Spitfire F24

There are so many errors in CA’s work that I don’t take much notice of anything he does. 80 Squadron, Hong Kong 1946. Nope. 80 Squadron began to receive Mk 24s in Jan 1948 in Germany. All were finished in Dark Green/Ocean Grey/Medium Sea Grey camouflage with W2 codes. While in Germany these were light blue rather than the usual Sky. Sinners were painted with the rear half white and the front half red or blue depending upon whether the aircraft was in A or B Flight. The exception was the CO’s aircraft that had an all white spinner. The squadron’s Bell motif was applied just above the fin flash on a circular background in the flight colour. In July 1949 the squadron were posted to Hong Kong where according to eye-witnesses some of the aircraft were stripped to bare metal but had to be quickly repainted as they began to show signs of corrosion. As Ocean Grey and Dark Sea Grey had both been dropped from the vocabulary of stores Extra Dark Sea Grey may have been used. Following 80 Squadron’s re-equipment with Hornets in Jan 1952 the redundant Spitfires were passed to the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force who repainted them in silver with long alack anti-glare panels the full length of the nose. Coloured spinners were inherited from 80 Squadron.

The article has a photograph of VN318 being delivered to Kai Tak in Aug 1949 in the German camouflage scheme with a red spinner, definitely not black. A similar profile to that in the SAM publication shows it with a red spinner and all the stencils. The date is 1955.

Spitfire F 24

The SAM Publications Modellers datafile on the griffon spits shows VN318 of 80 Sqn HKAAF with half the spinner in black – this and the half blue could both be interpretations of a black and white photo of course. I have not seen a picture of a blue spinnered spitfire – but “never say never”!

According to Paul Lucas half red or half blue. No mention of black.

Spitfire F 24

Thankyou, I have a couple of pictures of ‘silver’ F24s from Hong Kong, and they are a mixed bag, some with anti-glare panels and some with half the spinner red and some half black. As OC Flying’s aircraft it could well be entirely different as well. I shall probably plump for red, after all nobody really knows the shade of blue on K5054!

There is an article by Paul Lucas on the camouflage and markings of the Spitfire Mk 22/24 in Model aircraft Monthly April 2009. Does not include the one you want though.

Spitfire F 24

Many thanks Simon, looks like a silver job, wing commanders pennant, code letters and serial in black and the spinner in red? Could be black as well I suppose, can anyone advise?
Gordon Brady

It would be nice to see a Mk 22 (24 would be difficult) flying in formation with a Mk I, I thought TFC was going to start on theirs?

Cees

Hi I have tried the website stated to find a picture of the last Spitfire and it is defunct, the website that is. Can anybody tell me where I might find a usable picture, I want to display models of the first, K5054 and the last VN496 Spitfires.
Hopefully yours, Gordon Brady

There’s a photo here:

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showpost.php?p=1188008&postcount=23

Simon

Last spitfire

Hi I have tried the website stated to find a picture of the last Spitfire and it is defunct, the website that is. Can anybody tell me where I might find a usable picture, I want to display models of the first, K5054 and the last VN496 Spitfires.
Hopefully yours, Gordon Brady

Thanks for finding that out, Mark. I hear an Airfix Spit 24 calling my name somewhere….!

Can anyone tell me the significance of this Spit F24 paint scheme?

I’m presuming it’s the aircraft of some sort of high-ranking officer, given the pennant and lettering.

(taken from: http://www.geocities.com/cwlam2000hk/artwork.htm)

Edit: I’ve just realised the serial is of the last Spitfire 24 built.

The T/N code are the personal initials of “Tiny” Nel O/C flying at Kai Tak.

Mark

Wilco!

Whatsisname?

So, do we have a name for this senior pilot then?

I looked and searched with Googledesk but still can’t find it.

The ‘man’ with the master list is away on Her Majesty’s business.

It’ll be a couple of weeks but feel free to remind me.

Mark

It’s funny, the author of the Modeller’s Datafile on Griffon-engined Spitfires wanted to build a model of VN496, but couldn’t find any photos of it anywhere! :rolleyes:

So, do we have a name for this senior pilot then?

Concise Oxford.

Strop: A collar of leather or spliced rope, used in slinging pulleys etc

…and no it shouldn’t and didn’t have an anti-glare panel.

Mark

…it is the hold down strop. 🙂

Is this so he could sharpen his razors before he went flying?

It is a senior officer’s machine whose name escapes my search engine for the moment.

I just love that thin red line at the rear passing through the serial. On my photos it passes though the rear of the ‘9’….it is the hold down strop. 🙂

Mark