Second IAF Spitfire D-131


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From: Dick van Faassen
Subject: Second IAF Spitfire D-131
Date: 2006-07-30 00:49:10



I want to build the second hebryd spitfire which was build from wracks and parts from a
RAf junkyard and some Egyptian Spitfire parts. 
However the camouflage of this Spit is of a big question to me. I doubt if Alex Yoffe
in his book "Spitfire Mk.IX in the IAF service" is correct when he states that Spitfire
2001/11 former D-131 had a camouflage of dark green/ocean grey/medium sea grey. When
compared pictures with earlier pictures of D-131 you notice  a complete different
Spitfire (see exhausts).
What I discovered from the few pictures of D-131 (the second hebryd Spit) is that the
aircraft was painted in a green colour, in various sources called Dark green primer.
This seems odd as there is to my knowledge no dark green primer. I presume the
Israeli's used paint that they get their hands on and this means mostly RAF colours and
Czech colours. There is no Dark Green primer in de RAF inventory nor in the Czech
inventory. My conclusion would be it was painted in an overal green/grey colour as used
on the Avia's what is called RLM 02 (a Czech variant which was also close to RLM 86 but
faded to RLM 02 quickly). I have a picture of later date possibly eind 1948 or
beginning 1949 where the back fuselage and tail was in a darker colour. I wonder what
they did: painting it in fresh RLM 02, added Dark Earth or even Dark green? 
There is no way it was repainted in Dark Green/ Ocean Grey / Medium Sea Grey and
convert it to a MK.IXe just like the Czech Spitfires unless it was damaged sincerely
and had to be completely rebuild.
I would like to see pictures of this Spit later in his career lets say 1949/1950 with
that darker back fuselage. I know there was a picture of this Spitfire plus a few other
airplanes at Ramat David in "Air Enthusiast" maybe No. 64 or 66 or later, I'm not sure
as I don't posess this No. magazine I only saw it then on the book shelve.
I would like to know more about this plane however its very specific, I know, but maybe
I've luck with you guys!
TIA
Dick  

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