What colour were the NZ Bristol Fighters?

[Dave Homewood]

What colour scheme or schemes did the NZPAF and RNZAF Bristol F2B Fighters were?

Were the fuselages and wings always silver or aluminium on them? Or did they ever have that yellow-beige uncoloured dope colour?

And what were the cowls? Black? Dark green? Grey?

Was there a variety of different schemes over their careers?

[shorty]

I've only seen photos of them in silver. The cowls look black or maybe dark grey.
The wouldn't be left in CDL (clear doped linen) because of detoriation due to ultra violet rays from sunlight. Thats one reason silver is often used under other colours, Same with olive drab used in WW1. Correctly called PC 10 (or PC 12 for the reddish brown shade) where PC stands for Protective Coating

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Shorty.

[silverfox]

From my research I believe that the first two aircraft serialled H1557 and H1558 were part of production block built by the British and Colonial Aircraft Company at its own factory in Filton.

Aircraft in this batch were delivered in the standard RAF colour scheme of PC10 or khaki dope upper surfaces and undersides in varnished unbleached linen and the forward fuselage was in Battleship Grey.

Of course you guys are much closer to the evidence than I am. I have been unable to find a photo of either of these aircraft. However the build and delivery date pre-dates the move to silver dope finish for RAF use.

6856-7 and 7120-22 were in the later silver/ battleship grey scheme and had the later larger tail surfaces.

Hopefully a photo will surface.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks

[angelsonefive]

rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Prewar&action=display&thread=11666

It looks like the wartime RFC/RAF khaki colour was used at one stage..

[shorty]

For those modellers out there who want to accurately portray PC 10 usd on the F2Bs
(NOT Khaki, which is a lighter sandy colour) here is recipe for it (be warned-you had better have a LOT of models to paint)

Lets see for 100 gallons (Imperial btw) of PC10 dope
260 pounds nitro Cellulose syrup
74 pounds of pigments in the following proportions
40 pounds yellow ochre
30 pounds umber
2 pounds 8 ounces Red Ochre
1 pound 8 ounces Chinese Blue.
Once that lot was assembled it was added to
20 gallons Acetone or Methyl ethyl ketone
15 gallons Amyl Acetate
15 Gallons benzol
15 gallons Methylated spirit
(Source for this recipe WW1 British aeroplane colours and markings by Bruce Robertson) However this was one general recipe and the key was it was a general one

[Dave Homewood]

;D