6SQN SE5a D3542 colour profile

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carpo5, 259 words, 4 comments, D3542, SE5a, 6SQN

I was discussing the markings of the SE5a with a friend when I came across a possible anomaly in the colour profile for this aircraft.

SE5a D3542 was operated by 6SQN AFC and photographed wearing a white kangaroo on a red background. Also in that photograph is a "white" tip on the vertical fin. Was this tip white or just the result of a shadow?

I have seen Cam's colour profile and wondered if the interpretation of this tip as being white was correct. I certainly haven't read anything that specifically highlights this variation (I am in no way that well read to suggest that such an anecdote does not exist) but I think that this picture:

Source: AWM. Picture profile was taken from.

Source: AWM. Same picture with higher contrast.

shows a shadow - possibly from a large structure behind the camera - which is causing this shadow. Note how it continues onto the fuselage.

I think that the shadow can also be seen on the ground.

There is also another possible cause for a white tip (although probably not the mechanism involved in the first picture.)

Take a look at this picture which shows a whitening of the upper portion of the fin:

and here is the same aircraft from a different angle:

I would love to enter some discussion regarding the colouration of the vertical fin on D3542.

More reading: AFC Tags, D3542, SE5a, 6SQN

Comments

carpo5 . # .

Apology: The above links have been hijacked by the worst kind of site - I apologise for any offence that may be caused - I have emailed Cam and asked him to delete this thread. Unfortunatley I do not have any ability to do this from my end.
Paul Carpenter

cam . # .

It is the AWM\'s retarded deep linking policy: that made it appear like that. The AWM don\'t allow deep linking outside of an individual\'s session, which quickly times out. They also don\'t allow deep linking of photos directly. I can understand it from bandwidth points of view on the images, but not the deep linking of pages. It is also pretty silly from a copyright point of view as any photo taken before 1955 is out of copyright. I have added some pics back in which are hosted on the AFC server.

cam

cam . # .

When I did the original profile: seven years ago or so, I didn\'t take into account the shadow. Not until you posted this did I look at it from that angle. I think I just took the lightening of the tone from the fuselage and construed that it was white. The instructors aircraft at Leighterton were white (Cobby\'s, Mallet, etc, though Holden\'s was red) so I assumed it would be a natural colour to put on a tail fin. I changed that to blue when looking at the picture as the tone on the fin looked to be similar to the blue of the fin flash. Though you don\'t see blue used often as it was about the same tone as PC10 (hence the outer white rings on the RFC/RAF roundel).

I think you have a point carpo. The tail may just be a PC10 one.

cam

ajcooper . # .

it\'s a shadow: In the top photo, of aircraft \'351, it\'s a light effect from the faceting of the fabric above the fin rib. The fabric below the rib is more vertical & therefore not reflecting the light. Conclusion - PC10.

Re 3542, the darker area evident is the shadow from the men standing by the fuselage. This shadow is consistent with the shadow thrown by the elevator of the next aircraft. The fuselages & fins of the further aircraft, being PC10, are much lighter than this shadowed area on 3542. Conclusion (sorry!): PC10.