Aircraft still in it's WW2 paint?

I had thought that more of the Finnish Air Force and Finnish Aviation Museum WWII exhibits were in original paint, but after a bit more research it seems that most have been repainted. The I-16UTI at FAM, for example, only has the engine cowls in original paint. Still, in addition to the Hurri there is also the Brewster B339 wreck, and various other parts such as the Gamecock wreck and various bits of Blenheim. The 360 degree tour of the FAFM is well worth a look…

The whole WWII aeroplanes I’m aware of with original paint job in various Finnish museums are as following:

the Aero A-32,
the B-239,
the Blackburn Ripon,
the Caudron C.714,
the Hawker Hurricane,
the Polikarpov U-2,
the P-39Q and
the VL Kotka

As you said there are also many wrecks but they are not worth mentioning. The Fi-156 at Finnish Aviation Museum might carry the original olive drab paint with added civil register number.

Also a Spad covered with original fabric sewn onto new fabric there I believe, flown by a famous French ace.

Cees

DH9, Musee de L’Air

If you’re including bits of aircraft i.e. Me 110 fins, what about the IWM’s Meteor wingtip?

Removed from Meteor EE277 YQ-Y 616 Sqn- Dixie Dean’s aircraft in which he tipped that V1 after his guns failed.:D

And the Hartebees as well, then?

The photos provided for our Hart family book written by Alex Crawford look to me like it has been repainted postwar, some time ago though. I’d be surprised if it was still in its W.W.II fabric by now.

Isn’t one side of Duxford’s Bf109 in the Battle of Britain exhibition still in its original markings?

Did they repaint them? bl*** agents.

And the Hartebees as well, then?

ivan

The war Museum in Johannesburg has a reasonable collection.

The Fw-190 and the Me262 look like they could be in original colours, but I will check up on that.

Their Mosquito and their Hartebees bi-plane also look quite original to me (a bit scruffy, really).

I will cruise past during these days to check and provide pics unless someone else knows their story by heart.

Ivan

Both the 190 and 262 have been repainted

Dave

…The IWM Spitfire is one of two in the world in a genuine wartime colour scheme, …

Three, surely – R6915 at the IWM, P7973 at the Australian War Memorial, and (I understand) P9306 at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

In my view, such aircraft, and the paint specifically, should be elevated by perhaps English Heritage to the status of a ‘National Treasure’. Which it surely is.

It’s certainly a view, and in principle I’d agree; along with other ‘treasures’ such as the E28/39, Alcock & Brown’s Vimy and so forth.

Regards,

IWM Spitfire

With regard to the original post.
The IWM Spitfire is one of two in the world in a genuine wartime colour scheme, (albeit later than the BOB) and with its BoB history, makes it probably the most important Spitfire in existence. The current paint scheme, if removed can never be replaced.

The general tatiness is very tempting for refurbishment back to Brown/Green, but by doing so the IWM would in my view be destroying the one thing that really makes it special.

In my view, such aircraft, and the paint specifically, should be elevated by perhaps English Heritage to the status of a ‘National Treasure’. Which it surely is.

Guy

The war Museum in Johannesburg has a reasonable collection.

The Fw-190 and the Me262 look like they could be in original colours, but I will check up on that.

Their Mosquito and their Hartebees bi-plane also look quite original to me (a bit scruffy, really).

I will cruise past during these days to check and provide pics unless someone else knows their story by heart.

Ivan

If you mean this private one…then post WWII original NZ service livery and very weathered.

Mark

They have a section of rear fuselage resplendent in grey/green camouflage – ex 487 Sdn I think – I’ll find a pic

The Japanese aircraft appears to be an Oscar.

That;s the Oscar that went to Wanaka, NZ and returned briefly to flight with it’s high speed taxiing “hop”. Now in the USA, I believe.

Interesting insight! However the FAAM Martlet – AL246 as you recall, C.No 656 – isn’t ex-USN, but the earliest survivor of the type, and was destined for the French Aéronavale, one of the US machines delivered to the UK after the fall of France.

The Hellcat (I presume the same as the one you remember?) is also in the FAAM collection.

Dave Morris at the FAAM would probably be most interested to hear from you, and your recollections…

Regards,

I will pass this on to Dave M when he returns to work on Tuesday

I seem to remember when I was working in the paint shop in 1956-7 we did sand back this A/C to reveal the markings. I believe it was Ex. USN. Like the Hell Cat ( used by the captain at Lossiemouth, wonder where that one is ? ) I have a photo of the Martlet from Yeovilton in RN colours from that era. AL246 I think?

Interesting insight! However the FAAM Martlet – AL246 as you recall, C.No 656 – isn’t ex-USN, but the earliest survivor of the type, and was destined for the French Aéronavale, one of the US machines delivered to the UK after the fall of France.

The Hellcat (I presume the same as the one you remember?) is also in the FAAM collection.

Dave Morris at the FAAM would probably be most interested to hear from you, and your recollections…

Regards,

What about the Horsa fuselage section at London Colney. Is that in its original paint?

Laurence

Martlet at Yeovilton.

I seem to remember when I was working in the paint shop in 1956-7 we did sand back this A/C to reveal the markings. I believe it was Ex. USN. Like the Hell Cat ( used by the captain at Lossiemouth, wonder where that one is ? ) I have a photo of the Martlet from Yeovilton in RN colours from that era. AL246 I think?

I think this shot I took recently of the AWM 109G shows why it’s tempting for owners to repaint such aircraft to ‘make them look nice’, and how interesting the original colours are (and what a story they tell).

It’s thought to be largely in original paint, although some repair/restoration work had to be done on it a few years ago after it was damaged while being moved.

Thanks for the information and photo link.
This seems to confirm what Chicago museum staff told me, which was that other than a small repair to one wing tip the plane’s condition was original.
I had seen the Stuka at the museum shortly after one wing tip was damaged while the plane was being lowered for cleaning.
The damage appeared minor and was, I heard, later repaired by the EAA.
The plane was then displayed for a period at the EAA museum.

We discussed this in some detail including input from the Chicago museum here on WIX. http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19089&start=15

The AWM 109.

This must be the ex Sid Marshall 109 from Sydney.

I had thought that in the process of Doug Arnold purchasing it and it being siezed by Australian customs as an illegal export it had ben painted silver…to perhaps resemble a P-51.

So is that original paint we see today?

JDK?

Seems to have been answered already, but yes, a silver ‘spraylat’ like covering, so the current paint is original.

Sandy – just to be clear, it’s the Australian War Memorial – museum is not part of the name. 🙂

Cheers,

AWM 109

http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/striking/planes/german/bf109.asp

This shows a color photo of the Me109 on display at the Australian War Memorial/Museum.