1:10 model: Who can I honour?

[eye4wings]

So now I'm doing some painting (prematurely as the whole airframe is not ready for paint yet - parts are not even covered!) I am noticing a few more details.

I see that the side view of LK171 posted by Bruno shows invasion stripes on tail and wings - and NO roundel on the wing underside. The wing stripes do seem to take up the section of the span that would have held the roundels so maybe the roundels were painted over and not replaced? After all the stripes were a more visible recognition feature anyway.

One reason I do not feel secure in just making this assumption and forging ahead is that none of the other side views show wing roundels either so this could conceivably be just another bit of artistic license.

Can anyone confirm this for me please?

[Stirling Project]

Not aware that any Stirlings (or heavy bombers for that matter) carried roundels under the wings.

John

[K4KittyCrew]

Ditto, John.
John

[PAFG]

Looking good Robin, a great post so far. Can't wait to see the end result

[eye4wings]

I can't wait to see the end result either - but I'm waiting a lot more than I hoped when I set out on this project. - so don't have a lot of choice!

Okay gents, so no under-wing roundels - I'm happy about that and obviously the underside of the wing (and fuselage) was the primary position for invasion stripes since they were trying to guard against our own trigger-happy (and rather challenged in the aircraft recognition stakes) AA gunners shooting our own aircraft down - but what about the top of the wing?

It seems to me that G/C Surplice went to some lengths to ensure that his own aircraft stood out from the rest - as indicated by his WES in high visibility yellow in stead of the lower visibility standard red and his aircraft's yellow (I assume - based on the yellow lettering) nose. The fact that his tail stripes do go all round the tail in stead of just the underside suggests that his wing stripes may also have gone round the wing to be visible from above as well as below. As lead aircraft this would have benefits for the following crews despite destroying any hopes that his upper side camouflage would have hidden the aircraft from raiders while on the deck.

The Airfix models and all photos from above mostly show the later upper surface roundels without the white band which I would guess were over-painted with the stripes (in the case of LK171 if my assumption is correct) - although there may just have been the outer tip of the roundels left visible, but I don't think I am going to be able to take any meaningful measurements from photos to confirm whether or not this might have been the case.

So, failing any information to the contrary (shout now or for ever after hold your peace!) I suppose I will have to assume the stripes went over the top wing surface obliterating the roundels... or would the roundels have remained? Which would have had preference? Anybody like to express an opinion?

[Stirling Project]

Hi Robin

In my humble opinion, I would expect the national markings to be painted around on the upper surface of the mainplanes (I think it's a requirement to have national ident matkings anyway) and being the Gp Capt's aircraft I'm fairly certain the erks would have taken due care and consideration when they painted the aircraft up

Wartime Bomber Command roundels would have been standard red and blue type B on the wing upper surface.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Air_Force_roundels

John

[eye4wings]

Thank you John,
Good logic!
That's what I'm doing then!
It's not that I'm especially fussy scale-wise - but I wouldn't want to make a glaring mistake that would class me with the rank amateurs in the minds of those 'in the know' so I am grateful for every nudge in the right direction.

Robin

[Stirling Project]

Hi Robin

No problem at all.

John L

[eye4wings]

Well gents, things have moved on a little.
The paint brush has been wielded and some mild RSI experienced due to spending too long on the computer preparing artwork for the local print people to copy for me. Not too much shouting at the computer this time - so progress there too!

Results below.
The type B roundel on top of stripes for the starboard wing is hopefully in the right position - but no absolute certainty that the stripes did in fact go over the top of the wing.
I had another trawl through all the photos trying to locate a front view I was sure I had seen where the stripes did appear to go onto the upper surface - but without success (I really ought to grab these things when I find them!) - could have dreamed it of course!

The transfer sheets are pretty poor standard really - roundels and crew list in small lettering no doubt highly inaccurate, but at model scale I don't think these will be too noticeable (I hope!)
The total guess as to the layout - and even the existence - of the 'Shooting Stars' artwork for the starboard side is probably in need of cutting down the middle to avoid the dropped front window, but that is easily done.

So if I don't hear an anguished cry of 'NO! It wasn't like that...' I will be off down the town come Monday morning.

Robin

[eye4wings]

I think I've just had a close one!

Nobody shouted so I assume none of the 8 who have viewed my artwork to date noticed the name of the bombardier.

I wasn't very happy with the accuracy of what I had produced for printing this morning and as the current drought was busy droughting in currents down the street I did not venture out but had another look at the information available - in particular the information on Key Aviation forum. I realised that the side view I had worked from was a long way adrift and the enlarged inset of the Shooting Stars nose art was very misleading, so went through the entire thing adjusting the typeface letter by letter. It was when I came to the Bombardier's name that I became very grateful that I had done so.
It would certainly not please (or honour) the relatives of F/O F.R.Morrow to find his name rendered as Marrow !

So here is the corrected version of the nose art for the record. (And I will be a little less trusting of other people's artwork in future).