The new issue of Flypast has a feature about the Spitifre on Display at Lambeth, which must be one of the very few if any Spitfires in the world displayed in its original war time paint.
As we can see its in the later green/grey colours, would it be logical to do a similar job as was done with the FAA Martlett and Corsair, and discover its BOB scheme?
How complete is this a/f? And how many original parts?
By: V Force kid - 31st October 2007 at 13:30
Mark 12,
It’s fairly obviously a display of turrets in front on your first picture, with a nose section (Lanc?) to the left. But what on earth is the thing in front of that, looking like an oil drum with windows?
Adrian
That oil drum is a Leigh Light lying on its side.
Regarding cleaning, IWM have a couple of conservation assistants at Lambeth who have to go up in the gondala that normally lives up in the top of the roof of the atrium…apparently the Camel 2F.1 and B.E.2 tend to swing a bit when you go near them with a brush! 😮
By: G-ORDY - 31st October 2007 at 12:57
Earliest photo at Lambeth?
This photo from the IWM collection is dated 27 November 1946:
By: SADSACK - 31st October 2007 at 10:35
re
I guess there are no guns in her then?
By: Mark12 - 30th October 2007 at 19:39
Noticed these two bits of rubbish on the wing of the Spit at the IWM today how long they’ll be there for? Hardly easily accessible to get them off!
The ‘Form 700’ and the remains of a ‘ploughman’s lunch’ from the White Hart at Brasted.
Mark
By: Rlangham - 30th October 2007 at 19:34
Noticed these two bits of rubbish on the wing of the Spit at the IWM today how long they’ll be there for? Hardly easily accessible to get them off!
By: Mark12 - 3rd October 2007 at 19:26
Mark 12,
It’s fairly obviously a display of turrets in front on your first picture, with a nose section (Lanc?) to the left. But what on earth is the thing in front of that, looking like an oil drum with windows?
Adrian
Adrian,
I have no idea what it is.
I have looked on an adjacent negative, and these only surfaced the other week after 25 years in the loft, and there is more to see.
I will scan the negative and post shortly…in the mean time has anybody else got any ideas…Ashley?
Mark
By: adrian_gray - 3rd October 2007 at 17:20
Mark 12,
It’s fairly obviously a display of turrets in front on your first picture, with a nose section (Lanc?) to the left. But what on earth is the thing in front of that, looking like an oil drum with windows?
Adrian
By: JDK - 3rd October 2007 at 16:58
I give you that, forgot the FAA ones were later paint jobs. But I would guess in either case the FAA used extensive x-ray 1st.
I don’t think so, mostly archaeological and painting conservation techniques. Very careful scraping & sanding away to you and me.
By: Mark12 - 3rd October 2007 at 15:35
Hang on…
..and for those who remember it before it was strung up for the first time -1960.
Mark
By: SADSACK - 2nd October 2007 at 12:17
re
I give you that, forgot the FAA ones were later paint jobs. But I would guess in either case the FAA used extensive x-ray 1st. Talking of which has anyone got any recent pics of the Martless and Corsair?
By: JDK - 29th September 2007 at 14:53
I doubt they would have had the time to strip the green/brown paint off, surely the later scheme would have been done later “in the field”
There’s two assumptions there, both of which may be correct, or not. My guess is that whether the original scheme was stripped or not, the latter scheme was applied properly; either keying the old scheme (which damages the paint significantly) or applying a primer and key over it, or quite possibly stripping it back. My other guess is that whatever is under the current scheme would be hard to get to, and won’t look very nice, certainly not a full 1940 green and brown coat.
Destroying a 1944 scheme to get to a 1940 scheme on such a historic artefact is something the IWM may not feel mandated to do. It’s a very different scenario from removing a inaccurate 1960s or 70s museum bodge paint.
Just my view.
By: Eddie - 29th September 2007 at 14:47
The other point being that it’s totally unknown as to whether the BoB paint would be sufficiently intact to display, whereas currently we KNOW that the OTU scheme is in very good condition. It would be an incredible shame to go off on a fishing expedition to try and reveal an earlier scheme and find that you were left with the only option available being to completely repaint the aircraft.
By: SADSACK - 29th September 2007 at 12:55
re
I doubt they would have had the time to strip the green/brown paint off, surely the later scheme would have been done later “in the field”
By: JDK - 28th September 2007 at 12:36
There was a good thread on the A/C here some time ago.
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26834
Certainly the Spitfire in the Australian War Memorial and the Chicago Science Museum’s Spitfire also have their original W.W.II paint. The ultra rare Mk.IIc in the Canadian War Museum has had a very modern scheme applied and been stuffed into the roof – the worst example of ‘display’ I’ve seen in an equivalent collection.
I don’t think there’s any reason to believe the ‘original’ BoB paint will be under the 1944 paint, or that the 1944 paint could be removed (any guesses?) as the 1944 paint would have been properly applied. The FAAM jobs, magnificent as they are, were removing a preservation era overpaint, and I think those were applied without priming. Certainly the aircraft weren’t intended to be flown in such paint.
Let’s not forget that the later schemes these aircraft are in are still an important part of their history. As to the dilemma of ‘which bit of the history is most important’ see the SS Great Britain.
Interesting question.
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September 28, 2007 at 11:45 am