Was it a problem if a MU repair changed aircraft from A scheme to B scheme etc

[Larry]

In WW2, RAF aircraft were often delivered from the manufactuerers to the RAF in an alternate A and B camouflage scheme, often determined by the serial number. But if a damaged aircraft in a B scheme came back repaired from a an MU or Repair Organisation, with an A camouflage scheme, would anyone care and vice versa?

[MW Giles]

I doubt anyone would give it much thought, past ooh B Baker looks different

Regards

Martin

[SteveB]

Instructions issued in March 1941 discontinued the requirement for A and B patterns but this may not have been applied immediately by manufacturers.

[Graham Boak]

Simple answer is no, as no-one would have noticed nor cared. There are examples with exchanged colours within the standard patterns, and indeed ones where repainting (or perhaps in-service painting) has not followed the standard pattern at all.

There is of course a school that thinks camouflages shouldn't be standardised anyway.

[Larry]

Great thanks - As an example it seems Hurricane L1592 was damaged in action on 15th August 1940 flown by P/O Looker of 615 Sqn. It was produced in a B Scheme at Brooklands in the first batch. So I understand Hurricanes built at Brooklands with ‘even’ serials numbers in this batch all had ‘B’ schemes

And yet after repair in August - September 1940, it acquired an A scheme but just to confuse, its starboard wing was in an B scheme (which its believed came from L1562). Although the starboard wing was repainted in service, it retains the 'wrong' scheme to this day in the Science Museum, London.

[debowa]

As far as I understand it, the A and B schemes were never meant to relate to odd and even numbers, they simply alternated on the production line A,B, A,B etc. This meant that if there was an odd numbered security break in the serials then the two schemes would switch.



The obsession with A being odd numbered and B being even numbered (or visa versa!) is I suspect an entirely post-war creation by modellers or historians seeing a pattern that wasn't actually there.

[Graham Boak]

Yes, however it is human nature to begin a new run with 1, so the pattern would be largely obeyed even if not intended - and not universal.

[Kari Lumppio]

Hi!

During Winter War 1939-40 Finnish AF received Blenheim Mk Is directly from RAF stock. RAF equipment and camouflage.

IIRC at least one of them had fuselage in one scheme (A/B) and wings in another scheme (A/B). At least in that particular case no-one cared.

Cheers,
Kari