In this vein, the “other Historic Aviation monthly” has a piece suggesting that the mortal remains of the ex-Alex Henshaw Swift G-ACGL have resurfaced and are now in the possesion of the RAFM.

top of Win Hill might be a good bet

says he who used to live on the side of it……

[ATTACH]161550[/ATTACH]I have a feeling that the trailer in this photo is the chassis and floor of a runway control caravan, see the corner support brackets. The photo shoud be scaleable as the dimensions of the two aircraft in the photo are known (the Jeep is the Hafner Rotabuggy sans the flying bits). Also the winch on the trailer looks like the one that would be fitted in the Dakota for Glider snatching.

First time I’ve ever seen a picture of the Rotabuggy with the tail and rotor ditched – presumably taken at the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment at Beaulieu during post-war testing of an Fa330. Apparently they left the air speed indicator in situ.

usual caveat about not being my Spitfire and the owner can paint it how he likes…………

but…….

it would look nice in the little-known 208 Sqn post-war desert scheme of light slate grey / dark earth upper surfaces with medium sea grey undersurfaces, Type A roundels in bright red/white/bright blue with a bright red or bright blue spinner and a single code letter in white (“S” perhaps….). Actually a historically correct scheme for a MkXVIII Spitfire.

Revell Dambuster

if you waited a bit longer, the new Revell Lanc is due to be offered as the Dambuster version with replacement sprues in due course

In the meantime – is there really any mileage in that hoary old chestnut that one of the Upkeep modified Lancs went in during training and still rests at the bottom of one of the Howden or Derwent reservoirs?

I recall reading that “lamp black” (As “Lindy’s Lad” suggests…simply another word for matt paint?) would cut the speed of an aircraft by a significant amount.
Therefore, it was not too popular. True?

A couple of questions…
Was “lamp black” replaced by paint?
Was the underside of RAF bombers matt or gloss?
What about night fighters? Wouldn’t gloss be better at reflecting light?

The sooty night fighter finish was called “RDM2” – did cut the speed down and apparently weathered badly. It was different from the stardard “night” black paint.

For the groundcrew – when servicing the airframe

the prototype F9/40 Meteor (and thus prototype of Britains first succesful jet) should wear the brown, green and yellow scheme.

is there any evidence that DG202/G ever wore a DG/DE uppersurfaces scheme?

The references I have seem to agree that the F9/40 prototypes were all only ever finished in the contemporary DG/OG Day Fighter Scheme. The current DG/DE scheme was only applied after restoration following its stint as a gate guard at Yatesbury where it was silver overall – before common sense prevailed and this significant airframe was accorded the care it deserved.

in addition to the wing change – required following an engine fire which IIRC weakened/damaged the wingspar – requiring the fitment of production Mark III wings, when first flown it was missing the bullet fairing at the intersection of the tailplane and horizontal stabs.