PaulbarryHi Simon
I did research this some time ago for an aircraft that I was working on.
From memory, unfortunately I cant remember my sources, the TSR2 was designed to have underwing fuel tanks.
Paul
PaulbarryJim
Might it be FK115, a Marauder 1 that one source says served with 45 Group Communications Flight?
This aircraft was delivered to the RAF in June 1942 and struck off charge in July 1945.
Paul
PaulbarryThere wasn’t even standardisation on where to put the roundels. Some RFC aeroplanes had them on the rudder and even the elevators.
It seems that RNAS at least put theirs in the same place most times!
You are of course correct sir!
To anyone who finds this all a bit strange – its worth remembering that flight was still in its infancy. The (arguably) premiere flying service of the prewar days – the Royal Navy – only had 16 aircraft in service at the end of 1912.
PaulbarryInitially British aircraft only carried a serial number.
I believe that in 1914 there was no standard for international markings, although the French started in 1912 with their roundel. The Germans were said to have started using their black cross in September. A few British pilots responded (unoficially) by paint the Union Jack on their aircraft. BTW, as already stated this was all about not being shot down by ‘friends’. Also as already stated the problem with the Union Jack was that the shape could be considered too similar to the German Cross.
Anyway, in October the Union Jack became cumpulsory for all RNAS aircraft. By December the RFC had decided to use the French pattern, but with the colours reversed. Later that month the RNAS changed to a red ring with a white centre. Union Jacks continued to be used.
I think the next step was in 1915 when the national markings were standardised on the roundel that we know today. Fin flashes were also introduced.
So basically, we started from nowhere and then copied the French!
PaulbarryActually, the advantage of the Mosquito was its excellent performance. Remember that the black paint was mainly used against searchlights and therefore flak. The German radar was mainly used to direct their night fighters to the British bomber formations. The Mosquito generally could outperform the German nightfighters – speed, climb rate etc.
PaulbarryRe the black, its worth remembering that the RAF used three different blacks during WW2. This first one used the prewar black. Then a later (even more matt) black was introduced. As noted this did have an affect on aircraft performance. I believe that this was first formally noted by De Havilland who did tests on a Mosquito. This was then tested at Boscombe Down. As a result a gloss black was introduced as the standard from 1943 (from memory).
A number of tests were done by the RAF and the view remained that on balance black was the best colour.
BTW, the Germans did use black for their night aircraft also.
PaulbarryOne of these photos should be this. By comparison with the roundel colours I’d say that the numbers look like white.
http://www.spitfiresite.com/photos/historic/2007/09/early-spitfire-mk-i-no-19-squadron.html
/Martin
That photo appears in the book Camouflage and Markings Fighter Command by Goulding and Jones (as well as appearing in a few other books). Yes, that one (K9795 ‘A’ scheme cammo) is (as you note) said to be white and may have been the Squadron Commanders aircraft. However both that book and the book Fighting Colours by MJF Bowyer also talk about the yellow and the red 19s being the ‘norm’, as mentioned in my first post. Interestingly in the book Fighter Squadron (a history of 19 sqn) by D Palmer, there is a pic of six of the 19 Sqn aircraft – five of the 19s are light and one is dark – which confirms the view that more than one colour was used. BTW, there is also a picture of 5 aircraft in the book Fighter Squadrons of the RAF by J Rawlings which shows four light and one dark 19 on the fins.
Regards
Paul
PaulbarryHi Mike
I found two (fairly poor) photos of those Spitfires in books. Let me know if you want me to scan them and send them to you.
BTW, now that I realise who you are, you might like to know that I have all five remarqued Lightning prints by you taking pride of place in my study!
Regards
Paul
PaulbarryThanks all for your contrubution to this post its has made me think alot
im going to take pauls advice (pmn) and work hard on the camera i got at the mo and get used to all the settings and what they mean
as soon as i think im ready and have achived good success with my current camera then i shall look into upgrading
thanks all once again
Hi Rob
That makes a lot of sense. Keep your costs down until you become really proficient with your current camera.
Just two more suggestions from me –
First, read the manual that came with your camera. That might sound obvious, but a lot of people dont when they begin!
Secondly, create some practice sessions for yourself. Its a good idea to think of some exercises eg trying to shoot in poor weather or trying to shoot a fast moving object or just trying out the results at different zoom lengths. Look at your manual in advance and decide on what options you want to try out. Go out and try them, but (ideally) have a pencil and paper with you so that you can make a note of the different things that you try. Then go home and check out the results. Then think of a different exercise, and so on. It might sould a bit ‘formal’ as an approach, but you might be suprised how quickly you can learn from it. Also its far better to get some bad shots when practicing than to go to an event where you really want some great pictures, only to find that they are bad!
Regards
Paul
PaulbarryThe main reason that I think it is HMS Vengeance is a picture in a book on the Colossus Class by Neil McCart. That picture shows her leaving Malta on a cargo voyage to the Far East with aircraft and military transport on her flight deck. Everything looks exactly the same as the picture above (apart from the angle) including all of the aircraft and the cargo at the rear of the flight deck. Also remember that I am talking about 1947, she had two major refits after that date before being loaned to the Australian Navy in 1953, by which time the mast and antennae may well have changed.
BTW, I do agree with the earlier post re Fireflys and Sea Furies on the deck.
PaulbarryI must agree about shooting film, though. I much prefer shooting things like landscapes or general ‘scenic’ shots on film rather than digital. It makes you think much more about composition and I believe makes you a better photographer in the long run. I think film is something every photographer should have some experience of.
Paul
Hi Paul
Glad that you agree!!!
I am a bit of an ‘oldie’ now, but I spent around 40+ years using film cameras. It certainly did make one think about how a camera works. Also, given the price of films and developing etc, one tended to be more thoughtful when clicking on that button!
Interestingly, although I dont take many aviation pics nowadays, a good friend and contemporary of mine does. He moved on to DSLR some years before I did, but he still retains the lessons and skills that he learnt when using an old film SLR alongside me.
In a recent email when he was taking some aviation pics in Switzerland, he mentioned how he still tended to prefocus on the spot where he wanted to take the shot, and just generally get everything set up in advance. Alongside him were others, who, using their DSLRs on auto just tended to hold the button down and try to fill a whole 4gb card in the hope of getting one good picture!
I dont intend my comment to be critical here, after all, each to his or her own, but I do think that photography is a lot more fun when you stop and think about all of the camera settings, the composition and so on………….
Just an opinion!
Regards
Paul
PaulbarryFurther to my earlier post I have come up with a better answer,
Royal Naval Aircraft Maintenance Yard Evanton(HMS Fieldfare)
Evanton
1947
As for the ship, HMS Vengeance?
In terms of the carrier, I have come to the same conclusion ie HMS Vengeance, a Colossus Class Carrier. The photo was probably taken in late 1947 when she voyaged to the Mediterranean and Far East.
PaulbarryA few years back I met an ex Vulcan techie (at Falmouth docks of all places!), he siad he was dispersed to the ORP at St Mawgan during the Cuban missile crisis, but I don’t know if he meant it was a coincidental detachment, or if it was standing by for the crisis.
My understanding is that there were 10 main Class 1 bases. In addition there were a number of ORPs capable of taking up to four aircraft, St Mawgan being one of them. I believe that the V bombers started practising these dispersals in 1959. However, unlike the US, at the peak of the Cuban Crisis, MacMillan (the PM at the time) refused to give Bing Cross the order to disperse the whole V force.
PaulbarryThere were plans to disperse them in groups of four, but I dont believe that the order was ever given.
PaulbarryHi Rob
DPI means dots per inch. It basically is about the resolution of a picture. The higher the number, then the better the resolution. 300 DPI is a talked about number as it is typically an optimal number to get a decent resolution. Below that number you can usually see a deterioration, above that number you often wont see a huge improvement. If you scan pics then you will always need to set the DPI at which you are scanning. The same goes for saving them as JPEGs.
As I said earlier in this thread make sure that you are using the maximum resolution that your camera allows when taking pics. My ‘point and shoot’ is a Canon S5is. I always set the resolution to Large and Superfine – these two settings give 3264 by 2448 pixels and the minimum jpeg compression.
Regards
Paul
Sign In
