Spitfire help again please??

[HGE]

I've finished painting 2 of the 3 spitfires I've recently built. One is a standard MkVIII with light gray/gray/green. One is a MkIX LF with azure blue/ middlestone/ Dark earth..

The third Spit is a pointed wing MkVIII.....

Could somebody give me an accurate paint job that would be different from the Spits above?

I've heard of a " high altitude " but I don't know Specifically what colors that would be...

( I use MM enamal paints)

I would love to do dark earth and green but I don't think that would be right... or could I get away with it?

Help Help ... none of my research materials give me any CLEAR idea!!!!!

Thanks so much, Henry

[Graham T]

The Mk VIII would be found in the dark earth/Dark Green/Medium Sea Grey scheme operating with the RAF in the far east (Burma/India theatre) so yes, you could get away with it. The Hasegawa MkVIII "Far East Theatre" has two options in this scheme (1/48). I believe there are/were Aeromaster sheets that also provide this option. HTH

[Slartibartfast]

Here is a simple tool you forgot to use:

Fire up your browser. Go to Google.com

Search for "spitfire mk VIII"

Select "images" link above the search text box.

Voilà, your dark earth and green spitfire from the Cavanaugh Flight Museum..

[HGE]

<_< Thank you very much!!! Is the underside of that MkVIII "sky" or light gray?

Also does anybody know the exact colors used in the " High altitude " spitfire?

Henry

[Flyingraptor]

<_< Thank you very much!!! Is the underside of that MkVIII "sky" or light gray?

Also does anybody know the exact colors used in the " High altitude " spitfire?

Henry

Hi,

High altitude Spits were painted totally PRU Blue.

Cheers,

Jürgen

[peebeep]

High altitude Spits were painted totally PRU Blue.

Only if they were PR Spitfires, fighters were medium sea grey upper, PRU blue lower.

Peebeep

[Flyingraptor]

High altitude Spits were painted totally PRU Blue.

Only if they were PR Spitfires, fighters were medium sea grey upper, PRU blue lower.

Peebeep

Hi,

From what I've seen all high altitude Spits were painted totally PRU Blue.

The Spitfire Mk.VII was painted like this: RAF Medium Sea Grey on the top and Azure Blue underneath...

Cheers,

Jürgen

[HGE]

There's the Rub.... I've heard all these descriptions.. so let me try to be as specific as I can..

How would a " pointed wing " MK VIII "high altitude"( non- photo-recon) Spitfire be painted ??

[asvennevik]

The question of what the 'High Flying Scheme' was is not as simple to answer as one might first think.

The Air Ministry Orders of September 1944 (this is 3 months after D-Day) gives the High Flying Scheme and gives the colours as MSG uppers with PRU blue lower surfaces.

But, and this is a big but, HF Spitfires had been flying for long before this date without any official order defining the scheme. Earlier Air Ministry Orders simply state that there are high flying fighters and the schemes 'will be communicated to the defences by telegram'. There is evidence of experiments with much darker schemes, such as PRU blue upper surfaces and Deep Sky undersurfaces. In my own personal opinion there is also evidence which points to this scheme also being used operationally.

Anders

[peebeep]

I have found one photo of a 417 Sqdn HFVIII in Italy, Jan 1944. It appears to be in the standard day fighter scheme with the provisio that it is a b & w picture.

Peebeep

[HGE]

Anders, I have found mention to the scheme you mention in one of my books.. ( PRU blue top/ " deep sky bottom) Except.... What the heck is " DEEP SKY" ?????????

[asvennevik]

Anders,  I have found mention to the scheme you mention in one of my books..  ( PRU blue top/ " deep sky bottom)  Except....  What the heck is " DEEP SKY" ?????????

A very dark deep blue. I don't have an FS equivalent.

Anders

[desmojen]

You could always just call it a MkVII and do it MSG with PRU undersides.

There's really no external difference between VII and VIII anyway. I do have a profile of an HFVIII in the same scheme and also one in desert colours, Sicily 1943.

[Graham T]

You could always just call it a MkVII and do it MSG with PRU undersides.

There's really no external difference between VII and VIII anyway. I do have a profile of an HFVIII in the same scheme and also one in desert colours, Sicily 1943.

There were minor external diffs between the VII & VIII, most notably the cabin pressurisation intake on the starbord side of the nose of the VII. The canopies were also different (although I'm not sure that Hasegawa actually captured this in their kits!).