McEwen Camel 8239D colors

[GeFliegler]

Hello everybody, I have a question about this aircraft: In most cases I find it with red and white checkers, Osprey shows this version too at their "Camel Aces" book. But I have also seen profiles presenting the same Camel with black/white checkers. There is also the difference that while they show the struts painted too in the red/white version, the profiles of the black/white version show them in their natural wood color. The only photograph I have found so far shows the struts painted, however one can't tell by the (sepia tone) photo which is the color of the squares. I think it's black. I did some internet research but I didn't get any clear conclusions about this. So, does anyone know what's the story with the 8239D ? I will build a black/white version anyway (cause I like it better  , but I'd like to know more about this case.

Thanks,
George.

[ALBATROS1234]

i am not a camel aficionado but i googled it to see if i could find something on another forum where it had been discussed.i found this photo
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1056142804398636&id=626290607383860

from this photo it is obvious that the struts are painted in stripes that match the checkers on the fuselage. looking at it i also tend to think the color is not black but another color not as dark. have you checked sources like windsock ,or any of the serious camel books like"sopwith camel -king of combat" or the crowood book "sopwith aircraft" by mick davis kagero has a decent book as well as "wings palette" ? also search the 28th squadron this indicated to me in 2 minutes that it is now a helicoptor squadron which has  black and white striped nose markings and i saw a spitfire with black and white bands around the aft fuselage. so maybe it is black and white but there is a glossy finish which is reflecting light making it seem lighter.in any case at some point the struts were striped.

just trying to help

[macsporran]

Hi George
The Camel File said it was "probably" red and white - which was good enough for me when I did a Blue Max one many years ago. (Any excuse for a bit of colour!)
S

http://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=645.0;attach=5246

[GeFliegler]

Hi and thanks for your replies 

@ALBATROS1234: this is the only photo that I came up with also    The problem is that red and black look the same in vintage orthochromatic photos. I don't have any of the books mentioned, so my sources are the Osprey books (which I consider very reliable) and the Internet (of course). Wings palette have the black/white version (and only that) with the struts unpainted. Their source appears to be "Great Aircraft of the World", Len Cacutt, Marshall Cavendish Books Ltd. They have 3 different images, stating 1917 to January 1919. In fact these are the very specific profiles that made me want to build this. On the other hand, this started my confusion at the first place. They also have 3 or 4 other Camels from the 28th, but they don't have the same decoration, nor any other except for a huge capital letter on both sides behind the seat and a white square (which is not present at McEwen's machine). So I don't think the checkers have to do with the squadron. Next, about the struts, I haven't found any photo showing them unpainted, so maybe there was an inaccurate profile one day, and the artists that followed copied that. Were they replacable? I mean is it possible that the machine had painted struts once, but they were replaced later? I have no idea

@macsporran: Nice build you got there  , I hope mine turns out to be as good (which in fact is not very possible  )
The word "probably" means we don't actually know, right? What a huge opportunity to do ....... whatever 

Thanks again to both !

[ALBATROS1234]

i would think that maybe the earlier version of the craft had varnished wood finish on the struts and the stripes added later more likely than the painted ones being replaced later.

[GeFliegler]

I find this possible also. But then again, it's the Wings Palette profile that claims the Camel had unpainted struts in January 1919
I am suspecting that the profile is inaccurate, besides I haven't seen any photo showing the aircraft like this