Does anyone know the story behind the half white paint schemes on the Bristol F.2 Fighters of No 1 Squadron AFC?
Bristol F.2 Fighter of No 1 Squadron AFC
Does anyone know the story behind the half white paint schemes on the Bristol F.2 Fighters of No 1 Squadron AFC?
Now they look so cool.
I don't know the story behind this particular paint scheme, but it reminds me of the RAF Fighter Command black and white undersides for the first part of 1940. I know the black & white was supposed to aid in recognition of friendlies from the ground.
Keith I found this link:
http://www.portunato.it/alisullapale...iBrisfits.html
where there's a similar livery for at least two other A7xxx serial plane (click on the "Disegno" link).
Attachment 27120
Attachment 27122
There also a little different livery for your plane
Attachment 27121
As the text explain for A7194 draw (not a photo!):
The photo shows A7196 with Lieutenant Frederick "Fred" William Haig and Lieutenant Ronald Tynsdale Challinor in the cockpit and observers seat respectively. The photograph shows A7196 with a tri-coloured spinner, most likely red, white and blue. The engine cowl is a very worn looking battleship grey with several panels and blisters removed. This may have been for extra cooling purposes. The wheel covers are also either a faded PC10, a grey or blue. The aircraft like other Bristol Fighters in the same period of the Squadrons service is in a white and PC10 livery.
I think grey fuselage livery is justified by cold local conditions and a light terrain
Actually this scheme is seen on the Brisfits the Aussies received from the 111th Sqn RFC, so it's the latter's livery. Maybe it's a dazzle camo to throw off the aim of enemy pilots?
best regards
Aris
Aris, are you saying that No. 1 Squadron AFC never had these paint schemes?
ObH,
I don't think that's what was meant; 1AFC received their first F2B's as hand-me-downs from 111RFC in Dec 17, when the latter converted to the SE5a. Just going back through 'Fire in the Sky' to see if I can find a specific reference to 'white' F2Bs.
BofB
Last edited by Baldrick62; 01-15-2012 at 03:43.
Great book! Got it for Chrismas almost finished.
Highly recommended!
Adrian
ObH,
Nothing specific in 'Fire in the Skies'. However, Frank Hurley, the Australian photographer who took many of the colour images of Bristol F2Bs in Palestine, only arrived there towards the end of Dec 17, and photos in both 'Hurley at War' and 'Men & Machines of the Australian Flying Corps 1914-19' dated into 1918 show Australian ground and air crew working on or in 'white' F2Bs. So, while 111RFC may have flown 'white' F2Bs, I think it's safe to conclude that 1AFC definitely did, though I still can't find a documented reason why other than possible ease of aerial recognition.
BofB
Last edited by Baldrick62; 01-15-2012 at 03:46. Reason: clarification
See http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...ll=1#post98639
- http://www.network54.com/Forum/21914...194,+1+Sqn+AFCFirst, the colour scheme you describe may not have been unique to 1 Sqn AFC. So far, I am aware of seven 1 Sqn Bristols finished in a similar fashion, A7192, A7194, A7196, A7198, A7200, B1128, and B1148. All of these aircraft had served previously with 111 Sqn RFC. They may have acquired their unusual colour schemes when with that unit.
White was applied to the sides and top of the fuselage and above the wings in patterns that varied with each aircraft. The under surfaces of the wings and tailplane were left in their natural fabric finish. I have seen nothing conclusive as to why this was done.
The photos I have of A7194 show it in two different schemes during its short career of just over 2 months with 1 Sqn AFC. Initially the fin and rudder were PC10 and only the inboard sections of the wing upper surfaces painted in white. Later the fin and rudder and the entire wing upper surfaces were painted white.
...
FWIW
They were painted that way to make it easy to see and identify aircraft stranded somewhere in the desert!
By this time enemy aerial opposition was rare enough in the Middle East theatre that easily spotting and ID'ing a downed aircraft was thought more important than camouflage.
Mentioned if I recall in the official history, and also in some eye witness accounts maybe including in Joe Bull's diaries.
...
This was supposedly a 1AFC innovation for the recognition purposes I mentioned in another post.
By the time they started doing it (judging by the known photos), and until the end of the war, the aircraft 1AFC flew in combat were Bristol Fighters and Martinsydes - with the exception of the Handley Page 0/400 (C9681) almost always flown by Captain Ross Smith.
As this was the ONLY 0/400 in the theatre it was easy enough to determine which aircraft it was!
1AFC got their first F.2B in late Dec 1917, and by April 1918 were fully equipped with them.
The first date I know of Frank Hurley being at 1AFC is in mid February 1918, when they still had Martinsydes, because one was force landed on fire and was filmed by him happy.gif
Hurley took the famous colour photos including the particoloured aircraft, in this visit between 16 and 27 February 1918 because the burned Martinsyde dates to 16th, and photos of Gen Chauvel's visit date to 27 Feb (IIRC, may be 26th or 28th).
Martinsydes are mentioned as being in use by 1AFC in the official history (Cutlack) in decreasing numbers until the end of March. I suspect though that with new Bristols arriving they were not considered worth the bother and this may explain why only the F.2B was painted in this fashion.
None of which precludes the possibility that the first Biffs (which came from 111Sqn) were already painted but I have never seen any evidence that 111Sqn did so.
-- http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter1/brisfit.htmMany F2bs made it to Palestine where they served with No.1 Sqn AFC and No.111 Sqn RFC/RAF. Some of these may be seen in the colour photographs taken by Frank Hurrell in 1918. A7194 is one of these, albeit in a later form with a white fin and black serial. Many F2bs were painted in white as protection from the desert heat.
Since all had different schemes, I'd say the white anti-glare paint was used as a recognition scheme primarily. At least one was all-white - I used that scheme on one of my Brisfits, seen below.
Thanks for the additional info guys... and Zoe!
The old "Cross and Cockade" magazine, in Vol. 11 No. 2, includes a photo of a Brisfit with a white fuselage and dark tail attributed to 111 Sqn (a Squadron member seems to have supplied it, in fact). This, and the fact the 1 AFC Brisfits seen in that scheme were with 111 before, suggest it was a practice continued rather than originated at the Aussie squadron. Not that I couldn't be massively wrong, of course.
best regards
Aris
Akosion,
Your explanation works for me!
BofB
Check out the footage in the 'Looking for the Mongoose' thread - some of the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters in the flightline look as though they are painted at least partially white.
Sapiens qui vigilat... "He is wise who watches"
flash,
great footage, but difficult to say whether it's an operational airfield in France or training sqns back in Blighty. Although the turtledeck colour is different, it reminds me a lot of this CDL (rather than white) aircraft:
Difficult to tell - one in the far background appeared to have white top wing, though that may be reflection or lighting playing tricks on me - just looked similar to the Brisfits.
Sapiens qui vigilat... "He is wise who watches"
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