heyford

And 45 minutes with my index didn't reveal that article in SAM either. Maybe it was in SAMi.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

The Heyford was rated for 2800 lb of bombs with a 900 mile range, so it could probably be got to 'waddle off' with a couple of 1800 lb 17" torpedoes (I believe that was the contemporary type), at the expense of most of the gasoline on board. The 21" torps weighed over a ton IIRC, so that would give the Heyford about the same range as the Me 163, providing you also got rid of the crew (besides the pilot) and their accoutrements. And imagine the joy of the AA gunners on the ships, seeing this low, slow and huge target sashaying towards them.

Re NIVO and EDSG, everything I've seen suggests (but does not prove) that they were essentially or exactly the same color. In the absence of contradicting documentation, i would feel very comfortable using EDSG on a Heyford.

Mark Schynert

so white on the bottom like an faa bird except in the regular camo pattern? that will be a looker and i'm going to do it. thanks, keeper, good one.

i see, i was thinking provisional as in alternative or field expedience. i may want to stick with real schemes, then.

i wonder if the faa ever played with one? the 900 mile range wouldn't be that usefull for a patrol bomber.

I chased this one back a couple of years ago, as I kept reading the same thing.

What happened was in exercises, the Heyfords were found to be very hard to see spot over the costal sea. They were painted NIVO.

Unfortunately NIVO had been withdrawn as a colour a couple of years before, so Dark Slate grey was chosen as being the nearest equivalent. Evidence I've read points to it being introduced directly for that purpose, but I haven't seen proof positive that it wasn't an existing colour.

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There was a Scale Models article from the early 80s that gave useful information on detailing the Heyford.

Unusual schemes - the 'Munich scheme in the box is probably the only one (with Dark Earth) though I have to say I've never seen a photo of that one. A couple of Heyfords survived into the early 40s on training duties, but they appear to have been unphotogenic!

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That's it. For the topside camo you could use dark earth/dark green as they used early war or the extra dark sea grey and dark slate grey used later. Cheers,

The Keeper (of too much crap!)

You must mean dark slate grey, yes? NIVO and DSG both had a greenish cast but EDSG doesn't seem close. Cheers,

The Keeper (of too much crap!)

yep, can't find any color pics.

FWIW In the era that this bird was in service I suspect color film was about as rare as an honest politician.

Bill Shuey

especially on the pre-war raf budget.