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Red latter day? ... well maybe
Someone has prodded that 'bee in my bonnet' again. Despite a long search I have not been able to find any first-hand or documentary evidence that supports the use of red letters on 198 Squadron' Typhoons in |Normandy or elsewhere. The handful of photos (back and white of course) which show some variation in the shade of the letters are inconclusive to my mind. The CO at the time, a flight commander, several pilots and groundcrew have all been questioned on the topic and did not recall any use of red letters.
The whole saga seems to stem from the colourful 4-view painting of 'TP-F' RB222 which appeared in 'Profile 81' in the 60s. No photo of the aircraft has ever come to light - I would be surprised if it did - as RB222 never flew with 198 Squadron and did not even reach the RAF until after thr Normandy campaign. The artist told me that the painting was based on "notes" supplied by the author but I feel that the inappropriate serial number immediately casts doubt on their authenticity. However, frequent reappearances of this colourful scheme in paintings, profiles, box art and decals seems to constantly add to its acceptance. I find it hard to believe that one unit would choose to paint its letters red and spinners orange at a time when other units were toning down their markings - removing stripes and in some cases painting spinners black. If someone can prove me wrong I would be pleased to release the bee.
If you choose to model a 4-blader don't forget it should also feature a 'Tempest' tailplane - not in any of the kits but available 'after-market'.
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