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 I have not planned Scylla/Syrinx decals yet. Perhaps I'll make them during this spring. The window chrome vinyl frames are a bit problematic, as I need the kit (fuselage halves) for gettingthe frames to fit it. Cheers, Mika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Holden Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Imperial Airways employee and historian John Stroud said the blue was so dark, you could only tell it wasn't black when you were standing about 10 feet from the fuselage. So....a very dark 'midnight' blue, not a 'royal'blue . 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 I have just realised that my HP.42 photo above was a bit too washed out by the flash. Here is a picture of the decal sheet before application which shows a much darker blue, almost black. Hard to believe that they are the same decals in both photos: Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted January 6, 2022 Author Share Posted January 6, 2022 Test prints of my decal, stencils are black, registration/names darky-dark blue. When desaturated blue is not distinguishable from black 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 3 hours ago, Pin said: stencils are black, registration/names darky-dark blue. That's what I'll go with for my HP42, ties up with the description in the Putnam book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Mika, please can you do a set of decals for the 1/144 scale HP42 for the new release of the Airfix kit. As you kindly did the artwork in 1/72 to include the HP42E “Hadrian” these could be included for the 1/144 scale sheet. I have now received my 1/72 3D printed HP 42 from Toshihiko (Onemanmodel) and will take my time converting it to the Eastern version for completion February 2024. Of course it will be named “Hadrian” 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 13 minutes ago, Adrian Hills said: Mika, please can you do a set of decals for the 1/144 scale HP42 for the new release of the Airfix kit. As you kindly did the artwork in 1/72 to include the HP42E “Hadrian” these could be included for the 1/144 scale sheet. I have now received my 1/72 3D printed HP 42 from Toshihiko (Onemanmodel) and will take my time converting it to the Eastern version for completion February 2024. Of course it will be named “Hadrian” 😊 @Mika Jernfors - Hannibal as well if possible please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika Jernfors Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Yes, my intent is to release the full 1/144 version of the current HP42 set, probably in March. Regards, Mika 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika Jernfors Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 ... including both HP42W and 42E markings... Mika 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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