RAF Roundels on Hawker Tempest
 

Hello !

Can Anyone confirm that the RAF Roundel applied on the upper wing surfaces of the Hawker Tempests on 1945 were the type C1 ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Air_Force_roundels

Looking the picture at page 71 of Osprey "Typhoon and Tempest Aces of WW2", the plane of Flt. Lt Warren Schrader, it is quite clear that the roundel is of the C1 type.
I found strange that almost all the static and RC model i saw have the B or C instead...
Look here :
http://www.hawkertempest.se/RadioControlled.htm
http://www.hawkertempest.se/Kits.htm

So, what's the right one ?

Thanks !
Best regards
AA

Re: RAF Roundels on Hawker Tempest
 

Hi
It may not be conclusive, but try to get a look at 2nd TAF Vol 3(by Shores and Thomas), which covers Jan - May '45. Almost all the Typhoon/Tempest photos, where the Upper Wing can be seen, show a Roundel that seems to be C1 type as illistrated in your Wikipaedia link. There is some size variation but otherwise they are C1. Most of the photos have a date indication in 1945 in the caption.
Regards
Dick

Re: RAF Roundels on Hawker Tempest
 

Hi Dick !

I will take a look.

Thanks !
Aris

Re: RAF Roundels on Hawker Tempest
 

Dick is correct. All 2nd TAF aircraft had a narrow yellow outer ring and a narrow white inner ring added to their upper wing roundels from 3 January 1945. They had a yellow outer ring added to the lower wing roundels at the same time. It took about a month to complete the work on all 2nd TAF's aircraft. So effectively all roundels on the aircaft were then 'C1'. This included 5 squadrons of Tempests at the time (3,56,80,274,486) and 2 more (33 & 222) before the end of the war.

Incidentally 'C1' is an unofficial nomenclature invented post-war by Bruce Robertson (I believe) and used in his ground-breaking book 'Aircraft Camouflage and Markings 1907 - 1954', which enthused a generation of aircraft modellers, myself included. The correct term for the roundels was 'National Marking III'.

Meanwhile, from 7 January 1945, all other RAF aircraft (with some exceptions such as SEAC) had their upper wing roundels modified by the addition of the narrow inner white ring; this roundels were known as National Marking IA. This would include Tempests of 501 Sqn, 56 OTU, R&D units etc, in the UK.

Now the plug! '2nd Tactical Airforce Volume 4', due out in February 2009, contains a chapter on camouflage and markings (as well as tactics, weapons, squadrons, and various other topics which could not be fitted into the earlier volumes).
CT

Re: RAF Roundels on Hawker Tempest
 

Hello Mr. Thomas !

Thank You very much for the clarification !

BTW, i have received last week the three volumes of 2 TAF...what a great work !!!!
I like it very much !!
This week i should receive Your Typhoon / Tempest book too...
Can't wait to see number 4.

Keep up the good work !
Best regards

Aris

Re: RAF Roundels on Hawker Tempest
 

You are welcome Aris. For some reason thos 2ndTAF 1945 roundels are often missed by illustrators, artists and modellers.