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By: - 28th September 2009 at 11:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
They were camouflaged - what colours I'm not sure, but I did discuss this with a Norwegian friend some years ago, I'll see if I still have those emails - if you look closely at the photos you can see the disruptive scheme on the top side.
e.g
http://www.thescale.info/news/uploads/n-3pb001a2.jpg
There is a colourised photo showing it in a green/brown scheme but that is speculative.
I'd imagine they would be repainted in RAF colours in Canada prior to deployment to Iceland
BTW, there is a nice little film of them in Iceland:
By: - 28th September 2009 at 15:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I can just make out the camouflage scheme. I saw the colour photo, but I wasn't 100% sure if it was genuine or not. I ahve been told elsewhere that the RAF colours were Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey over Sky. Sqn codes were Black and latter Red.
I found the film during an earlier search and I've watched it a few times now.
Alex
By: - 28th September 2009 at 17:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Sorry to wade in here, but your taste in aircraft is exquisite. Lovely lovely aircraft the N-3PB.
Hopefully the photo's below will be of help, taken on Lake Elsinore, CA during training period you mention. Colour scheme was standard throughout and also after the war, namely dark green, medium sea grey and light grey undersides.
Upon arrival in Iceland, RAF markings were applied along with GS unit codes and a small Norse flag under the cockpit. Later, aircraft just carried individual code letters, and post war merely the Norwegian roundel
Also some cracking photo's on Airliners.net of the rebuilt No.20 in case you haven't seen them....
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Norway---Air/Northrop-N-3PB/1481666/L/
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Norway---Air/Northrop-N-3PB/1481556/L/
Hope this helps ?
.
By: - 28th September 2009 at 18:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hopefully the photo's below will be of help, taken on Lake Elsinore, CA during training period you mention. Colour scheme was standard throughout and also after the war, namely dark green, medium sea grey and light grey undersides.
Those are excellent, and show the real colours but I'd disagree with the colours you quote!! Alex is right, they were Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey over Sky, Slate grey being the green colour.
Pretty good approximations as well going by that shot
By: - 28th September 2009 at 18:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi,
Excellent photos XM692 and yes they do help. I notice there are white markings on the tailplane leading edge. Any ideas what they were for? Did they help the rear gunner determine enemy aircraft attack angles so he could tell the pilot which way to take evasive action?
There's also a good set of photos here.
http://www.thescale.info/news/publish/N-3PB_photos.shtml
Alex
By: - 28th September 2009 at 19:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Alex is right, they were Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey over Sky, Slate grey being the green colour.
You could well be correct & my source isn't. Certainly the painting guide for two model kits i have from different manufacturers quote Sea Grey/Slate Grey/Sky.
I'm afraid thats the only photo i've seen showing the tailplane edge clearly during the work up period. Certainly they don't appear on 330Sqdn aircraft.
It would be great if the second known survivor gets raised also.
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=703
http://gavia.is/products/showcase.html
.
By: - 28th September 2009 at 19:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi,
What kits are available as I'd like to make a model of one.
Alex
By: - 30th September 2009 at 23:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
One of the first MPM 1/72 kits I bought was a N-3PB. I'm not sure if it is still available.
Alex, have you tried posting on the Seawings forum? There is a section for floatplanes.
Here's a link: http://theflyingboatforum.hostingdelivered.com/index.php
By: - 1st October 2009 at 04:42 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi All,
I have slowly been finding out about local a/c since arriving here.
only stuff so far on these a/c is that only six a/c were operated on the west coast.
initially at jericho beach, vancouver, one a/c crashed operating from there near point atkinson, west vancouver, the unit then moved to patricia bay, vancouver island, and lost another a/c when operating from there.
I assume the photos of the a/c in camouflage and carrying numbers (and not code letters) are probably of the a/c in canada, and likewise think the a/c would have been repainted with RCAF paint stocks.
cheers
Jerry
link to photo
http://media.photobucket.com/image/n-3pb%20canada/markknapp/Identify/whatsit32.jpg
By: - 1st October 2009 at 18:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi
Dosgbody, I'll have a look at the Seawings forum and I'll keep an eye out for one of the MPM kits.
Jerry, four N-3PBs were lost in Canada. I have details on 3 of them;
Feb. 21 1941* - N-3PB crashed into the sea off Point Atkinson, Vancouver killing Flight Pupil Erling Jorgenson and instructor Harald Kruse, both 25 years old.
18 Mar 1941 N-3PB Vancouver, BC, Canada
20 Jun 1941 N-3PB Toronto Bay, Canada
Alex
By: - 2nd October 2009 at 04:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Alex,
Toronto bay is the other side of canada, and from what I found so far they only lost two on the west coast, so probably the other a/c was lost near toronto as well as the base in the east of canada was initially on the shores of Lake ontario, near Toronto.
Makes me wonder if there are two more recoverable wrecks, as lake ontario is fresh water, although locating them could be difficult with an area of 19 000 km2
18 mar a/c was the patricia bay crash.
Apparently the a/c in canada were the first six delivered, the other 18 went straight to iceland.
There is a museum/archive here I will try to find out if they have any photos, etc.
cheers
jerry
By: - 2nd October 2009 at 05:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
'Little Norway' was based on Toronto Island airfield (now airport), in the lake in 'front' of Toronto, but the Norwegians were moved elsewhere after an accident when an aircraft collided with a Toronto ferry, with civilian casualties. Can't remember, but I don't think it was an N3PB.
By: - 2nd October 2009 at 20:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Jerry, James
I don't know much about 'Little Norway', guess I'll have to do a little reading up on the subject.
Thanks for the offer to find out about photos, much appreciated. I've seen a lot of photos on the 'net but so far I've not had any luck tracking them down.
Alex
By: - 2nd October 2009 at 21:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
'Little Norway' was based on Toronto Island airfield (now airport), in the lake in 'front' of Toronto, but the Norwegians were moved elsewhere after an accident when an aircraft collided with a Toronto ferry, with civilian casualties. Can't remember, but I don't think it was an N3PB.
Little Norway moved to Gravenhurst, ON. The field is now Muskoka Airport.
A Cornell in RNAF colours is displayed by Canadian Warplane Heritage. 
By: - 2nd October 2009 at 22:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
.... but I don't think it was an N3PB..........
Hi
Your right it wasn't, it was a twin engine plane that crashed into the ferry, bouncing off its top deck into Toronto Bay, killing both people on board the plane.
cheers
Jerry
Posts: 391
By: Alex Crawford - 27th September 2009 at 13:44
Hi,
Before the Northrop N-3PB's were transported to Iceland they were used to train Norwegian air crews in California. I've seen a number of photos and I'm trying to confirm the colour scheme.
It looks like Olive Drab over Neutral Grey with possibly yellow numbers. They also had the red/white/blue/white/red Norwegian stripes on the wing and lower part of the rudder.
Can anyone confirm these colours?
Also does anyone know when they were repainted RAF grey/green? Before or after they arrived in Iceland.
Thanks,
Alex