Dazzle Brisfit

[StephenLawson]

Greetings all; I has a fellow modeler in Sweden contact me asking a question. Can anyone add to the mix?

"...I found a "dazzle" painted Bristol Fighter F2b in Windsock Datafile Special #9, on page 32 there is a picture of a Bristol Fighter from no 106 squadron. Aircraft number F4380.

The eye catching paint scheme is similar to the Felixstowe boats. It seems to be striped in black and white on the fuselage and the top of the lower wing. It is impossible to see the uppersurface of the topwing in this image. The front is probably standard British grey. The F4380 was called "Billing’s Bristol Fighter..."

Does anyone know more about this bird?

[StephenLawson]

I was asked about the "Dazzle Scheme" applied to F4380. Here is what I found;

This is a post war scheme and this machine was with #11 Group in Ireland in July1919. It was later that the dazzle scheme was applied at 106 Sqdn. The upper surface of the top wing is all white and incomplete as the coverage appears very thin. The uppersurface of the lower wings, fuselage and interplane struts are apparently black and white. Strut pairs are alternately halved lower wing and fuselage are predominantlywhite with black splinters. In this scheme it may have been flown by a Flt. Lt. Waller.

Another dazzle scheme from 106 Sqdn at this time was H1441. Apparently in PC10 and white mostly the top wing was a sunburst. The lower wing was barberpoled at the leading 2/3 of the wings leading chord. The 1/3 trailing area with the ailerons is untouched. The fuselage is half sunburst and half banded. There are three colours here.

See The Bristol Fighter by J.M. Bruce, Arms and Armour Press Vintage warbirds 1985, Pp.42-43. Images 91 & 92.