Lancaster grand slam colour scheme

[Guest]

Hi all I've been commissioned to build this plane but know nothing about planes which colours do I need (Humbrol enamels only please)

[Guest]

When an aviation artist inspected some 617 Squadron aircraft in 1946, he ascertained a scheme of Light Green & Light Earth (no Humbrol equivalents, so you'll need to juggle with added white) on top, and under-surfaces of Ocean Grey.

[stona]

I think you need to know which aircraft you are planning to do and when.

Cheers

Steve

[monica]

thats great news to hear Ken,but not a big one for me planes,

[Ian M]

I think Ken that you will need to be a bit more precise.

Are there any exact machines that the customer wants depicted?

[Guest]

No Ian she doesn't know any more about planes than I do its just a sentimental thing her father used to work on them. Of course it would be nice to know which ones he worked on but that is probably impossible.

[Ian M]

Fair comment. What does the painting destructions call out for the colours...I'm sure we can find a few equivalents...

Ian M

[Guest]

Not got the kits yet will be getting them from John was hoping to get everything together.

[Ian M]

Well the one in my stash (duh!) says AS-22, AS-9 and AS-11 for the day scheme and Black (night) bottom for the night scheme...

So based on Edgars comment the day bomber colours are wrong as the tamiya paints refered to are dark earth and dark green. So... thinking.....thinking....

humbrol 118 US tan for the light earth and 116 US forest green for the light green.....?

Ian M

[Guest]

Thanks ian, I didn't even know they had a day and night scheme.

[Ian M]

There is a point in time, which I am sure Steve (Stona) will be able to tell us about, when bombing raids still took place in daylight ! Then they went over to night raids.... I wonder why.

Looks good in either.

Ian M

[Guest]

In February, 1945, due to increasing flak damage on daylight raids, 617 asked for permission to paint out the black on their Tallboy aircraft; within a week they were given permission to use Medium Sea Grey.

When C. Rupert Moore visited 617, he was told that, due to the lack of defensive armament on the Grand Slam a/c (rear turret, only, and often only two guns in them,) it was the job of the Tallboy crews to defend them; it seems fairly logical to make it easier to keep an eye on them, in a large "gaggle," by painting them differently.

[stona]

There you go. If you are going for a 'Grand Slam' Lancaster, bearing in mind that the first such device wasn't dropped until early 1945 (March?), Edgar has given you the definitive answer.

Is your client sure they want such an unusual Lancaster? They were very special cases. I'd check that the expectation is not for a more standard Dark Earth/Dark Green over Night scheme. That's how the only two surviving, flying, Lancasters are represented today and it's how the vast majority of Lancasters were finished during the war.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

You have a point there she wants to depict it as it flys over Buckingham palace.