The Wooksta! - The Plan: Comments thread

[Thorvic]

The other thing I'd do would be to move the oxygen bottles to the wing and put a fuel tank in the fuselage behind the pilot.  With a slipper tank underneath, it's likely that you could escort bombers to Germany and back in daylight.  So, this means the possibilities of Lancasters in daylight camo - Ocean Grey and Dark Green over MSG?  Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green over PRU Blue? Med Sea Grey over PRU Blue? 2TAF markings on the wings? 

Hmmn, I'm liking this more and more!  Although I'd probably stick with the Airfix Lancaster for quickness but may re-engine them with Merlin 85s, Lincoln tailfins and rudders, add Village Inn to the tail and use either FN82 tail turrets or standard Lancaster tail turrets but modded locally to carry two .50 cals.  Would also use a Martin mid upper rather than the usual, so you'd have a really up to date Lancaster.

So, this means two now - a testbed and an operational one.  Good job I have a good stash...

What about the bulged bomb bay and ventral turret if switching to more late war accurate daylight raids ?

Sounds good wouldn't they have a similar camo to the Grand Slam bombers ?

[The Wooksta!]

IIRC, the location for the ventral turret was occupied by the H2S radome, because they'd designed the airframe for a cut out and stressed accordingly.  Bulged bomb bay would only be on Tallboy or possibly Grand Slam aircraft.  Lincolns armed with Grand Slam certainly did - the original Contrail one gave you the bulged doors as standard fit, along with the bomb and the normal doors as an extra.

Camo?  Just throwing some alternate ideas into the mix, more because I like the colours than any real notion of what it may have been.  Have to be honest, I really dislike the Dark green/Dark Earth over MSG combo

[NARSES2]

Love the idea of day light Lancasters and their Spitfire escorts Lee.

[The Wooksta!]

Lancasters - I always liked the idea of early war - 42ish - with Sky underneath.

[NARSES2]

Hi Lee in answer to your question, I'm following your blog, indeed I'm following all of them.

It's the nearest thing to some of the conversations we have at shows  

If you want an empirical measure then just look at the number of views. That will give you an idea on how many are following

Chris

[Old Wombat]

Same here!

However, as your knowledge of Spitfires is patently vastly superior to my own there is little I can add to what you are doing.

Well, OK. The last one, the low-level PR job, sounds pretty neat to me.

[Rheged]

...............and I'm following too, with considerable interest!

[NARSES2]

Lee

You are talking of doing one of your PR XIX's based on Iwo Jima in a polished metal finish. Would the RAF have done this rather then a silver dope finish ? Just wondering because I'm doing a USAAF bird in polished metal but was thinking of a RAAF one in silver dope.

Chris

[Mossie]

Chris, I read an article in MAM a few years back about post war spits based in Japan.  The edict came to remove the camo for a less warlike image.  One Sqaudron painted theirs in dope, the other stripped theirs back to bare metal, so I guess either approach would work.

[The Wooksta!]

It'd probably be Aluminium Dope but for time, they may have just stripped the paint and given her a polish for additional speed.  

The RAF in general wouldn't have done it, but the PR units were given greater operational freedom when it came to camouflage.  I'm also tempted to do both schemes as the same aircraft.

I think I did an RAAF one in silver.  It was the first of the Airfix PR19s I did, although it has teh post war roundels rather than wartime.

[The Wooksta!]

Chris, I read an article in MAM a few years back about post war spits based in Japan.  The edict came to remove the camo for a less warlike image.  One Squadron painted theirs in dope, the other stripped theirs back to bare metal, so I guess either approach would work.

Probably by Tony O'Toole.  He's pretty hot when it comes to his research and it was his suggestion that the half of Tiger Force based on Iwo Jima would have had BPF national markings.

[NARSES2]

Thanks Lee, Mossie

[Mossie]

Chris, I read an article in MAM a few years back about post war spits based in Japan.  The edict came to remove the camo for a less warlike image.  One Squadron painted theirs in dope, the other stripped theirs back to bare metal, so I guess either approach would work.

Probably by Tony O'Toole.  He's pretty hot when it comes to his research and it was his suggestion that the half of Tiger Force based on Iwo Jima would have had BPF national markings.

Could be, unfortunately I lost the article as I had to get rid of a lot of my old magazines.  It was part of a Spitfire special about the occupying Squadrons in Japan, probably for the 70th anniversary and the research was excellent.

Chris, either NMF or Silver with BPF roundels would make for an intersting model.

[NARSES2]

Chris, either NMF or Silver with BPF roundels would make for an intersting model.

Yea thinking silver dope with Aussie blue/white roundels in use in Borneo

[Spey_Phantom]

i like the way youre going with these spitfires but i (and amny other) would like to see progress pics