IRIS Kittyhawk 15 Sq RNZAF

[Wildbillkelso]

Led over from the announcement section, I think I'd better start a new thread on this one:







Still an early status (tail fin flash and stripes, fuselage stripes adjustment and the usual minor glitches...), but I think this will turn out to be a very nice one...

Any comments and suggestions welcome!

Cheers,
Markus.

[Naki]

Looks great!

[Charl]

Good show Markus!
One of the few Iris models I bought, great to see it as freeware and enjoying a new lease of life.

[Ian Warren]

Looks Great , I installed this P-40 may have to check out the one for FSX .

[markll]

QUOTE (Wildbillkelso @ May 3 2010, 04:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Any comments and suggestions welcome!

Ok, so I suggested this paint scheme so I might make some small comments if thats ok?

The big one is that Wairarapa Wildcat was actually a 14 Sqn aircraft, not 15 Sqn....was flown by the RNZAF's leading ace Geoff Fisken. Nothing to do with the paint itself however...

also, not that you've shown us the starboard side, but the photos I've seen indicate that the nose art on the radiator cowling is only on the port side of the aircraft...Also, and this is perhaps a time period thing, the camo scheme as near as I can tell indicates that they were either all green, not a green/brown pattern. Again, not sure how accurate that is, most of the images I've see of the 14 and 15 Sqn birds are early in their history (mid 1943), and are also in black and white, not colour, so I'm happy for someone to tell me I'm wrong!

<edit>
Ok, so I'll prove myself wrong (sort of)!

Found a photo here that shows the OFMC's P40 painted up as Wairarapa Wildcat with the greeg and brown camo...if they were thorough at all in their research, then I'd say thats proof that you're on the right track!

</edit>

Looks great so far tho Markus!

[Naki]

Mark I believe you are right ...the OFMC aircraft colour scheme was wrong from what I have read as the Waiarapa Wildcat scheme was never on a green/brown aircaft in WW2, but I guess Markus is basing his scheme on the OFMC P-40E as restored. I saw this scheme in RL and I like it despite been historically inaccurate.

[markll]

QUOTE (Naki @ May 3 2010, 02:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mark I believe you are right ...the OFMC aircraft colour scheme was wrong from what I have read as the Waiarapa Wildcat scheme was never on a green/brown aircaft in WW2, but I guess Markus is basing his scheme on the OFMC P-40E as restored. I saw this scheme in RL and I like it despite been historically inaccurate.

Yeah, fair enough. I quite agree about the scheme being really nice looking too...I haven't actually seen it in person, I've seen more than a few photos of it recently. And as I said, I'm not 100% myself that it was fully green underneath for its entire lifetime...

Actually Wairarapa Wildcat is still alive somewhere in the US - would be interesting to know what scheme it's got now...

[Fauville]

Looking good Markus.

The original Wairarapa Wildcat was actually a P-40M/ Kittyhawk III NZ3072

NZ3072 served with No 15 Squadron, then 14 Squadron, then 16 Squadron and finally 18 Squadon. It suffered a slight accident and was repaired and then returned to New Zealand.

It was then used as an operational trainer at No. 4 OTU, Ohakea for the rest of the war. Sadly it ended its days at Rukuhia and was cut up for scrap.

It was also involved in a midair with NZ3112 on 6 June 1944 near Ardmore, 3112 impacting the ground killing the pilot, 3072 landing safely.

[markll]

QUOTE (Fauville @ May 3 2010, 09:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Looking good Markus.

The original Wairarapa Wildcat was actually a P-40M/ Kittyhawk III NZ3072

NZ3072 served with No 15 Squadron, then 14 Squadron, then 16 Squadron and finally 18 Squadon. It suffered a slight accident and was repaired and then returned to New Zealand.

It was then used as an operational trainer at No. 4 OTU, Ohakea for the rest of the war. Sadly it ended its days at Rukuhia and was cut up for scrap.

It was also involved in a midair with NZ3112 on 6 June 1944 near Ardmore, 3112 impacting the ground killing the pilot, 3072 landing safely.

Thanks Fauville...lots more info on the plane and Geoff Fisken, plus photos and colour slides showing paint schemes here. Although I'm pretty sure that 14 Squadron was the first one that operated NZ3072, not 15 Sqn. Geoff Fisken flew it up to the Pacific Theatre with the rest of 14 Squadron, which was the first RNZAF squadron formed after the withdrawl from Singapore, and also the first one to be deployed with NZ-issued aircraft. 15 Squadron actually saw action first, but when they went to Guadalcanal in April 1943, they took over the aircraft of the USAAF's 68th Pursuit Squadron. These aircraft were P40Es and Ks.

This info is taken straight from a book called "Air to Air - the story behind the air-to-air combat claims of the RNZAF", which is a very interesting read. Who know that the first successful RNZAF air to air combat action was made by a 3 Sqn Hudson bomber???

I'm pretty sure that something of NZ3072 escaped the scrapyard too, since I do remember reading that Geoff Fisken was reunited with a partially restored "Wairarapa Wildcat" at Wings over Wairarap 2005. Come to think of it, I'm sure I've got photos of it too...I'll have to dig one up...

[Naki]

QUOTE (markll @ May 3 2010, 02:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

... so I might make some small comments if thats ok?

Of course!
Everybody should feel free to add comments an suggestions!
Thanks to all for joining this process.

QUOTE

Found a photo that shows the OFMC's P40 painted up as Wairarapa Wildcat with the greeg and brown camo...[/quote]
That's where I took the noseart (port side only!) from!
In fact, the rendition shown there seems not to be historically accurate. But I like it.
I think it's absolutely OK to do a repaint basing on an existing variation, even if this template is "inaccurate" - as long as this repaint isn't stated as "historically correct" in a nitpicker's way.
I use to point out this fact in the readme file.

The IRIS Kitty comes with a fine paint kit, but I already created multi-layered master templates (camo chunks, belly colour, markings, roundels etc.), so there will be several repaints done!

First in the row will be NZ3009/ZK-RMH as camoed "Wairarapa Wildcat II" in the 2001 Duxford appearance (white stripes, yellow spinner and Breitling Badge):
http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/pages/01ofmc29.html

Next should be the 1998 Wanaka airshow outfit (overall white tailfin, white spinner):
http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/pages/wanp40e4.html
http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/pages/wanp40e3.html

As these two variants represent restored museum planes, they will receive just some subtle weathering with a minimum of oil and exhaust stains and clean gunports.
Beancounters might assign a modernized panel with useful avionics to it (that's what I'll do!).

Now comes the historical part:
I'd also love to add a war-beaten skin, although the quite specular-shiny model won't fit too well.
Thanks to markII, Fisken's NZ3072 (the 'real' Wairarapa Wild Cat) will be the one! (RAF Dark Green or USAAF Olive Drab?)
An additional candidate might be the Mk. IV, 19 Sq, Guadalcanal 1944, NZ3287 'Esma Lee'...

Still open for suggestions!
Illustrated proposals preferred!

Cheers,
Markus.

Last edited by Wildbillkelso on Tue May 04, 2010 3:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

[jankees]

QUOTE (Wildbillkelso @ May 3 2010, 04:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I might as well chime in as well..

If I look at your paint so far, I noticed that you painted the front off the inner wing white, while you left the 'pods' for the wheels in the camo colors.

However, if I look at this image:



..I see that the pods are white and the inner wing is not (and that is the wildcat on the right)

and on this image I think I see the cat too:



as well as the serial and a stripe on the tail, and a 19 on the nose:




Oh, and I like them dirty too, dirtier than it is now anyway. I don't remeber it being so shiny, but it's been a while since I painted this bird.
Keep up the good work!

JanKees

[Wildbillkelso]

Thanks, Jankees!

The camoed "gear knuckles" are still remains of the default textures - they are corrected meanwhile.
Still fiddling on the position and adjustment of the white ID stripes...

There was already a repaint on NZ3009/ZK-RMH's current scheme done by Steven Jarvis, but despite his "Currawong" still is available, that one obviously got lost in the AVSIM crash.
Trying to avoid a duplicate: Could anyone post a pic of this livery please?

Cheers,
Markus.

[Naki]

Markus

Steven Jarvis = Fauville as above posts so he will be able to enlighten you soon I should think

[Markk]

Beautiful paint Markus even though its a rough work in progress! I love it, thats what NZ3009 looked like in the past before its current scheme. The Wairarapa Wildcat nose art were just put on NZ3009 to honour Geoff Fisken and also the whole tail was painted all white at the same time - the colour scheme of green and brown with wing and vertical and horizontal tail white stripes and white nose was on NZ3009 in NZ for a time before these nose markings and white tail was put on for Wanaka 1998.
this pic is of it at Duxford, probably with its nose painted yellow then, the yellow may be because it was being sponsored by Breitling. Note the Corsair with its nose in yellow too. This pic is just to show you the tail stripes.

I think by looking at the wartime pics of NZ3072, it was probably most likely in USAAF olive drab with grey underneath. When it returned to NZ, it was repainted Foliage green on the upper surfaces and grey green underneath with all white vertical tail and horizontal tailplane and red stripes on both tail and tailplane (like the previous white stripes) and retaining the white wing stripes.

[Fauville]

QUOTE (Naki @ May 9 2010, 08:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Markus

Steven Jarvis = Fauville as above posts so he will be able to enlighten you soon I should think

Thanks Paul, indeed it is one and the same.

Markus, as per my Avatar of RMH as of current vintage. Seems the 3009 paint did not survive the AVSIM crash, if you would like it send me a PM with your email and I can forward it to you. Love the options you are going to create , while not historically accurate v. WWII, but true to life of NZ 3009/RMH since her restoration. Pity my scanner ain't working, I would have posted a shot of 3009 at MOTAT in 1994 before she was reborn.

[Wildbillkelso]

Please pardon my ignorance, Steven!

So you did the current 'chinese' skin, eh?
Well - here comes Wairarapa Wildcat II, as she looked at Duxford in 2001:








The horizontal stabilizer's ID stripes still are too wide (different scale from the rest), but apart this, she's almost ready to roll.

What do you think about the roundel colour?
Found some different data about their FS code, but I think this comes close to the Duxford way of making them...

Any more suggestions or glitches I didn't detect yet?

Cheers,
Markus.

[Wildbillkelso]

Almost done!

It seemed like the specular model made the "Dark Earth" too bright, so I darkened it a notch.
The reflections on the roundels are also tuned down, compared to the former version.
Hstab ID bands adjusted.


Waiting at Duxford:




And up where she belongs:










Please take a thorough look at her.
If anything still needs to be altered - now would be the time to mention!

Cheers,
Markus.

[Naki]

Wow - beautiful!

[Ian Warren]

Superb Markus

[Syncop8r]

Looks great!

Now, I don't know anything about this plane... but is the cat on both sides of the nose?