Dragging inexorably closer to an answer. I had a look in John Evan’s book “Help from the heavens – a history of 228 squadron RAF” (Paterchurch Publications 1998). In it I found this photo:
This is N6135 of 228 Squadron. Chaz Bowyer in “The Short Sunderland (Aston 1989) records that crash as being 10 September 1939 – just eight days before the SS Kensington Court incident.
So we know that, just about a week before, some 228 squadron aircraft were in the Aluminium finish.
And, since not all squadrons used their full squadron code on the aircraft, it is interesting to see that she wore the BH codes and we can assume all 228 squadron aircraft did at that time.
The only confusion is that Hendrie says N9025 was Z/228 and Bowyer says Y/228. We could use another opinion.
AllanK
The Imperial War Museum has a photo of the SS Kensignton Court incident which shows part of the Sunderland’s upper surface. See:
I’ll have to leave it to you to judge but I can’t see a demarkation line so it could well be Aluminium finish (silver coloured paint). Definitely no white aircraft at that time, likely to have been silver or Land Temperate scheme.
@antoni – thanks for such a comprehensive answer.
It is not known exactly when the White scheme was adopted for Sunderlands but it appears to have been sometime in the first half of 1942. Evidence for this is found in AMO A.664/42 dated 2nd July 1942.
The best I’ve seen with that is more to do with evidence on when it was implemented at the factories rather than when the orders were issued. Have a look at these from the Windermere works:
These particular photos were not dated but DP182 was delivered to Wig Bay in late March 1943 with DP183 following two weeks later
Can I pose a question about the photo of L5802 attached by Etiene above?
I don’t really understand the colours of the paint on that. It doesn’t match the typical Sea Temperate scheme (Extra Dark Sea Grey / Dark Slate Grey). Compare it alongside this drawing below which is fairly accurate (allowing for the usual discrepancies of printing etc). Why the big difference between this colour photo and the accepted colours of Extra Dark Sea Grey / Dark Slate Grey? :confused:
By Teodor Liviu Morusanu from this book.)
Allan
This is good coffee 😮 now look what I found. From a Felixstowe (MAEE) report 1930:
Do note that the report calls for a more detailed set of tank tests and it also highlighted that the data was scattered, making those figures possibly open to error.
The test used tank models and some full scale tests. The view of stubs or sponsons in the UK was that they improved seaworthiness but at the cost of reducing take off efficiency due to water drag and additional weight.
It is interesting stuff – one day I’ll make time to go through it all carefully.
AllanK
Not sure. All the parts I’ve seen usually have S25 stamped clearly at the start of the number. Unless, of course, they are engine related in which case expect to see the codes for Bristols. Can you find S25 on any of the bits?
AllanK
Hi,
I only have two or three Aeroplane magazines from that era but this might be of interest: 1st January 1914 had a review of 1913 and in the November write up was this paragraph:
Also, I’ve had a look at the origins of “Tabloid” in the Oxford Dictionary.
Tabloid – a term registered on 14 March 1884 by Messrs Burroughs, Wellcome & Cos a trade mark applied to chemical substances used in medicine and pharmacy and afterwards for other goods; held by the court of appeal to be a “fancy word” as applied to the goods for which it is registered and legally restricted to the preparations of the firm named.
However, the dictionary records mention in 1903 of a court case in which Mr Justice Byrne said
The word Tabloid has become so well known . . . in consequence by the use of it by the plaintiff firm in connection with their compressed drugs that I think it has acquired a secondary sense in which it has been used and may legitimately be used s long as it does not interfere with their trade rights. I think the word has been so applied generally with reference to the notion of a compressed form or dose of anything.
It seems that was the initial verdict overturned on appeal. So use for an aeroplane would be unofficial. Sopwith would have risked action if he had used it in adverts.
Anyway, moving to the 1933 supplement to the Oxford Dictionary , this is found:
That seems a bit late for a nickname to be first used, IMHO, so probably worth still chasing the Aeroplane angle. Long job, I wish you happy hunting.
AllanK
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