Spitfire PRXIX (PS853) Lightning F3 (XP696) Trials

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Member for

14 years 8 months

Posts: 13

I know the specific Spitfire has featured in this forum previously but in this instance I am interested in the trials carried out between it (it replaced another Spit (PM631) part way through) and a Lightning in trials specific to the proposed stationing of the Jet in newly Independent Malaysia during the war with Indonesia, where the Lightning was likely to encounter Mustangs in a rather bizarre combat scenario. The trails were to develop tactics and study the viability of using the Firestreak IR missile against such targets. Any further and background information would be appreciated (as this was new to me) but specificlly information regarding the paint job the Spitfire used during these trials as I have to produce a profile. I have attached pics of the time which suggest an early Cam job hastily over painted with a dark colour. I presumed it had been given the cam scheme for its Gate Guard role at the time (can't think of any other reason) and I presume that they hastily overpainted it to simulate the likely mid/dark green of the Indonesian combatants, but while it looks like a thin black, grey or brown from the pics is it more likely to be an (if murky) green colour in reality. If anyone has any better information on this, or can ascertain from your experience colour form these pics better than I, then it would be much appreciated.

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,707

'Spitfire: A Documentary History' by Alfred Price has an in depth account of the trials. It is definitely wearing a two colour scheme, to me it looks like the glossy dark earth / green colours used by British Army aircraft in that period. I enhanced the colour from one of the above shots which clearly shows the scheme. Doing the same to the B/W images also reveals clear demarcation between the shades.

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Member for

14 years 8 months

Posts: 13

Thanks guys for all your help.