Spitfire Mk Vb - signalling light painted over?

[TonyOD]

I'm building Jan Zumbach of 303 Squadron's Spitfire Vb EN951. In this photo of Zumbach in the cockpit the navigation light aft of the antenna mast appears so dark it might even be painted over. Is this possible? Under what circumstances would that be a thing?

 

Cheers

Tony

 

[JackG]

I think it's still a clear lens identification light.   Not sure what is causing the photo to have the center brighter, while towards the left and right borders it transitions  darker, but this may be contributing to the light's particular appearance.  If it were painted over, the darkest area would be at the base, not on top.   The curve of the lens is reflecting the interior base of the ID light, which must have been a dark colour?

 

regards,

Jack

[Phoenix44]

I've seen it said they were often overpainted black or blue. This one appears dark. There's also this which is supposedly a warbird⁸ spare of a fuselage light "with protective cover". I'm not sure it's for/from a Spitfire but it looks about right and perhaps there was a cover rather than it being painted?

[Peter Roberts]

 

Interesting detail.

 

Note also the mirror mounting on Zumbach’s plane - haven’t seen one like that before.

Edited December 6, 2022 by Peter Roberts

[TonyOD]

1 hour ago, Peter Roberts said:

Note also the mirror mounting on Zumbach’s plane - haven’t seen one like that before.

 

Bit of a trademark of his, along with the duck that is. He had them fitted on all three Vb's that he flew with 303.

 

7 hours ago, Phoenix44 said:

I've seen it said they were often overpainted black or blue.

 

I've seen it said also, probably in the same place, but no source for the information is given. There are enough pics of this kite around to convince me that it's overpainted, either in the dark grey of the camo scheme or some other dark colour. The airframe was built after the repaint order of August 1941 so was only ever in day fighter scheme, so a slapdash repaint can't be the answer. In fact [Googles furiously] there are pics of other 303 Sqn. spits with dorsal lights that are clearly painted a dark colour, icluding one of Zumbach's previous "RF*D" mounts: