Azure blue

[JMSmith]

hi graham,

i posted this on the board, just clicked your link and it still works.


john

[brewerjerry]

Hi Graham,
I agree with the possible use of azure after nov 40, and definitely with other colours in use.
one of many stories :-
I spoke to an ex raf guy who once built a blenheim out of three 'wrecks' at a UK airfield for use in the ME.
They didn't have the right colours, so they mixed them on site, as best that they could !
C&M a very interesting subject.
Cheers
Jerry

[Alex Smart]

hello Alex,

Have you got "British Aviation Colours of WW2 the official Camouflage, Colours and Markings of RAF Aircraft, 1939-45"" it was in the RAF Museum series.

Full (AFAIK) detailed Air Min Orders from April 39 through to October 44.

I have vol 3, so do not know what is in vols 1&2, or if there were others in the series.

Point being that in the back of this vol 3 there is a "MAP Standard Aircraft Colours 1939-1945" colour chart.

The colours are somewhat lighter in shade than the ones given in the link above, could they be a copy I wonder ?

Anyway I will scan and send to you.

Hope you do not have to move far.

Anyone know of the other vols in this series ?

All for now.

Alex

[Kutscha]

Alex,

Vol 3 is the only one on camoflage.

They are a series of books put out by thr RAF Museum. Other books that I know of are the Spit V manual, Hurricane II manual, Lancaster manual, Mosquito manual and another on rigging WW1 a/c.

[Graham Boak]

That is a very useful book, and well worth having. I used to rely upon the library copy at work, until it disappeared. Then I found it was no longer in print.... but I managed to get one from a second-hand dealer. However, it only contains a selection though the most important) of the AMOs, and indeed a selection of the colours, and the AMOs themselves only tell part of the story. It does provide a vital solid framework around which the more controversial features can be studied.

The colour chips are those appropriate for the RAF in WW2, and the 1930 BSC chart is generally not appropriate for this, though it is very useful in clearing up minor details or for British Army camouflage in the early years. I mentioned it because I thought it would include NIVO - sadly, it doesn't. I wouldn't be too fussy about minor differences in shade or hue between proper chips and your computer monitor. Anything on a monitor can only be taken as a guide.

[George Hopp]

As Kutscha said, the book, "British Aviation Colours of World War Two" was simply volume 3 of the RAF Museum series of books. For your info, Vol. 1 was the Spitfire V manual, and Vol. 2 was the Hurricane II manual. Vol. 4 was "British military aircraft of World War One" -- a rigging manual on some of the a/c used by the RFC/RAF in WW1 -- and so on....to at least Vol. 9, which is the last one I have.