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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 |