azure blue over white pru spitfire?

[ElgerAbbink]

hello

I saw a (very small) profile picture of an azure blue over white PRU spitfire. did that really exist? it seemed quite exotic. does anyone know where it was used?

[stefaan]

Hi Elger.
Please clarify.Was it upperside white/azure underneath or Azure disrupted over all over white???
Can you post the pic small on your reply??
I may have info
Stefaan

[ElgerAbbink]

here it is

[Graham Boak]

This is in Jon Freeman's recent book, and is as described in a letter to him from the pilot (? or at least someone involved). Lacking any other direct information, it is difficult to comment. Was his correspondent working entirely from memory or from comments/notes made at the time? Was he familiar with the specific colours in detail or just describing them in general terms? Jon gives us no guidance here.

Working from other known data, and relying on memory of what I've read, neither Azure Blue nor White were used by the UK PRU. By itself, pure white seems to be an unlikely colour, whereas PRU Pink is described as an off-white colour. A very light grey was also used by the PRU. PRU Blue is not very distant from Azure Blue. The combination of PRU Blue uppers and PRU Pink (or off-white) undersides would seem a logical suggestion but is not otherwise recorded.

However, the PRU were given a free hand to develop their own colour schemes and combinations. Just because the colour combination seems a little unlikely does not mean that it never happened.

Your call.

[Kutscha]

PRU Blue is not very distant from Azure Blue.

Not according to the chips in the book put out by the RAF Museum on British Aviation colors. PRU blue has a green component while Azure Blue has a white component.

http://www.venturahobbies.com/paint-mm2.html

This shows PRU blue as a 'dark' blue and Azure blue as 'light' blue.

[John Beaman]

In one of the old Aircam books (perhaps early Spitfires), there was a photo from about 2 o'clock of a PR IB Spitfire. It was in the desert and appeared to be a blue or dark grey over white. Some said it was just shadow as the sun was very low in the sky. However, the so-called "shadows" on the entire upper fuselage and wings could not have been present just from the sun.

[ElgerAbbink]

thanks for all the responses. so the most likely theatre of operations would have been the desert?

[Graham Boak]

Not with the LY code. That was used by the unit in the UK. It is possible that some aircraft may have transferred and retained the code.