Vampire T11 .... out now with a few pics!

[TSR2]

Some additional info... 15502 Chri T22 XA160 SS Brawdy 4.11.65 SOC 10.11.65

[DaveB]

Hi Garry,

Yes.. that was noted but things (as you well know) are not always as they seem On the majority (ALL) the shots I've just looked at, no allowance has been made in reg placement with ordnance carried :roll: The RN have been pretty consistent in reg placement though there are exceptions. The Sea Mosquito for example had the first two letters then a dirty great gap before the 3 numbers though that shot doesn't show it carrying any ordnance and it's impossible to see if there is provision for a rocket rack. It is a possibility though

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[ianhind]

Been doing other things for a while and I see I was way off target. Like Garry I didn't realise we were looking at a picture :doho:

Anyway clearly allowing for ordnance:

http://www.btinternet.com/~a.c.walton/n ... mpire.html

Edit: @DaveB follow the link on that page
http://www.internetmodeler.com/2005/aug ... ampire.php
and you are spot on

[Garry Russell]

Hi Dave

It is indeed common for no allowance to be made....in fact I was lookong at some Hunters just the other day and you had to look at both wings to piece the serial together as it was just normal spacing and hidden by ordinance.

But sometime is is done

Perhaps where there is multi attachments there is little point...but if thre is one area and space allows a gap could be put in??? .

Having said that there are odd ball serial applications. Only this very evening I was looking at a Queens Flight Heron marked on the fin XM-295.very rare but not the first time I've seen a hyphon in a British mil serial.

But back to this subject....the question is could it have a space in realilty and the answer is that we don't know for sure........but it could and the pic supports a valid reason for it. :think:

Garry

[Trev Clark]

XM-295.very rare but not the first time I've seen a hyphon in a British mil serial.

The British upper classes have always liked 'hyphonating' things Garry, so that does not suprise me with a Royal aircraft!

[Garry Russell]

Garry

[steve p]

But back to this subject....the question is could it have a space in realilty and the answer is that we don't know for sure........but it could and the pic supports a valid reason for it. :think:

Its very likely that the space is correct. Almost all de Havilland aircraft of that period had a space in the serial, Hornets, Vampires, etc. Why? I've no idea.

Best wishes
Steve P

[DaveB]

I'd have to concur with that Steve. The reason why.. I think only DH know the answer I dug out an old Test Flight dvd this evening and managed to freeze a shot of the high altitude Vampire doing flypasts. Even IT had a space between the two letters/first number and second two numbers and there was little chance of that particular airframe ever seeing active service I don't think we can look to the RN for an answer here.. the ball seems to fall very much in the lap of De Havilland. Anything with a non-metallic fues gets a gap in the reg!

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[nazca_steve]

Dave, regarding your comments about barge underwing serials facing the same way, would this have applied to the XE390 Sea Hawk barge as well? I don't have any decent ref for it and have painted them in the normal way...

[SkippyBing]

Just noticed this thread, in the Sea Hornet 'From the Cockpit' book, it distinctly mentions the odd spacing of the underwing serials to allow for stores etc. I don't know why it only seems to be de Havilland aircraft that this is noticeable on as ultimately it's entirely up to the end user what he paints on his aircraft as the mil serial generally isn't what the manufacturer refers to it as anyway.
Steve, I think the Admirals barge aircraft would have had the same serial layout as the rest of them as it's laid down in a technical order, plus the layout (serials under each wing and either side of the fuselage) is probably determined at a higher level i.e. MoD rather than Fleet.