Hi all,
I've carried out more research on the colour scheme for this aircraft.
Many resources and models have the whole fuselage of C1149 painted red and the assumption generally is that this was during 1918 when he flew this aircraft with No.56 Squadron (RAF).
However, Grinnell-Milne, in his book Wind in the Wires stated that the 'nose' of his aircraft was painted red, so presumably not the whole fuselage.
Also, in much later interview, he stated that he was not allowed to have the whole fuselage painted red until after the cessation of hostilities.
So according to Grinnell-Milne, the fuselage of C1149 was not painted completely red until it returned to England with No.1 Squadron (RAF) during 1919.
The best photograph from the Imperial War Museum archives show the aircraft with the usual aircraft serial number on the fin painted over, as well as the ground handling 'Lift Here' stencils at the lower, rear of the fuselage.
This suggests this was taken when C1149 was in its post war colour scheme.
I've chosen not to model this aircraft following the all red fuselage trend for its wartime colour scheme and instead paint the model with just the 'red nose', as stated by Grinnell-Milne.
Having decided on the colour scheme, I had to decide how the nose of the aircraft was to be painted.
The famed ace Albert Ball flew his SE5a Serial No:A.4850 with No.56 Squadron (RFC).
His aircraft had its nose only painted red. Ball was killed flying this aircraft in 1917.
Possibly Grinnell-Milne chose to use the same colour scheme for C1149 during 1918.
Given there is no definitive answer to the actual colour scheme, I decided, correctly or not, to replicate the red nose of Albert Ball's aircraft but with Grinnell-Milne's markings.
Mike
