bokuda

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I'm a little new to this so please pardon my ignorence.

I recently acquired a Yellow Aircraft Spitfire kit and have been researching a subject to model. The decals that came with the kit are for an aircaft identified as RB159. There are also large letters for the fuse sides: DW-D.

I have found several photos of this plane. Two photos show its port side and it is identified in the captions as the CO's plane and has a CO pennant on the fuse. The plane is also identified as RB159, but the in the photos it appears to be RS159. This photo appears in "Spitfire in Action" by Squadron Signal Publications. At first I thought the "B" was scratched or worn and it just resembled and S, but here is another, larger, clearer photo from a different angle of the port side of this plane in a book titled, "Supermarine Spitfire MK.XII-24" by Arco Publishing Co., very clearly showing this to be marked RS159. The same photo that appears in the Squadron Signal book also appears in this book, again, the caption identifying the plane as RB159. The Arco book also has two photos of this plane showing the starboard side and it is clearly marked RB159. The lettering is also DW-D in these photos.

My question is: Is this an error in the plane's markings? Or can more than one plane carry the large lettering DW-D and so these may actually be two different planes?? There are several other planes in a couple of the photos in formation with RB159 all having the DW lettering, but with a different third letter. So I assume the letters are unique to each plane.

Can someone explain what's going on here?

Ed

You might try here >

http://www.avions-de-legende.com/avd...4.htm#SpiNH904

Merlin65

RB159 was one of the most photographed MK XIV Spitfires during the war. The attached photo's are some of those taken when 610 (County of Chester) squadron was selected for a photo shoot on receipt of their new XIV's.

DW was the squadron code. "D" was the individual aircraft.

It's quite possible to see not only other Spitfires with the same codes but completely different aircraft types. For example, some squadrons flew Hurricanes early in the war and these would have carried the same squadron and aircraft codes. When the squadron converted to Spitfires, these codes would be applied to their new aircraft. Similarly, when an aircraft was lost in combat the replacement would inherit the codes of the old aircraft. The one code that never changed was the aircraft serial no, in this case, RB159.

Hope this helps,
Merlin65

Edit: P.S. No MK XIV Spit ever carried the serial no prefix "RS"

bokuda

My Feedback: (7)

Thanks, Merlin.

I have these photos also. The right side of DW-D is marked "RB159" and the photo of the left side of DW-D is marked "RS159." It is not perfectly clear in this photo, but I have another that clearly shows the left side marked "RS159." (Sorry, my scanner is not functioning.)

Is this the same aircraft with an error in the markings?

Do you have more photos of this plane that you would share? Or could you direct me to their source?

Thanks, Dave

Merlin65

Dave, the wear and tear around the serial no on that photo is the reason the "B" looks like an "S".

I have a very large copy of this photo where this can clearly be seen.

RB159 was part of the first batch of 50 XIV's built by Vickers-Armstrong (Supermarine) in 1943 starting at RB140 and ending with RB189

There are quite a few shots of 610 Sqn aircraft on the Australian War Memorial website. If you PM me an email address I can send you a superb set of drawings for RB159
--
Merlin65

bokuda

My Feedback: (7)

Mystery solved! Thank you.

I guess I got confused because the Arco book shows an artist's rendition of the color scheme for this plane from the port side and THAT drawing clearly shows the "B" as an "S." Apparantly the artist was confused too.

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

FYI, Artist are sometimes correct and sometimes not. Often they are not as particular as you might expect. At least when it comes to details and that would include color! Even plastic model companies can be and are in error, not to mention museum aircraft. The point is that you really need to check the available information regarding an historic aircraft. Even the historic information doesn't always agree and this is just par for the territory and (for me at least) part of the fun!

Woody 51

Try this.
Incidentally, Merlin65, the pilot of DW-G (in the background in your submitted photo's,) is alive and well and lives up at Nagambie in Victoria.

NCFlash

I'm finishing a TF Spit and was wondering what the purpose of the yellow strip on the wing leading edges?

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Quick identification of friend or foe when approaching head on I believe.

abufletcher

Besides the weathering, also adding to the B looking like an S is that the aircraft serial number was stenciled on and the letter shows the breaks from the stencil mask.