dark light

  • inkworm

Costal Command Camouflage

Can anyone explain why Costal Command flying boats such as the Sunderland and Catalina had camouflage upper services as they would rarely have flown overland and the Sunderlands and early Cats weren’t amphibious so would generally have been seen against the water.

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

9,672

Send private message

By: pagen01 - 24th October 2010 at 21:08

Not in Coastal Command. The interesting bit is the use of glossy white under the wings and tail and matt on the fuselage sides.

Ah, thanks for that, that two finish white scheme was also specified for the early white/med.grey top Shackletons.
Possibly was thinking FAA.

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

937

Send private message

By: Pondskater - 24th October 2010 at 20:46

Also was there two different shcemes one for ocean and one coastal?

Not in Coastal Command. The interesting bit is the use of glossy white under the wings and tail and matt on the fuselage sides:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc106/pondskater/IMG_4403.jpg

But you may be thinking of the Navy wich used different schemes for ship and land based aircraft:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc106/pondskater/IMG_4401.jpg

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

1,308

Send private message

By: Edgar Brooks - 24th October 2010 at 20:42

Land-based fighters were green & brown, at first, later green and grey, on top surfaces, with greenish-blue (1940) or light grey underneath. Bombers remained green/brown, usually with black underneath. The “Temperate Sea Scheme” was Extra Dark Sea Grey and Slate Grey (a greenish grey) on top; the lower white colour was extended to cover the whole of the lower fuselage so as to make the boats more difficult to see against a cloudy background during a low-level attack.
By necessity, that’s a very simplistic response; the WWII camouflage systems were many, and varied.
Edgar

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

937

Send private message

By: Pondskater - 24th October 2010 at 20:32

Seagulls.

White against the sky so fish don’t see them, grey against the water so predators above don’t see them.

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

359

Send private message

By: PaulR - 24th October 2010 at 20:25

From what I dimly recall, I asked my late Dad this when I got the Airfix model as a child. He said it was dark grey and green to simulate shallow water close to shore.

Oh, he both built and maintained Sunderlands during and after the war.

But I’m sure a much better answer will arrive soonest from the experts.

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

9,672

Send private message

By: pagen01 - 24th October 2010 at 20:20

I thought the upper camo was designed to match the sea and its odd shades of grey and green?
Also was there two different shcemes one for ocean and one coastal?

Sign in to post a reply