Fairey Seafox paint reference?

[S1b]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone has information on the proper colors to be used on a Fairey Seafox. I've read where the colors are wrong on the Matchbox 1/72 color charts . Any info would be greatly appreciated

Edited October 20, 2008 by S1b

[BOC262]

I can't answer your question directly, but if you click on over to Hyperscale, and look at their "What's New" announcements from last week, you will see info on a new book being published by Model Alliance called "Wings & Waves". It is filled with color and markings info about FAA acft during the 1920-1940 period. Several pages are reproduced, and one of them shows several color schemes for the Sea Fox.

I have Model Alliance's "Silver Wings" RAF book for the same time period, and if the FAA book is anywhere near as good (and there is no reason to think it won't be), I will definitely be adding it to my library--great stuff!

[S1b]

Where online would I be able to get the book?

[jRatz]

Where online would I be able to get the book?

Try here http://www.theaviationworkshop.co.uk/

But as of a few days ago, it wasn't shown on the site ...

Also beware of quirky ordering system ...

John, who will also has Wings of Silver & will get the FAA booka also ...

[BOC262]

I have an e-mail into them asking when FAA book will become available. Will post here when I receive answer.

As for "quirky order system", I ordered direct from them twice before, never had any problems.

[S1b]

I have an e-mail into them asking when FAA book will become available. Will post here when I receive answer.

As for "quirky order system", I ordered direct from them twice before, never had any problems.

Thanks!

[jRatz]

I have an e-mail into them asking when FAA book will become available. Will post here when I receive answer.

As for "quirky order system", I ordered direct from them twice before, never had any problems.

Hope to hear that it is available soon ...

I didn't have any problems per se, but it seemed that direct correspondence with one person, who was a summer hire & is now gone, seemed to make things happen better/faster ... Bottom line, I got my stuff and am pleased ...

John

[BOC262]

The book is due for release at Scale Model World in the UK next month.

Here is a link to the Hyperscale preview:

http://www.hyperscale.com/2008/reviews/boo...previewbg_1.htm

[MattC]

In a photo I have in a "Janes all the worlds aircraft 1940" it shows a Seafox in what I believe is an all over silver doped finish, with NMF on the metal panelled parts. Similar to the way in which early WW2 Walrus' were finished. I am not sure if the Seafox was ever finished in the standard FAA colours, which would be (AFAIK) Extra Dark Sea Grey (Hu125) and Extra Dark Sea Green (Hu30) over Sky Type S (Hu90).

Hope this helps, I could be totally wrong, but I think a silver overall (not shiny, matt silver) with BMF on the cowl and forward upper fus would do the trick.

Cheers

Matt

[BOC262]

Just a quick update to this thread.

The book, "Wings & Waves: The Fleet Air Arm 1919-1939" is now available from the Aviation Workshop.

I ordered the book direct from their website:

http://www.theaviationworkshop.co.uk/

and had it in my hands in about a week. It is every bit as good as the previous volume on interwar RAF acft--loaded with color profiles, multi-views, photos, extensive captioning--a real treasure trove for those interested in these acft.

As for specific Fairey Seafox info--the book has 4 color profiles, all in the silver dopes scheme.

[S1b]

I just wanted to say, thanks for all the info guys.

Sean

[Julien (UK)]

Early seafoxes were silver paint doped fabric.

The later ones were Dark Slate Grey & Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky Grey Undersides. The lower Wing being counter shaded with Light Slate Grey and Dark Sea Grey. Note the Sky Grey is an FAA colour not to be confused with the Sky seen on RAF aircraft.

My Full build review here; http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/allies/gb/dixonsfox.htm

Julien

Edited December 23, 2008 by Julien (UK)

[Bri2k]

That's incredibly well done, Julien! You've captured that scheme wonderfully making your Seafox a real stunner!

Bri2k

[GPaulC]

Just to throw a cat amongst the pigeons on this one Stuart Lloyd in his book Fleet Air Arm, Camouflage and Markings, Atlantic and Mediterranean Theatres 1937-1941, says "all Seafox . . . were originally delivered in aluminium dope and Cerrux Grey finish and subsequently camouflaged by service units and maintenance depots." Earlier in the same para he basically says that aircraft camouflaged by such units would show a greater variation in finish from official instructions than aircraft delivered already camouflaged. As evidence he provides two good quality stills from the IWM film 3496 "Ajax Comes Home" which he claims show a non-standard disruptive pattern of an unknown colour over the original aluminium finish. I'm not convinced that he proves his case from these but I would confirm that the colours on the upper surfaces of the floats do not appear to match the colours on the fuselage side even allowing for the play of light on different angled surfaces.

So basically it would seem that S1E colours as detailed by Julien are probably correct but the pattern would be quite loosely based on the official pattern and it is possible that the under surfaces were left in aluminium dope and the sides/top surfaces were aluminium and AN Other colour, probably either EDSG or DSlateG. Also the shades of EDSG/DSG/DslateG/SlateG may not have matched the official colours.

So at the end of the day use what looks about right compared to a photo of a specific aircraft and no-one will be able to say you are wrong.

[Julien (UK)]

Interesting points there.

I must say as with a lot of things aircraft painted in the field will always differ from those done at maintance units or factories. It depends what they could get.

A club mate of mine used to work for the USAF in the paint shop, and even then he tells me that they had a 10% allowance to deviate from the TO when they were re-painting thire phantoms. Interesting he told me that certain painters would always push this to a signiture deviation so they could always tell which airframes they had actaully painted, even at a distance!

With the FAA I notice an earlier post listed the underside as Sky Type S, while the FAA called the underside Sky Grey this was a paerticular FAA colour and not to be confused with RAF Sky Type S. Mixing instructions for FAA Sky Grey have been given as 3*Hu:34 + 2*Hu:126 to be honest after trying this I could not tell the difference between the mix and Humbrol 64 so I used 64 on my Seafox.

Julien

[GPaulC]

As I understand it from reading the above book the FAA used Sky Grey in scheme S1E (1939 and early 40) and Sky type S as the undersurface colour with Temp Sea Scheme (late 40 early 41). There is good evidence to show that some aircraft already in service had their UNDERsurfaces repainted in Sky type S but a wide band of Sky Grey was left on the fuselage sides. Interestingly early Albacores flying under Coastal command control May to Sep 40 had their undersides painted Night but with a similar wide swathe of a light colour up the fuselage between the Night and the upper surface colours of EDSG and DSlateG. As Sky S was not required until mid Aug 40 and the earliest batch of Albacores were delivered in S1E ie in Sky Grey undersurfaces it is more than likely, Llyod argues (and I believe convincingly), that these early Albacores were flying in EDSG/DSG/DSlateG/SlateG upper surfaces and Night lower surfaces with a band of Sky Grey on the fuselage rather than the Sky S they are more commonly illustrated in.

[dragonlance]

As evidence he provides two good quality stills from the IWM film 3496 "Ajax Comes Home" which he claims show a non-standard disruptive pattern of an unknown colour over the original aluminium finish. I'm not convinced that he proves his case from these but I would confirm that the colours on the upper surfaces of the floats do not appear to match the colours on the fuselage side even allowing for the play of light on different angled surfaces.

Paul, I just watched that clip on youtube.

Could it be a tarpaulin over cockpit? Because I doubt they overpainted the fuselage roundel or rear canopy.

For the floats, they were metal, and probably should be finished in Cerrux grey?

Edited May 18, 2009 by dragonlance

[GPaulC]

Yes that certainly looks like a tarp to me. Interestingly the fuselage looks too pale in this still to be carrying any camo, suggesting Cerrux or aluminium. Unfortunately the wing upper surfaces cannot be seen from this angle.

[S1b]

Hey guys thanks for this info. I find all of this very intresting. You don't hear to much about the Seafox. Nice to see people talking about a plane thats not in the '' typical group'' usauly discussed.