Supermarine paint

True, bought out in late 1928 but retained their identity, logo and colours through the ’30s. I’m not sure there is/was such a thing as Vickers blue.

Being obtuse maybe, but the company was Vickers Supermarine from about 1928, so what colour was Vickers blue ?

Excellent thread btw, shows the depth of knowledge on this forum, and a lot of restraint ref the possible H & E thread drift…well done guys ! ! ! !

Gents

This is a section of mosaic on display at Solent Sky. It comes from the Supermarine works at Woolston (or Hythe, I can’t remember the details) and should therefore be representative of Supermarines house colours.

Cheers

Ralph

..Phew some sensible answers at last!!!

OK this just in as I am sure you are all just dying to know, careful stripping of the paint has revealed that they were indeed originally painted black. (well done SteveP).
This then covered with yucky green then the blue, so top marks also to Jag and Moggy.
As you can see the ‘deco’ style logo beautifully sharp under the paint layers, we await the owners decision as to the final choice of colours. Had it been mine I think I would have left it as found, bit shabby-chic and all that!

Chumpy.

PS… As for Keith Newsome’s Health & Effciency example, should this not be bare metal???

Super MARINE blue

Ah yes, Super MARINE blue. Clive Denney might be able to help as it was applied to BM597 for her trip to Malta.

The BS paint chart (BS391c) provides all the colours used by the British Military. http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk/bs381c.html

Unable to find the BS that was in force at the time, however BS 6150:2006 is the Painting of Buildings Code of Practice that came into effect 31 March 2006.
Another useful standard is BS4500 building paint colours

The answer might be to examine the first coat of paint on the box by taking paint chips from it – hoping that it has not been stripped to bare metal at some time. It is a bit specialist but perhaps a call to your National Trust regional office might put you in touch with one of their conservators who could advise how to go about it (if you’re friendly enough you might get it done for nothing!)

If you were in Liverpool I would suggest dropping into their excellent museum’s Conservation Centre but I don’t know what resources you might have where you live.

Good luck

Allan

PS The Short Brothers one is down to rusty steel but nothing like as attractive anyway.

Ah….. understand :rolleyes:

Moggy

Why would they be? :confused:

Because it seems nobody is entirely sure what precise colour the prototype was painted……..

Why would they be? :confused:

Weren’t they painted the same colour as the Spitfire prototype when it first flew?

Reference here to the BL logo. I’d agree that the blue on the downpipe was almost certainly a close match for this (Though your monitor will affect how you see it)

http://www.davidthedesigner.com/davidthedesigner/2007/09/an-answer-to-th.html

I’d guess when the factory was built they would have been painted a very utilitarian black.

Fun thread!

Moggy

I get the feeling that certain members are not taking this thread seriously!!…..It is in fact for real, the attached shot shows a genuine bit of the Castle Brom works.

The shy owner, plans to restore it and would like to get the colours correct. As you can see deep blue, once the faded surface is cut back. So does anyone know if there was a specific Vickers /Supermarine ‘house colour’?

Have to admit to being an admirer of these myself ! having spent many months at Castle Bromich over the past few years and seen several in use as plant pots around the site ! Sadly my attempts to ‘obtain’ one were not as successful as the owner of this one……

The Lovely shade of blue its painted is more likely to be British Leyland House blue as the site was used by Pressed Steel Fisher, which became part of British leyland in the years since the the heyday of CBAF. These days they are all painted either Jaguar Green of a less interesting Black colour.

‘Health and Efficiancy’ mentioned this one years ago ! possibly 1958 ?

Health & Efficiency? Not the sort of pictures I remember… 😉

The plant was built for Lord Nuffield, rather than Vickers. As the British automobile industy at that time only knew one colour, I would suggest a dark shade of black.

Case closed m’lud.

Best wishes
Steve P

I get the feeling that certain members are not taking this thread seriously!!…..It is in fact for real, the attached shot shows a genuine bit of the Castle Brom works.

The shy owner, plans to restore it and would like to get the colours correct. As you can see deep blue, once the faded surface is cut back. So does anyone know if there was a specific Vickers /Supermarine ‘house colour’?

I did check out the very excellent Putnam Guttering volume but alas no luck. For those interested in the subject I can recommend the recently published ‘Rogue Traders at War’ by Wayne Brickie.
This the little known story of the squads of highly untrained roofers that operated in occupied Europe during WW2, openly dislodging guttering and roof tiles then charging vast amounts to repair the damage.
Also mentioned is the Long Range Plumbing Group, driving far behind enemy lines often turning up some six hours late. One unfortunate Wehrmacht unit being charged some 5,000 Reichsmark just to change a tap washer!!

..Ill get my coat, Chumpy.

Hey Chris i’ve got tears running down my face !!!! And as for the rest of you ……. takers. It was a serious question !!!

Steve

‘Health and Efficiancy’ mentioned this one years ago ! possibly 1958 ?

The book by R.E. Forbes Garnham-Smythe has a number of omissions, sadly.

It doesn’t have full info on Short Brothers’ buildings so I’ve no idea what colour this one should be 🙁

I get the feeling that certain members are not taking this thread seriously!!…..It is in fact for real, the attached shot shows a genuine bit of the Castle Brom works.

The shy owner, plans to restore it and would like to get the colours correct. As you can see deep blue, once the faded surface is cut back. So does anyone know if there was a specific Vickers /Supermarine ‘house colour’?

I did check out the very excellent Putnam Guttering volume but alas no luck. For those interested in the subject I can recommend the recently published ‘Rogue Traders at War’ by Wayne Brickie.
This the little known story of the squads of highly untrained roofers that operated in occupied Europe during WW2, openly dislodging guttering and roof tiles then charging vast amounts to repair the damage.
Also mentioned is the Long Range Plumbing Group, driving far behind enemy lines often turning up some six hours late. One unfortunate Wehrmacht unit being charged some 5,000 Reichsmark just to change a tap washer!!

..Ill get my coat, Chumpy.

Camo???

I’m pretty sure the answer is in Putnam’s Guttering and Rain Collectors of the British Aero Industry Since 1914 by R.E. Forbes Garnham-Smythe.