The other day, I picked up one of the newer Airfix Spitfire Mk.I/IIa kits from a local hobby store. It looks a nice kit, and is certainly an improvement over the previous version (which is still a very nice model!)
One of the build options is for an early Spitfire I, with the two-blade prop, flat canopy etc. The paint scheme for this represents a 19 Squadron aircraft in August 1938 (coded WZ-T), with the early style roundels on the fuselage. However, the guide shows one large blue/red roundel on the port upper wing, and a similar one on the underside of the starboard wing.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this in any Spitfire photos from the period. Can anyone confirm??
I do seem to recall an earlier Hasegawa kit with the same codes, but not the same roundel arrangement. The serial of the aircraft was K9794. Which prompts another question – every model I’ve ever seen of this aircraft shows it with the mirrored B-scheme camouflage. Yet it has an even-numbered serial, which I had been led to believe meant it should carry the A-scheme.
Which is correct? :confused:
By: Edgar Brooks - 27th August 2014 at 21:51
The changeover to two “identification discs,” as the Air Ministry quaintly referred to them, specifically on camouflaged mainplanes, was made in early 1937; on February 9th., the A.M. informed Farnborough that any illustrations should include this feature, from then on.
By: antoni - 27th August 2014 at 21:23
K9794 WZ*T wore the B pattern.
By: DaveF68 - 27th August 2014 at 09:29
As to the K9794 paint scheme, though…?
The A and B schemes alternated by serial no, but it wasn’t as simple as Even ‘A’ odd ‘B’ – it depended on the batch
By: antoni - 26th August 2014 at 17:16
It seems that there were two ‘T’s. The Airfix ‘T’ is supposedly K9794. This met with some kind of landing accident at Digby 10/1/39 and SOC 18/4/39. The second ‘T’ was possibly K9824 or K9826.
Camouflage and markings were not fully decided upon until a meeting held after the Munich crises. It is obvious that during the development and trials of camouflage before Munich there was the idea to only have only one wing with a roundel. Perhaps that is why the Spitfire only had a roundel on one wing.
*
The first experiments in camouflage were carried out in Malta prompted by Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia. It almost looks like someone had an obsession with roundels.
By: Jonathan Mock - 26th August 2014 at 16:57
I find it odd that a paint scheme option should be for what seems to be a partially painted aircraft.
Some sort of explanaion should be given in my view.
It wasn’t “partially painted” but one of a number of oddities and variations at the time, there were also Hurricane’s painted in the same manner with one upper wing roundel. Bear in mind also that there may have been more than one aircraft coded WZ-T.
By: Edgar Brooks - 1st February 2012 at 23:34
When painting instructions, for Blenheims, were issued in 1935, they were supposed to have a single r/w/b/y roundel on one wing, left or right, depending on whether they were painted in the A or B scheme.
If (big if) that airframe has lasted from 1935 to 1940, the port wing could have had just the yellow ring painted out, and the red & blue widened to lose the white, while the starboard wing had a freshly-painted correctly-sized roundel painted on a previously blank surface.
By: antoni - 1st February 2012 at 17:48
Perhaps the Blenheim has been repaired using a wing from another aircraft?
The reason is not known. One theory is that it had something to do with the installation of the radar aerials.
By: antoni - 1st February 2012 at 17:42
The port wing roundel looks smaller than the starboard? :confused:
Correct.
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st February 2012 at 17:05
Perhaps the Blenheim has been repaired using a wing from another aircraft?
By: Robert Whitton - 1st February 2012 at 17:00
One of the build options is for an early Spitfire I, with the two-blade prop, flat canopy etc. The paint scheme for this represents a 19 Squadron aircraft in August 1938 (coded WZ-T), with the early style roundels on the fuselage. However, the guide shows one large blue/red roundel on the port upper wing, and a similar one on the underside of the starboard wing.
:
I find it odd that a paint scheme option should be for what seems to be a partially painted aircraft.
Some sort of explanaion should be given in my view.
By: DazDaMan - 1st February 2012 at 16:58
The port wing roundel looks smaller than the starboard? :confused:
By: antoni - 1st February 2012 at 16:20
There is something odd about this Blenheim that so far no kit or decal company has noticed. Spotted it yet?
By: DazDaMan - 1st February 2012 at 12:50
Funnily enough, whilst Googling for something else Spitfire-related…
By: DazDaMan - 31st January 2012 at 21:43
I think that’s the photograph that’s ringing bells with me. Not sure where I’ve seen it, though.
By: Edgar Brooks - 31st January 2012 at 21:40
There’s a photo (somewhere) of 19 Squadron’s Spitfires (whole squadron, I think,) taken from above, and there’s a real mix of roundel styles, both in numbers and sizes. It might have been while they were in transition from the early r/w/b/y to just red/blue, with some having been painted out in readiness for the changeover.
By: DazDaMan - 31st January 2012 at 21:04
Cheers for that. Seems to clear up the story somewhat.
I never assumed that it was “incorrect”, I had just never seen that style of application before. There’s mention of an overhead shot of a Spitfire formation, which is now ringing bells…!!
As to the K9794 paint scheme, though…?
By: jeepman - 31st January 2012 at 20:11
I seem to recall reading somewhere that the Airfix markings were correct, based on recent research
Roy Sutherland raised this same query on Hyperscale on 4th January
that thread also refers to this discussion:
http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=70002
No doubt Edgar will be along to provide a definitive answer in due course…..
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January 31, 2012 at 7:56 pm