This is my second in a series of projects focused on the siege of Malta in 1942. The subject in this case is a Spitfire Mk Vc Trop that was flown to reinforce Malta from the USS Wasp during Operation Bowery. There were a series of such operations as the British scrambled to defend the island.
One of the interesting aspects of these operations were the paint schemes for the Spitfires. Brian Cauchi and Paul Lucas have researched the topic extensively. In a nutshell, Spitfires were initally manufactured and sent to Malta in the desert scheme (Dark Earth, Middlestone, Azure Blue) but this was not appropriate as most of the combat was over water. The Malta units urgently requested the Spitfires to be delivered in "sea" based schemes instead of desert. In the rush to get the aircraft to the island and painted in an appropriate scheme (lots of confusion here), they were repainted enroute in a variety of different schemes and in a number of different locations using available paints. They were repainted in maintenance units, at the factories, at Gilbraltar and on the carriers as they were ferried to Malta.
Planes on the USS Wasp during Bowery were painted using available US Navy paints. Exact colors/schemes for each plane are not certain, but Paul Lucas makes an interesting case for the use of Blue-Grey (same color as the Wildcats on board) and Deck Blue for some of the Spitfires in a two-tone scheme. That's the assumed color scheme (over Sky Blue) for BR344, my chosen subject.
I chose to depict the new plane freshly painted as it would have looked on the deck of the USS Wasp, getting ready for take off.
The available B&W photo of BR344 shows a crisply painted aircraft in a medium contrast scheme. The giveaway that it had been painted on board was the scalloped demarcation on the lower fuselage area, which was apparently not an RAF method but was a US Navy technique.
In any event, the Eduard kit is very nice, well-detailed and certainly looks the part. I used the Spitfire Story: Southern Star limited edition kit as it offers two Mk V Trops.
Master cannon barrels and Brassin landing gear upgrades were the aftermarket goodies for this one.
Main paints were Mr. Color lacquers Extra Dark Sea Grey and Blue-Grey. I mixed the Sky Blue from white and RLM 76. I slightly faded and shaded various areas and panels to depict an uneven paint application in tight quarters.
Maketar masks were used for the RAF markings and code letters. MRP paints were used for the RAF markings.
Decals were used for the serial numbers and maintenance stencils applied to the lower section only.
For weathering, I applied an oil wash with Payne's Grey and Burnt Umber colors and did a light application of Tamiya Black/Brown mix over selected panel lines.
Overall, it was a fun project -- interesting research, a unique subject and a good kit.
Thanks for looking! Comments and critiques are always welcome.