Miles M5 Sparrowhawk by Walt Mooney

[billdennis747]

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what colour was the miles sparrowhawk G-AELT and how do we know

The Miles M.5A Sparrowhawk with registration G-AELT was painted dark blue with silver registration letters.
We know this because of surviving historical aviation documentation, multi-view (3-view) scale drawings, and records referenced by scale builders and aviation historians detailing its specific 1936 Schlesinger Race livery.
If you like, I can help you find:
• Additional historical photos or technical specs of the Miles Sparrowhawk
• Information on Victor Smith's flight in the 1936 Schlesinger Race
Let me know what you would like to explore next.
AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses
•
Wikipedia
Miles Sparrowhawk - Wikipedia
•
RCM&E Magazine
Miles Sparrowhawk - Build Blogs and Kit Reviews
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wlmac.co.uk
WLMAC Newsletter May 2020
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How do you know it was blue

We know G-AELT was dark blue through a combination of verified contemporary documentation, historical aviation publications, and records from the pilot himself:
• Contemporary Aviation Press & Race Reports: Detailed records of the 1936 Schlesinger African Air Race (published in historic magazines like Flight and The Aeroplane) meticulously documented the participating aircraft, their specifications, and their corporate sponsor livery.
• Sponsorship Records: G-AELT was entered into the race by pilot Victor Smith with backing from the George Boot Factory in South Africa. The aircraft was specifically painted in a dark blue livery accented with sponsor lettering.
• Aviation Historians & Modeller Archives: Highly specialized publications, such as RC Scale International (specifically the May/June 1998 research article by Phillip Kent) and Aeroplane Monthly, analyzed original factory paint notes, three-view drawings, and black-and-white tonal orthochromatic photographic plates to confirm the dark blue and silver scheme.
• Logbooks and Subsequent Military Service: After the race, G-AELT was sold in South Africa as ZS-ANO and eventually impressed into the South African Air Force in 1940 as serial 1427, creating a clear paper trail of the airframe's physical history.

That will satisfy judges I think. It's not perfect but it will do.

[g_kandylakis]

To answer Henk's question, before reading what Bill write, personally speaking, I wouldn't...

But it is a minimal cost to pay, color accuracy... 2% of static, 1% of total score.

And you will definetely not get a 10 for accuracy, but maybe not a zero either, so I would not worry too much about that.

George

[Stunthenk]

Still, I would love a  copy of the Philip Kent magazine article... And / or a description of Sparrowhawk entry in the Schlesinger race, from a contemporary source... Even if 1%, every point counts!

[TheLurker]

Contemporary B&W Schlesinger Race photo at link below which shows that it was dark colour with light lettering.  So arguing for dark blue & silver scheme shouldn't be too hard.


https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/1124989

Recent(ish) images from a build of the SBS (plastics) kit. Which although no good for scale judging purposes may be helpful for your build.

https://imodeler.com/2022/02/miles-sparrowhawk-172-how-a-model-kit-born/

Scanning through the images shows the Kent 3 view so I expect that's what they used as the basis.  Anyone know if the Kent 3 view was accredited for Scale comps?

E-mail: contact@sbsmodel.com
Web:    https://sbsmodel.com

[TheLurker]

One quick e-mail exchange with Andy Blackburn later....

Andy tried to chase this down back in '20 and got the following from Peter Amos

".... Phillips & Powis Works Records say that it was painted blue, they don't state which shade.  However, looking at the photos of it I would say that it was a dark blue.


This is what the works records state:

c/n 275  Miles M.5A Sparrowhawk; G-AELT, painted blue."

The snap is Andy's build at Trinity.

[Stunthenk]

If a contemporary source states that G-AELT was blue, that is completely satisfactory considering the fact that we are restricted to blue tissue, which has a variety of shades alllowing us to choose a (closely?) matching colour. Unless we want to paint a (peanut) model which increases weight. So the excact shade is not important in our models. However, to prove the colour, a quote from one of the records mentioned would be nice! For instance, is there a scan of a page in the Miles Works records showing this statement? Or in the Phillips & Powis Works records? Or an authenticated statement of an eye witness? (Pilot, factory worker in an interview or a journalist?)
I am sorry that may I appear as a pain in the Gluteus Maximus, but in the end it is primary sources that count...
About plastic models, I've been involved with them for 25 years now, and I've learned to doubt the colour schemes provided with kits. Too many suffer from inadequate research and a desire to market a popular image of a product... (And others go to great lenghts to be correct).

[Nigel_M]

This (BMFA rules) Peanut judge would not accept an AI statement! But it has never happened yet, so it would probably be referred to the CD on the day. Typically, in such cases, the competitor has produced a copy of a magazine article concerned with the prototype. Contemporary sources will be treated similarly; the pieceof paper presented must be an obvious facsimile of the source, not simply a statement to the effect from the competitor. Common sense in that respect.

However, for maximum 3 marks, the colour has to look like the colour documentation supplied by the competitor. Since that's not possible, and to allow differentiation below a competitor who has provided a colour image, if such is entered in the same competition - remember, Peanut is judged comparatively, not absolutley - an authentic written description will most likely earn 2 marks. For that, if the documentation says dark blue, the model must be a dark blue.

I have to disagree slightly with George's point though. Although the best strategy for BMFA Peanut comps is to ensure your model can fly 60 seconds or 50s from RoG so that, at present, you will be guaranteed to be amongst the top 4 or 5 at Walsall for example - after that, amongst those models, it becomes a pure scale competition, so every mark will count. This is how the rules were designed to function.

Incidentally, last I heard Philip Kent was still with us, although that was possibly a couple of years ago. The Kennedy's are family friends with him.

HTH
Nigel

[Nigel_M]

If a contemporary source states that G-AELT was blue, that is completely satisfactory considering the fact that we are restricted to blue tissue,

Hi Henk, are you suggesting the rules penalise painting a Penaut model? I would say most national's winning models nowadays are sprayed. That is a skill well beyond this mortal though.

[Stunthenk]

No, I didn't mean that. But coloured tissue is lighter than airbrushed tissue!

[Spiros]

Having built my Jodel Bebe Peanut, recently, I can tell you that the overall difference between the tissued model and then sprayed was 0,5gr.

In a model of 10,3gr it may sound alot, however the final result is really satisfying.