Prototype colour schemes

[Geedee]

Possibly a numpty type question, but was there a standard colour scheme for prototype A/C...ie silver (Wellington / Hurricane) that the RAF used ?. Was this the case for fabric covered 'planes only....silver dope.

Did other Air Forces have a prototype colour scheme...ie Luftwaffe, or where they painted in the relevant camouflage scheme of the era ?

[Waynos]

There was no standard colour scheme from what I have seen. In the thirties the prototypes used to just be coloured whatever the in service version was expected to be, ie dark olive for night bombers, silver dope for the rest etc. Whe it comes to stressed skin metal aircraft this seems to have changed as the Spitfire was light blue and the Hampden was a light-ish brown, (which led Flight magazine to wonder at the time if these were going to be the standard service colours!) but when the war started prototypes began to use whatever was the standard camo of the day but with yellow undersides and a a yellow P in a circle.

[Catch22]

I can't say on the British, but the Japanese prototypes were Orange.

[antoni]

The schemes changed slightly as the war progressed. The circle with a P was introduced later in the war. You can find the instructions issued by the Air Ministry at different times here:

Code Development_P
Code Development_P
Code Development_P
Code Development_P

[Waynos]

Depends what you mean by later. Later than 1939 certainly. The first occasions of this marking being carried that I am aware of were in early 1941.

[Tinplate58]

Gary.......prior to the adoption of camouflage ( Dark Green -Dark Earth ) for the topsides in 1937-38 the external finish of prototypes was left to the contractors concerned , as Waynos says no authorised schemes.
The attached is the relevant memo from the AM as to the first 3 schemes approved , for Hurricane, Battle and Spitfire. Note the unusual finish chosen for the Spitfire though it was first flown in primer/ polished cowlings.
The stipulation was that the adopted colour was to be a light shade with bright insignia and black details.
When camouflage was introduced as standard on production lines, prototypes were to be DE/DG above and yellow below as defined in the above posts and specified in AMOs.
I'm sure Antoni is right about the circle "P" marking in yellow ( size as fuselage roundel) from 1941.
The "Aluminium" finish comprised aluminium dope on fabric with polished metal cowlings.

Nick

[antoni]

The P in a 25 inch diameter circle came in to effect 11th july 1941.

[Geedee]

Hi guys and thanks for the info. It didnt help that most of the pics I've been looking at are in monochrome so everything looks like its been washed in silver dope.

Final 'shot in the dark' question, I'm looking for a pic of the Me110 prototype, would like to know its colour scheme. Dont 'bust a gut' over it as its not that important to me.