WIX Archives
Re: A question of RAF Camoflage
Posted by JDK on Fri Jan 31, 2003 12:29:50 PM
In reply top A question of RAF Camoflage posted by Tony C on Fri Jan 31, 2003 08:14:30 AM
Tony,
It was due to the newly wartime trained pilots continually running into the leading edge of the wing and being knocked out, when scrambling. Pre-war pilots had silver aeroplanes which wasn't a problem.
The actually Air Min instruction was to paint yellow all round the wing edge, but they couldn't get it to stick on the trailing edge.
Hm.
A more serious answer is IIRC it was for head-on id air to air. The Germans used the black/white spinner in a similar way. If this is true I'm not sure, and how much actual use it was seems even less likely, but that's what I've dead. Anyone else?
JamesK
: Hi All,
: Many RAF Fighters during 1939-45, had a yellow strip on th
: e leading edges of the wings.
:
: Why?
:
: Were these simply for identification or was there a techni
: cal reason?
:
: Thanks, Tony