The plane enthusiasts thread

[Andy in Germany]

Malta Aviation Museum has an example of a wartime tractor and mobile control tower, both with yellow upper surfaces. Photos from their web site.

Thanks; the tractor is basically the same idea, I'm just trying to figure how to fit it on a vehicle like this:

Bonnet, roof and trunk perhaps?

 

[DRM]

https://images.app.goo.gl/CZDYETWDoJYEncCL8
https://images.app.goo.gl/JhrpBor4QNCMKkGbA
https://images.app.goo.gl/7pPPL4XD9DJ3cwgx8
Could only find these images of "Snowdrop" transport, any good

 

[Punkawallah]

Thanks; the tractor is basically the same idea, I'm just trying to figure how to fit it on a vehicle like this:


View attachment 721609

Bonnet, roof and trunk perhaps?

From the Malta examples I'd say certainly the bonnet. The roof is not a free space (as per the tractor), and neither example has yellow on the back.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Please excuse the interruption...

I'm designing a colour scheme for a 1:55 scale model of an RAF (Royal Naval Air Service in my world) police car.

I remember seeing RAF vehicles in blue or green with yellow roofs, which I assume is to allow them to be seen from aircraft. I'm rather taken by this idea but I don't seem to be able to find any photographs at the moment which usually means I'm googling it wrong. Does anyone have any pictures of any such vehicles, especially small trucks or cars?

What year are you going for?

I was RAF Police for 2 decades and drove allsorts, there was no real standard until about 2000 onwards. In the 80s and 90s we used standard MT fleet cars and then they'd be tarted up a little, so they could typically be blue, black, even beige, the Land Rovers in the fleet were typically olive drab. A Day-Glo orange stripe would be put on the sides (occasionally I've seen yellow) and you'd very often have a tin "RAF Police" sign in red and black mounted on a roof rack with maybe a single blue beacon. Sometimes the plate went on the front and rear of the car.
In the 1950s to the 1970s the most common vehicle was the Land Rover, cars were used less then. I've seen quite a few historical pics where the Rovers were navy blue rather than green.

Even at our museum and viewing hundreds of images over the years I've not seen any RAFP cars that had a yellow roof. It's not to say it didn't happen, but it definitely wasn't typical.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

PS: Yellow roof or bonnet were on vehicles which spent their lives on the airfield, circa 1950s, it was the hi-viz idea of its day I guess. Aircraft tugs, ops vehicles etc would have had them, but not police.

If it's a police vehicle you're doing by all means give me a shout I have a lot of pics myself or I can point you towards a good resource if it's an earlier era than when I was in.

 

[Andy in Germany]

PS: Yellow roof or bonnet were on vehicles which spent their lives on the airfield...

Many thanks for the suggestions and pictures.

I'm aiming to tell a story, rather than present an accurate model of reality, so I have a little leeway in colours and designs. Apart from anything else car I'm using is actually based on a Russian prototype; I'm using it just because it was the only police vehicle available and I like the shape.

The story (actually a tabletop game) itself is set on ascension Island in a world where WW1 ended in 1917; Britain is now heading toward a civil war caused by King Edward VIII refusing to abdicate; and airships are the main form of international air transport with heavier than air planes coming a distant second. In this context I try to keep things similar so they're recognisable, but just a little different. In this context I need 'markers' the people will recognise easily. There also needs to be a good reason for everything for it to be believable, for example, in the context of an aerodrome primarily using lighter than air craft, I can imagine that painting roofs white or yellow will quickly catch on to avoid any thing choosing the patch you are occupying as a landing space.

Having looked at the pictures above (and my goodness I'm old, I can remember our family Chevette) I'm going to have to think a bit before committing to a design; I'll probably try and combine aspects of those with other ideas.

 

[DRM]

Thinking about it, I reckon it's Coastguard vehicles you're thinking of

 

[gbb]

Just watching a Harvard doing aerobatics over the old Alconbury airfield, he's now headed toward Cambridge way.. Duxford perhaps ?

 

[gbb]

I'm really happy
I found my dad's album of some of his work while clearing a bedroom today, I thought it was lost.
Artist, quite successful, mainly shipping and aviation. Many of his works were commisions , usually after he had exhibitions at RAF recruitment centres or occasionally at museums..
This was at such an exhibition in 1986

Some of his work...

Apologies if they come out sideways...

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I'm really happy
I found my dad's album of some of his work while clearing a bedroom today, I thought it was lost.
Artist, quite successful, mainly shipping and aviation. Many of his works were commisions , usually after he had exhibitions at RAF recruitment centres or occasionally at museums..
This was at such an exhibition in 1986
View attachment 725240

Some of his work...



View attachment 725241

View attachment 725242

View attachment 725243

Apologies if they come out sideways...

Wow

were some of those Stirlings?
My Dad worked on them (armourer) during the war - he had several picture of WW2 aircraft but always struggled to find Stirlings!

 

[gbb]

Wow

were some of those Stirlings?
My Dad worked on them (armourer) during the war - he had several picture of WW2 aircraft but always struggled to find Stirlings!

Pretty sure the one he was holding is a Stirling, it's taken at am angle so it's shortened the perspective so it looks slightly odd. I will have a look, see if there are any more...

 

[DaveReading]

Very nice portfolio, I particularly like those 56 Sqn Lightnings - I've always had a soft spot for English Electric's finest.

And yes, definitely a Stirling.

 

[gbb]

Sadly, I've had a look, through the remaining 20 or so photos (there are lots missing, there were more), no Stirlings. I will post various others just for fun and interest.

 

[classic33]

Pretty sure the one he was holding is a Stirling, it's taken at am angle so it's shortened the perspective so it looks slightly odd. I will have a look, see if there are any more...

The crew of LS-H.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When I see the rare movies of bobmer field from the war - especially if they are using Stirlings or Halifaxes - I always look out to see if I see my Dad
Highly unlikey that I would - I would recognise him because I have photos of him in uniform and the glasses make him stand out

I think his terrible eyesight saved him in some ways - his sight was terrible and the thought of him being in an army battle and armed with a gun is horrendous
if he lost his glasses he would be unable to tell the difference between a bush and a tank - and anything moving could get shot at

so he got put in Ground crew for bomber command - which was a pretty safe job in most ways
until a bomb casing fell out of a Halifax they were bombing up and hit his head
the shock wave travelled down his spine and snapped it very low down
That was 1944 - he got out of hospital in 1947!!!

be nice to pick him out in a film though!