Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Navy - Military - Battleships: => Topic started by: rayna on April 12, 2020, 03:29:50 am
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My model of RAF 2507 seems to have on the hull sides either a very dark royal blue or a black hull. Can anyone confirm what is correct colour please.THXRayna
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Hi rayna
As far as I’m aware there are only two colours that RAF ASRL hulls were painted- black, or white if they were in the tropics (not always the standard but post WW2 launches did seem to follow this scheme in places like Gibraltar and Gan).
If memory serves me correctly RAF 2507 should be a RTTL Mk 3 built by British Power Boat Co and were nicknamed the Hants and Dorset boats due to their distinctive superstructures looking like the well know buses that were used in those counties at the end of the war.
I’ll find out further details of the actual 2507 for you when I fetch out my books. :-))
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Well memory doesn’t remember correctly!
2507 was a Vosper 67ft Air Sea Rescue Launch!
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100% correct Nick on the colour the british ones were definatly Black any in the Mediteraian were white,why i dont know
Dave
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I think the white hulls were supposed to reflect the heat but considering the decks could be painted dark grey I think it was a typical military token effort! :}
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I have been told that in tropical climates the heat caused the deck planks to dry out and open the seams. The RAF ordered the deck to be covered in canvas - glued on - and then painted to make it waterproof. Various colours were used but I believe grey and green were favourites.
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RAF marine section craft in the Med were not painted white during WW2. This colour scheme came into use under A705 28th August 1947. In wartime, they followed the standard ASR colours. Depending on the year, the decks and superstructure would have been yellow until circa 1943 unless operating on the east coast where they were ordered into the decks and upperworks to be the “the general tone” of the camouflage of the ship. It is about then that they started to paint the superstructures Dark Battleship Grey. Later in the war, the RN introduced a deck colour called B15 for coastal forces and the RAF boats were supposed to use coastal forces deck colours.
BS381C 32 Dark Battleship Grey still exists as BS381C 632 Dark Admiralty Grey.
Post WW2 in 1947, Home and temperate waters including Gibraltar were black hulled, BS381C 632 Light Grey superstructure and BS381C 632 Dark Battleship Grey Non Slip decks. Tropical and sub tropical water including Malta & the Mediterranean used the same deck colour but were otherwise white.
FYI The 1937 orders on colours had the decks as varnished but the superstructure as Dark Battleship Grey.
A WW@ shot of an ASR in the Med attached.
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:-)) Many thanks all. Black it will be. deck is the yellow mentioned in the answers and superstructure dark grey.So all good. Keep locked down and take care.Rayna