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  #1  
Old 19th October 2016, 02:30
PMoz99 PMoz99 is offline
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Billy Drake Kittyhawk III FR293 aircraft markings?

Hi all.
Does anyone have any info as to what markings this a/c carried? He flew it Oct-Nov 1942
Thanks
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  #2  
Old 19th October 2016, 04:02
Tom Semenza Tom Semenza is offline
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Tom Semenza
Re: Billy Drake Kittyhawk III FR293 aircraft markings?

FR293 was Drake's aircraft from at least 22 Oct 42 until 11 Dec 42 when he force landed after a successful combat with axis fighters. It was coded GA-? (the question mark was used by Drake on other Kittyhawks he flew including AL161, ET790, EV165, EV168 and FR338.)

Cheers,
Tom
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Old 19th October 2016, 13:12
PMoz99 PMoz99 is offline
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Re: Billy Drake Kittyhawk III FR293 aircraft markings?

Thanks Tom.
If you don't mind me asking, do you have anything to base that info on?
The only other a/c I could find with GAo? codes was a Kittyhawk IV flown by GF Davis in 1944
Do you know if any of the Kittyhawks he flew were the K version with the fillet? If so, which one(s)?
Thanks

Last edited by PMoz99; 19th October 2016 at 13:26. Reason: typo and additions
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Old 19th October 2016, 20:47
Buz Buz is offline
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Re: Billy Drake Kittyhawk III FR293 aircraft markings?

Quote:
Originally Posted by PMoz99 View Post
Thanks Tom.
If you don't mind me asking, do you have anything to base that info on?
The only other a/c I could find with GAo? codes was a Kittyhawk IV flown by GF Davis in 1944
Do you know if any of the Kittyhawks he flew were the K version with the fillet? If so, which one(s)?
Thanks
PMoz99

FR293 and FR338 were both K-1 models with the fin fillet.

Tom can you confirm that EV168 was coded GA-? (I have AL161 as GA-?, ET790 as GA-? and GA-V (it also had a name under the cockpit), EV165 was a SAAF home based aircraft (serial 5008) so unlikely that he flew that particular aircraft.

I also have AK920, ET510, FX740 and FX760 all as GA-?

Regards

Buz
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  #5  
Old 20th October 2016, 05:16
Tom Semenza Tom Semenza is offline
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Tom Semenza
Re: Billy Drake Kittyhawk III FR293 aircraft markings?

The sources are Drake & Shores Billy Drake, Fighter Leader as well as Aces High and History of the Mediterranean Air War, Vol.2. It would appear that although the first mentioned work lists EV165 as being flown on 1 Sep 42. The latter two sources say that it was in fact EV365. Indeed the Air-Britain book Royal Air Force Aircraft EA100-EZ999 does not even list EV165, skipping from EV162 to EV166! So your observation, Buzz, that EV165 was a SAAF based aircraft is informative. Obviously the listing in the Billy Drake bio is in error and I thank you for helping to clarify that.

There is a good side view photo of ET790 in the Drake book. The same one also can be found in History of the Mediterranean Air War, Vol.2 on page 263. I have not come across any photos of Drake's other GA-? marked Kittyhawks. In Shark Squadron: History of 112 Sqn. there is a photo of a Mk. IV (FX561) coded GA-?, but this dates from May 1944, long after Drake's time with the squadron. This is probably the one mentioned by PMoz99.

Cheers,
Tom
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Old 20th October 2016, 07:41
PMoz99 PMoz99 is offline
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Re: Billy Drake Kittyhawk III FR293 aircraft markings?

Thanks guys!

The info I had came from Osprey and Squadron books, and what I could find on the 'net including CieldeGloire. Who can afford all the other available books, and then find time to read them!! Hooray for forums!

I have Kittyhawk IV FX740 as GAo? in March 1944 - after Billy's time. I would imagine FX760 would probably be the same timing ......

I note the CieldeGloire site lists a couple of other serials not mentioned, which leads me to a question - how reliable is the info on that site? They cite Shores and others, so I thought it should be reasonably accurate, at least.

The info on FR293 is excellent, just what I needed. I'll have to guess on the camo pattern, and colours are probably stone/earth/blue.

Thanks again!
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  #7  
Old 24th October 2016, 17:38
Buz Buz is offline
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Buz
Re: Billy Drake Kittyhawk III FR293 aircraft markings?

PMoz99

Your thoughts on the colours is correct, Middlestone/Dark Earth over a blue. The Pattern should be the A scheme, as B schemes were a somewhat rarer beasty, check your references as depending on the time frame the Yellow leading edges had been introduced. There are a couple of shots of 112SQN birds around on the web, if not drop me a line and I'll try to send a couple to you. Markings were of the later type C roundals.

Regards

Buz
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  #8  
Old 25th October 2016, 16:36
PMoz99 PMoz99 is offline
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Re: Billy Drake Kittyhawk III FR293 aircraft markings?

Thanks for the confirmation Buz. I have all I need now.
Cheers!
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