[VoyTech]

Chris, I cannot comment on the spinner colour of Malta Hurricanes. Desole.

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

Given that there is proof that Sky Blue was used on RAF aircraft, you can't declare that it wasn't on the grounds of a lack in an AMO

Indeed, there is proof that Sky Blue was used on RAF aircraft around mid-1940 in Britain. The most authoritative and in-depth publication on the subject: SAM Camouflage & Markings No. 2 "The Battle for Britain - RAF May to December 1940" by Paul Lucas explains that lack of stocks of the correct Sky paint and unclear wording of the regulations that introduced the new paint led to variations in the actual colour used. It lists Eau-de-Nil, Sky Blue, and Sky Grey as substitute colours used during the transition period in place of the temporarily unavailable Sky proper. It also says that "The correct shade of Sky [...] by November/December 1940 was becoming well established". By 1941 there was no shortage of Sky proper, and the actual hue of Sky was no longer unknown or subject to confusion, so I see no connection between the BoB period relics and the Malta related discussion here.

you may go to the appropriate book and see for yourself.

I did. Geoffrey Pentland, Frank Smith, Peter Malone and Gary Byk in their publications about RAAF camouflage colours make it pretty clear that Sky Blue was a standard RAAF colour used when painting aircraft in Australia, just like Foliage Green (instead of RAF's Dark Green) or Earth Brown (instead of RAF's Dark Earth). Again, I see no connection between RAAF-specified colours of 1942 onwards and this Malta-related discussion.

Ron Bellings collection of paintings of South African subjects

I am ashamed to say that I do not know the collection of Ron Belling's paintings, so cannot comment on these.

the Vasco Barbic comment came from unpublished correspondence.

Again, I cannot comment on comments in unpublished correspondence.

I don't know any evidence that Malta declared Desert Scheme as undesirable on their Hurricanes, although I can well understand it. The statement that is normally referred to was made after the arrival of the Spitfire, and only one later delivery can be seen to be affected by this.

This opinion of yours is exactly what I meant. Earlier in this thread you seemed adamant that once "ME Command rejected the use of Sky as too light" Sky must have been dropped and another colour substituted for good. But you also think that when Malta Command rejected the use of Desert Scheme on Spitfires "only one later delivery was affected by this". If you do believe that Malta Command's request to discontinue delivering Spitfires in Desert Scheme was ignored and the scheme continued to be applied to aircraft for later deliveries then what makes you so sure that ME Command's request to discontinue delivering aircraft with Sky undersurfaces was not ignored just as well?

I think the current knowledge of undersurface colours used in the Med can be summed up as follows:
1) aircraft with Sky undersurfaces were certainly used in the theatre,
2) aircraft with Azure undersurfaces were certainly used in the theatre,
3) it is possible that aircraft with Sky Blue undersurfaces may have been used there, but positive proof is lacking.
I still can't see what makes you so certain that Sky Blue was the most probable undersurface colour of Malta Hurricanes.