US Spitfires. Stencil details

[DOD]

Hi there,

Working on Spitfire PR XI PL914 in US service operating out of Mount Farm. Can anyone supply details on stencils? I have photos which show the main upper wing details but what about the underwing? Particularly the 'trestle' stencils. There is a stars and bars insignia on the bottom starboard wing. This would cover these stencils.

So,

Was the insignia applied over the stencil leaving bits of it?

Stencil obliterated completely?

What about the port wing trestle stencils?

Perhaps there is information on the fighters that could be extrapolated? 

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

David 

[Bedders]

David, 

 

Having looked at these in a bit of detail, I would work on the basis that the stencils were not repainted after US markings were added. RAF markings were covered over with PRU Blue and US markings applied in the usual places. Invasion stripes were applied in June '44, then later either removed or painted over in more PRU Blue on the wings and upper fuselage, with stars & bars touched up to varying standards (PA892 being a rather poor example). Serial numbers on the fuselage sides were not repainted however, as by then they had the serials on the fin/rudder. So you can see aircraft with incomplete serials on the fuselage. My guess is they didn't bother much with niceties such as stencils. So I would put the trestle markings under both wings in the usual way, and the star & bar on top of them under the starboard wing. On the natural metal aircraft of the final period I can see no evidence of stencils. Most if not all aircraft seem to have lost their Aero-Vee carburettor intake filters in late '44, being replaced by the small HF VII-style intakes, most probably in the interests of getting a few more mph. I imagine PA944 had this done after its belly-landing. Photos of it in the dirt show crumpling under the nose which seems consistent with the presence of the big early filter.

 

Justin

[DOD]

5 hours ago, Bedders said:

 So I would put the trestle markings under both wings in the usual way, and the star & bar on top of them under the starboard wing. 

Hi Justin,

Many thanks for your input. I have a photo of MB 950 which shows the stars and bars with nothing on top but it is not clear whether there are still stencils on either side. I was coming to the same conclusion as you with this, though. PL914 was a late addition as a replacement and I suspect it would have been fairly 'factory fresh'.(?).

Thanks again

David

[Seawinder]

Weren't the RAF insignia placed over the trestle stencils? If so, they would be at least partly obscured on both sides, depending on the size of the original RAF roundels.