Model Fleet: Matty's SEAFIRE: 6/7/09

Matty's SEAFIRE: 6/7/09

Posted by Matty on June 7, 2009, 14:11:52, in reply to "GARRY BEEBE TRIBUTE Build, '09"
Message modified by board administrator June 7, 2009, 15:54:42

Having come time to paint the upper-surface camo pattern, the only clear drawing of the gray/green scheme I found was this:

Click on Image to Enlarge
©2008, by Bjørnar Norås; I found it (via Google) on the SpitFireSite.com. Note it indicates white code-letters (inset); all (3) located aft of the fuselage roundel. More on markings below.

For now, it was plenty sufficient to finish the camo pattern, for which I didn't see any safe way to simultaneously paint the dashboard area yet mask the interior and the inside of the windshield without asking for (big) trouble; the windshield went on afterwards:

Click on Image to Enlarge Not liking the attachment with clear canopy glue - which isn't even sandable - I hit on a way to use of the CA putty; despite the danger of scratching the "glass". To protect against fogging the inside, I just flooded it with latex maskoid (top), and then could go ahead and mask with aluminum tape (bottom) - just like for any other plastic. The sanding/shaping was, of course, extra-carefully done - and it worked - including removal of the latex, which pulled out cleanly and easily.

On to consideration of the markings. The above camo drawing is, by all indications, for a land-based plane - so I went in search of shipboard RN markings:

Click on Image to Enlarge Both of the above found in "The Rise & Fall of The Aircraft Carrier", by Anthony Preston, both these hurricanes are clearly RN birds, and note both specify two characters to the left of the roundel, and one to the right. However the drawing at top (from P.56) depicts red alpha-numeric characters, while at bottom an actual MAC-deployed hurricane (from P.57) wears letters-only, and they are very light - gray, blue-gray or white - and a (doubtless) white caudal stripe.

But I did finally run across two depictions of bona-fide, early-model SeaFires:

Click on Image to Enlarge The bottom pic © "Crown Copyright, via HMSO Publications/Ashley Gates", also found at SpitFireSite.com, shows the real thing aboard HMS Furious during Operation Torch - and 100% consistent (what can be seen, anyway) with the drawing at top (Preston, P.104) - except for the (black) "D" under the nose of just one (the leader's?) plane. Note also the spinners appear to be (at least 3) different colors; I read them as probably being red (left-foreground), light gray or blue (center-background) and white for the other two.

Meantime, the more complete coverage in the artwork depicts a near-perfect cross between the Hurricane markings, above: white caudal stripe, and both numbers and letters in white - except now with one to the left of the roundel, and two to the right.

This is enough for me to proceed, if necessary, but I think I'll try to contact the guys at SpitFireSite.com, for any help possible.

Speaking of which, IIRC someone(s) there wanted to ID the ships in the Torch pic, above. I have no clue which KGV-class BB that would be, but I definitely recognize the "tiger-stripe" camo of the Nelson-class BB following - I just can't remember now which one it was! Who can give me a hand here - little help, please...

Cheers,

-Matty