TEMPEST
COLOUR AND MARKINGS
TEMPEST
COLOUR AND MARKINGS
When the Tempest V entered service in April 1944 they were delivered in standard day-fighter camouflage of a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Ocean Grey with the underside painted in Medium Sea-Grey. Spinners were Sky and an 18 inches wide band was carried around the rear fuselage. Squadron and aircraft i/d letters were also in Sky. A narrow, Yellow stripe was painted along the leading edge of each wing extending from the outboard wing cannon to the wing tip.
The interior of the wheels' wells and inside the undercarriage door covers were usually natural metal or silver. The interior of the cockpit was Night (Black) except on a few Tempest V, Series I were it was painted Aircraft Grey-Green. The seat either dull metal or Black though again a few were seen in Aircraft Grey-Green. The inside of the nose radiator intakes were also dull metall or sometimes matched the undersurface Medium Sea-Grey. Wheel hubs and undercarriage legs and struts were also natural metal.
On the Tempests entering squadrons service early summer 1944 were Black (12 in.) and White (18 in.) identification stripes painted on the undersides of each wing extending outwards from the wingroot.These stripes were originally seen on Typhoons, where they were intended as a quick ground-to-air recognition feature.
Next change to the tactical identification markings as applied to the Tempests occured on or around the 5th June 1944. The Allied Air Expenditionary Force (AAEF) introduced Black and White stripes to be painted around the wings and fuselages of all allied aircraft in preparation for the allied landings of the Normandy Invasion finally scheduled for 6th June. The stripes were to be 18 in. wide and to be painted commencing 6 in. inbording from the upper wing roundels (replacing the original special i/d stripes) and 18 in. forward of the leading edge of the tailplanes.
As the allied moved inland after the invasion the identification stripes were usually within easy reach of enemy air and ground fire. AAEF ordered the stripes to be removed from the aircraft wings. This order was implemented between 25 August and 10 September. Paintwork was brought into immediate effect from those visible from underneath the aircraft, i.e. the stripes remained on the belly of the machines roughly along the line of the original upper/lower camouflage line.
From 17 August Tempests were flying with Air Defence Great Britain (ADGB) operating on defensive sorties flying from airfields in Britain, engaged in "Operation DIVER", the anti-V1 patrols. Those Tempest had the Yellow stripes removed from the leading edge of their wings but retained the Sky painted spinner fuselage bands and codes.
Tempests operating with Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) in Europe had their spinners repainted in Black, and the Sky-coloured fuselage bands were removed. Some squadrons did use colours other than Black for painting the spinner. Such as for example Red, Blue or Yellow.
From 3rd January 1945 the upper wing roundels of the Red/Blue TYPE "B" pattern were replaced by TYPE "C" with Red 8 .4", White 25 .2" and Blue 50". However the roundels were repainted in the field so there were many variations to be seen. I.e. some squadrons followed the correct dimensions as above, but other simply modified the Red/Blue TYPE "B" roundels by adding a cruedly-painted area of White over the demarcation between the Red/Blue.
From 31st March 1945 orders were issued that Fighter Command could dispense the wartime camouflage and replace this with "silver" doped overall or polished metal finishes. However, aircraft already in service plus others already on the production lines retained the basic wartime colouring and markings as seen January 1945. In 1946 a firm order was issued whereby ALL camouflage was to be dispensed with and airframes were to revert to polished metal or silver doped finishes. Codes were then normally painted in Black as were serials. Flight colours were reintroduced by some squadrons for the spinners and aircraft serials were added beneath the wings.
The next change occured in May 1947 when the original TYPE "C", "C1" and wartime originated fin flashes etc were replaced by the new style TYPE "D" roundels (1/3rd Red, 1/3rd White and 1/3rd Blue with equal width).
The Tempest soldiered on post-war both in Europe and the Middle East and both camouflage and silver finishes were common. Post-war years also saw the reintroduction of the pre-war colourful squadron identification markings.
Tempest V TT (Target Tug)
of the Armament Practice Station (APS) at Sylt, 1953.
Images from (from top):
No 1 and 7: © Don Greer, Typhoon/Tempest in action (Squadron/Signal Publications No 102).
No 2 - 6, 8: © Chris Thomas, The Typhoon & Tempest Story.
Text source:
Scale Models February 1973, by Bob Jones.
(© Heller/Kit-instructions for Tempest Mk. V, 1/72)
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TYPE "C1", fuselage. Used - May 1947 |
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TYPE "D", fuselage. Used from May 1947 - . |
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TYPE "B", upper wing surface. Used - 3 Jan 1945. |
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TYPE "C", upper wing surface. Used from 3 Jan 1945 - May 1947. |
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TYPE "D", upper wing surface. Used from May 1947 -. |
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TYPE "?", lower wing surface. Used - May 1947. |
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TYPE "D", lower wing surface. Used from May 1947. |
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DARK GREEN | ||
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OCEAN GREY | ||
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MEDIUM SEA-GREY |
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