CAF Wildcat new paint scheme: Fire Away!

Paint I think

I think that it is silver paint. I’m sure there was a bit in one of the aviation monthlies (FP or AM) a while ago to the effect that somewhere on the Martlet (possibly the spine) constant wear had rubbed the paint back to earlier colour schemes – hence my comment in the first place

Could be wrong though – have been before 🙂

I’d suggest silver paint, there is no tonal difference between the ailerons and elevators (which I presume are fabric) and the wing.

Let’s hope so, I know Dave M loves this sort of thing.

Melv

All we have to do is wait chaps. I would not be at all suprised if Dave Morris does the gentle strip on the Martlet at some time in the near future.

MH

Melv,

Unless this is Silver paint, I fear it was stripped back to bare metal at Loughboro’.

Mark

All we have to do is wait chaps. I would not be at all suprised if Dave Morris does the gentle strip on the Martlet at some time in the near future.

MH

FAA in the ‘Sea Blue Gloss’ overall….Post War

All from ‘The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm’ by Ray Sturtivant.

Respectively:

1) Avenger TS.5 XB383 of 745 Squadron at Eglington. Via CF Motley

2) Avenger TBM-3 XB311 815 Squadron at Lee on Solent June 1953 . J D R Rawlings

3) Avenger AS.5 XB322 1841 Squadron at Stretton 1956. R M Rayner

4) Wildcat VI JV851 794 Squadron Eglington November 1945. M J Brightwell

Mark

Thank you for illustrating where my grasp of history falls down.
Several front line squadrons still served with the types mentioned, in the Far East, until around August 1946 – and generally they would retain the colour schemes they had served in at the wars end. I was aware of this and – the point of my post – was asking if anyone had any pictures of these aircraft in post war service, after 1946, when they would no longer be in front line service. With station flights and other second-line units, for example.
Alternatively has anyone any pictures of these – or any other FAA types – on airfield fire dumps or scrap heaps?

Flood

Thank you Mark, a Hellcat – but not (as I requested) in post war service, after 1946! Flood

Flood,

Close.

To 12 December 1945 and disbandment.

That’s post war by my definition in the earlier post. 🙂

Mark

Flood,

Here is JZ807 with 898 Squadron at Ratmalana, Ceylon in 1945. Photo by the CO, Lt Cdr RW Kearsley.

Scanned from ‘The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm’ by Ray Syurtivant.

Mark

Thank you Mark, a Hellcat – but not (as I requested) in post war service, after 1946!
Incidentally I have found a mention that a few Wildcat VIs (FM-2s) were delivered direct to the British Pacific Fleet in sea blue, at the same time as Corsairs and Hellcats – but no Avengers were (apparently) ever delivered in sea blue.

Flood

Blue Hellcat

Has any one got pictures of Hellcats (not just KE309), Corsairs, and Avengers (I, II, & IIIs) in post-war service (after 1946) wearing their dark blue scheme?Flood

Flood,

Here is JZ807 with 898 Squadron at Ratmalana, Ceylon in 1945. Photo by the CO, Lt Cdr RW Kearsley.

Scanned from ‘The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm’ by Ray Syurtivant.

Mark

My bad – I took straight to mind the implication that Corsairs and Hellcats served from the wars end to the 1950s.
I believe that apart from the very few (one, maybe two of either) that served with station flights (Hellcat KE309 was apparently repainted midnight blue 5/50 when it was the COs aircraft with Lossiemouth SF, according to Air Britains FAA Aircraft 1939-45 – what colour/s was it before?) they were out of front line service by August 1946, and any second line service shortly after. Avengers were the same (although a few stayed in use with trials units) but were more or less committed to fire dumps and scrap yards by 1950 – before the next ones arrived from 1953 (the ones that were definitely painted dark blue). I am not disputing the Skyraiders in dark blue – barring the fact that the first one didn’t arrive until 1951…
Has any one got pictures of Hellcats (not just KE309), Corsairs, and Avengers (I, II, & IIIs) in post-war service (after 1946) wearing their dark blue scheme?

Flood

Flood,

Humph? I am puzzled.

Isn’t this the post war scheme into the 1950’s applied to many of the FAA US ‘Ironmongery’ – Corsairs, Avengers, Hellcats, Skyraiders etc of ‘Sea Blue Gloss’ overall?

I can find evidence of Corsairs, Avengers, Hellcats & Skyraiders (but not Martlets yet) in the overall ‘Sea Blue Gloss’ scheme taken in the post WWII period, that is after mid 1945 right up into late 1950’s. The time span refers to the scheme, not the aircraft type. ‘Many’ refers to examples of some but not all US Fleet Air Arm types referred.

Mark

Isn’t this the post war scheme into the 1950’s applied to many of the FAA US ‘Ironmongery’ – Corsairs, Avengers, Hellcats, Skyraiders etc of ‘Sea Blue Gloss’ overall?

Humph!
Corsairs never made it to the 1950s, neither did Hellcats – not with the Fleet Air Arm – but they did wear an overal dark blue scheme toward the end of WWII. Avengers didn’t have that scheme in WWII but did in the 50s – but the Avenger in the museum is wearing a WWII D-Day camouflage scheme. Skyraiders did wear the overal dark blue scheme – the FAA didn’t use them in WWII (but then neither did the USN).
This Martlett/Wildcat is too old to have served in the dark blue scheme – it should wear standard early war or French naval camouflage (depending on whatever scheme it did wear) to represent the unique airframe that it is, not the almost forgotten aeroplane it seems to be now.

Flood

A fantastic collection of gems. Where did they all go?

Some were preserved, but others were scrapped.

Flood

Wildcat paint scheme

I must say that the CAF’s Wildcat paint scheme looks better in pictures than it does live. It does look like a “Tonka Toy.” I saw it at Chino at their air show and it was the ugliest warbird I’ve ever seen.

According to Robert Mikesh’s “Restoring Museum Aircraft”, the way to protect original paintwork, but allow it to be repainted, is to coat it in microcrystalline wax, as a barrier. This can then be painted over with whatever paint is suitable. To reverse it, simply use a heat gun and wipe the new paint off.
Apparently the NASM use Petrolite BE Square 185 hard microcrystalline wax.

Ever deeper in to the biscuit tin.

Here is a scan of what must be the thinnest negative on file. No artificial light, no flash, no tripod, cr*p film and a cr*p camera.

It is our friend the Yeovilton Corsair taken at Cranfield circa 1958.

A fantastic collection of gems. Where did they all go?

Mark

Corsair Archeology

fascinating but where do you go from here?

put it on show as it is and Joe Public who represents probably 95% of the visitors will say it needs tidying up and repainting!

A real dilemma – do you repaint in a removeable water based paint to preserve what you have found or faithfully record and photograph and do a proper repaint to the standards and specifications of it’s time

I don’t think there’s a correct answer – both have their plus points

hence my comment earlier about interesting curatorial decisions

It’ll be fun when he starts on the Seafire!

M

Fascinating stuff Melv.

Mark

While we are on the subject of Yeovilton, let us have a mention of Dave Morris who does good things in stripping paint down carefully to find what is underneath. He is a good man.

take a peek at this, it might be relevant

http://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibits/planes.asp?plane=95

Melv