Author Topic: found a non-standard spit14 (Read 838 times)

Krusty · « **on:** June 22, 2006, 11:36:13 PM »

The problem with the spit14s is a lack of skins, right? Wrong!

Okay, well, still right, but at least here's something non-standard!

My scanner is old, slow, and small. The book was very large. I had to scan 3 times and composite it together in photoshop. That's why you get the light variations.

Caption reads:

Quote

MV349 was a Spitfire F.Mk XIVE built by Supermarine adn delivered in late 1944. As the markings show it immediately went out to the Far East Air Force, being shipped to Bombay and flown to Burma, where it operated with RAF No. 28 Sqn on the Malayan front until the end of the war. The actual end of fighting came just as No. 28 Sqn, with the other squadrons, was being readed to go aboard carriets from where they were to fly off to Malayan airfields during the final assault in that theatre. As can be seen, MV349 was fitted with a low-level oblique camera aft of the cockpit, as in the FR.Mk XIVE, but did not have the latter's clipped iwngs. Standard E armament was fitted: two 20mm Hispano Mk II cannon and two 12.7-mm (0.5-in) Browning machine-guns. The vertical tail had to be increased in area to counter the longer nose, and the rear-view hood and cut-down rear fuselage ideally needed even greater fin area in compensation.

I read that as saying it served quite a while in South Eastern Asia front. It's not the standard spit14, either. I'd really love if somebody would do it, for the sake of variety.

P.S. I also have a great idea for a spit1. I'll make another post in a minute.

Kazaa · « **Reply #1 on:** June 23, 2006, 02:06:16 AM »

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ...

Guppy35 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 23, 2006, 11:57:14 AM »

Low back FRXIV however. There are a few SEAC Spit XIVs that could be done. 17 Squadron, under Ginger Lacey had the high back XIV like the game has at the very end.

This restored XIV is in Ginger Lacey's markings. The real deal was full span wings, but otherwise this one is accurate.

Krusty · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2006, 12:17:00 PM »

Ooh! Me likey!

Is that supposed to be brown, or is it just a brown-tinted shade of grey?

I didn't think they used brown so late in the war.

P.S. I realize the scan I made is low-back, but I kind of like the painted-over markings. It lends a little character to it

Greebo · « **Reply #4 on:** June 23, 2006, 01:23:08 PM »

This was originally going to be the default Spit 14 skin, but I decided to drop it because the far east 14s never really saw any action before VJ Day. I've never got round to sending it in as a skin. I'll edit a few things on it and send it in soon. BTW the green and brown scheme on the warbird is not historically correct for a SEAC Mk 14. The photo I've got does not show any wing stripes either. Either they were added later or its another example of warbird artistic license.

Krusty · « **Reply #5 on:** June 23, 2006, 02:17:13 PM »

Check the scan I pulled. There are some sources that say the 14s saw action and had white stripes. Delivered late '44 and the war in the Pacific didn't end for quite a while after that. As to the absolute historical accuracy, I cannot be certain. I'm willing to bet they got the idea from SOMEthing, though.

C'est la Vie.

Kev367th · « **Reply #6 on:** June 23, 2006, 03:00:08 PM »

Was going to redo my old XIV SEAC skin.

EEEKK - geez does that look bloody awful or what. But I remember being quite pleased with it way back then.
Thank goodness for progress and experience.

Would compliment the same sqdns VIII skin I already have ingame

Krusty · « **Reply #7 on:** June 23, 2006, 03:31:55 PM »

Why does the scan and the image of the restored warbird have a partial white stripe on the V-stab? That seems unusual to me.

Guppy35 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 23, 2006, 11:36:32 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Greebo
This was originally going to be the default Spit 14 skin, but I decided to drop it because the far east 14s never really saw any action before VJ Day. I've never got round to sending it in as a skin. I'll edit a few things on it and send it in soon. BTW the green and brown scheme on the warbird is not historically correct for a SEAC Mk 14. The photo I've got does not show any wing stripes either. Either they were added later or its another example of warbird artistic license.

Actually Greebo, they started out with the white stripes as evidence by this shot of YB-C launching from the Escort carrier HMS Trumpeter on September 9, 1945. The stripes came off as time wore on, based on the photo evidence.

As for the accuracy of that Spit's paint scheme. I've met the guy who does their painting. He also flies Spits and he's an absolute accuracy fanatic and he's got the guys to back him up in the research department so I'd tend to lean that way

A Spit XII driver I got to know way back when, ended up going with 17 Squadron and was with Lacy and those XIVs. He sent me a photo of a postwar XIV based in Japan and the serial looked familer. It turned out to be Lacy's bird after he left the squadron and it had been repainted and the wings clipped.

Greebo · « **Reply #9 on:** June 24, 2006, 03:00:38 AM »

Thanks for the info. At the time I did this skin I did find a reference somewhere that said Spit 14s were left grey, but I can't find it now. My instincts say the RAF would only have painted them brown if there was a big chance of an air attack on their base. Still, it would be a more interesting skin with the stripes and in green and brown, so I'm happy to change it.

Just a guess, but control surfaces are mass balanced. They often have a heavy weight ahead of the hinge line to prevent flutter. Maybe repainting them could upset that balance.

Furball · « **Reply #10 on:** June 24, 2006, 04:48:17 AM »

low back 14 is sexy.

whyyy oh whyy didnt we get that as our perk plane

Kazaa · « **Reply #11 on:** June 24, 2006, 06:13:44 AM »

It's O.K Furball, I feel your pain mate !

So any chance you could skin that bird when you come around to the Mk14s Master Kev ?

Kev367th · « **Reply #12 on:** June 24, 2006, 11:59:41 PM »

XIV's are next on the list.

Got one more PR Ia Type G to finish. (bare metal)
A couple of unusual V's to finish.

Then the XIV's

.

Greebo · « **Reply #13 on:** June 25, 2006, 04:30:44 AM »

I've updated my Lacey Spit to match Guppy's warbird and carrier shot photos. Still not totally convinced it would have been brown rather than grey, but I do think it looks better this way.

Krusty · « **Reply #14 on:** June 25, 2006, 11:18:44 AM »

I don't think the warbird shot is really brown. I think it's a shade of grey. As you know grey has many tints. It can go from blue tint to brown tint. This one has a lot of brown.

I could be wrong, that's just my impression. It does look nice with brown.