Some British Maritime Paint Schemes 1914 - 1918

[Oliver88 274]

THE SKINS ARE AVAILABLE FROM HALUTERS SKIN DOWNLOADER!

 

At least with regards to aviation, I'm interested above everything else in the Royal Naval Air Service and Fleet Air Arm. So the schemes that get added are for the most part going to be representing the Royal Naval Air Service. Though some other British schemes that have some connection to the sea might also end up featuring. Schemes that I've done for the Fleet Air Arm can be found in the Some British Maritime Paint Schemes 1939 - 1945 thread. Also must say thanks to @Jason_Williams and @ICDP for various obvious reasons. These schemes shown are available exclusively through HSD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other than the historical schemes above, also downloadable are some personal schemes that I've created for myself. I've created these personal schemes to be part fictional and part historical in that the schemes are in line with the historical markings for the squadrons depicted but I've added my own designs for personal markings (but again in the same general style and locations as the squadron historically painted their personal markings). The serial number given is also one for a historical machine (and painted in a manner historical for its builder) but is not one that saw service in the squadron depicted but rather is an aircraft with an unknown service history.

 

 

 

 

 

If you have previously downloaded the schemes shown here prior to the introduction of HSD then also consider downloading the "deletion pack". Sometimes for various reasons, the names for skins can change. To assist you to remove files with old names I've put together this "deletion pack" for which the original idea comes from @GCF in his bundle thread. Unzip once downloaded. Then for each folder in the "deletion pack" copy the files inside, open up the matching folder in your games data\graphics\skins folder and paste the files. When asked, choose to overwrite/replace the files. Because Windows highlights the new files in the folder after pasting this allows you to then just press delete to remove the relevant obsolete skin files.

 

DELETION PACK DOWNLOAD HERE (20/06/2020)

Edited April 8 by Oliver88

[GCF 394]

Unofficial Skin Bundle Chapter 2 collected up to Here

 

[Blitzen 889]

Many many tanks!

[Oliver88 274]

Added another two: B6380 of Raymond Collishaw in the Seaplane Defence Squadron in both PC10 and PC12 versions.

Edited April 13, 2020 by Oliver88

[Dutch2 375]

PC is this the same as Paint Code, your pictures are a bit dark on my phone screen to detect the difference between PC10 and 12. 

[Oliver88 274]

4 hours ago, Dutch2 said:

PC is this the same as Paint Code, your pictures are a bit dark on my phone screen to detect the difference between PC10 and 12. 

 

PC10 and PC12 are Protective Coating 10 and Protective Coating 12. It's dopes that the aircraft are covered with. But I am sure I've seen some sources give PC to mean something else so perhaps Paint Code is another given meaning somewhere? So for each skin provided there is a version doped in a olive-drab-ish coloured Protective Coating 10 and another version doped in a chocolate-brown-ish coloured Protective Coating 12. The images do not look too dark to detect on my computer? But will consider updating the images at some point then and adjusting my games graphics settings or the missions lighting. Noticed that forgot to remove the frame rate on them also anyway so could get rid them at the same time.

Edited April 14, 2020 by Oliver88

[imanuthep 80]

Hey, they look great but could you add a mediafire link to download them because googledrive doesn't work for me at all....

[Oliver88 274]

On 4/14/2020 at 6:12 PM, imanuthep said:

Hey, they look great but could you add a mediafire link to download them because googledrive doesn't work for me at all....

 

@imanuthep

 

I would rather not have another bloody account associated with me when one of my existing accounts already does the job anyway. Therefore sorry but no am not going to provide permanent links for media fire. However here for you is a one time only temporary download of the skins I have so far.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/7q5co5hx70p4wlv/SKINS_15.04.20.zip/file

Edited April 15, 2020 by Oliver88

[imanuthep 80]

Oh!!!! Thanks a lot Oliver for taking the time to do it and for making an exception

[GCF 394]

Final FCUSB chapter 2 update to here.

 

 

your two new planes included. please check everything okay.

 

 

 

On 4k monitor definately see difference between pc10 and pc12.

[Oliver88 274]

@GCF

 

I've been creating some personal skins for @Snowy and realised while doing so that including the serial number upon the filename for my own personal skins was perhaps a mistake. The serial number was chosen because (according to various sources) this one was an actual aircraft that was built at Sopwith Aviation (so serial number design suits) but for which the service history is unknown when I am showing her. However this could change in the future and in that eventuality I would want to change the serial number to another. Having to also change the skins filename (in addition to the graphics) in that situation would obvious cause problems for everyone.

 

So best to remove the serial number from the filename now while the numbers of people that have downloaded these skins are likely small in number and before the unofficial skin bundle gets released. Along with my two personal skins I've also decided to change the filename on the two "generic" skins to better reflect that they are the default skin. It is just the filenames for these four skins that have been changed, nothing else about them, nor have any similar changes been made to my historical skins in any manner.

 

These are the skin name changes (you can either delete and download again, or rename the files on your computer);

 

GENERIC PC10 becomes DEFAULT (PC10)

GENERIC PC12 becomes DEFAULT (PC12)

Z_10(N) SQN [LATE] (B6280) 'OLIVER' PC10 becomes Z_10(N) SQN [LATE] 'OLIVER' PC10

Z_10(N) SQN [LATE] (B6280) 'OLIVER' PC12 becomes Z_10(N) SQN [LATE] 'OLIVER' PC12

 

Sincere apologies to anyone impacted from the change.

Edited April 25, 2020 by Oliver88

[Oliver88 274]

@GCF

 

More apologies to everyone. Noticed that there was an error in the filename for the Seaplane Defence Squadron one. Again in order to sort the error out on your machine you can either delete and redownload or rename your files.

 

SD SQN (B6380) 'COLLISHAW' PC10 becomes SD SQN (B6390) 'COLLISHAW' PC10

SD SQN (B6380) 'COLLISHAW' PC12 becomes SD SQN (B6390) 'COLLISHAW' PC12

[Oliver88 274]

Also updated the graphics (skin and images) on my Camel.

Because I've now picked up a copy of The Camel File and despite my original source (which itself uses the book as a reference) stating there was no information for B6280, she is very much known in The Camel File, so have changed the serial to B6286 which shows no information in either.

Edited May 1, 2020 by Oliver88

[ACG_Snowy 73]

The skins you did for me are excellent @Oliver88. 

 

[Oliver88 274]

On 5/1/2020 at 6:27 PM, Snowy said:

The skins you did for me are excellent @Oliver88. 

 

It's no problem. Am prob not going to add the skins to the thread. But feel free to post them else where provide the links should you want others to see them.

[Oliver88 274]

UPDATED 20/06/2020

• Now available in one downloadable package rather than individual downloads for each scheme.
• Added "deletion pack" to assist in removing files using old names.
• Added four new schemes (each with PC10 and PC12 versions)
  • B6299 in 10 Squadron and Norman MacGregor.
  • B3858 in 3 Squadron and Edmund Pierce.
  • B6254 in C Squadron and Philip Fowler. Based at Imbros in the Aegean operating against the Germans and Turks over Gallipoli and the Dardanelles.
  • B6212 in Seaplane Defence Squadron and William Moyle.
• Adjusted the top wings center section on N6376 (10 Squadron /Thomas Mellings) for better compatibility with the Enlarged Window modification.
• Filename changes for better compatibility, but not for the moment conformity, with the Unofficial Skin Bundles conventions.
• Painted corners on horizontal stabilizer for B6390 (Seaplane Defence Squadron / Raymond Collishaw). Noticed had missed them.
• Changes to undercarriage on 10 Squadron schemes.
• No other changes comes to mind.

[Oliver88 274]

UPDATED 08/08/2020

• Added a new scheme. This is my first (and probably last historical) Dolphin scheme. C3785 (shown decorated with boars head marking in pictures) was one of two examples that was delivered to the RNAS.

Edited August 8, 2020 by Oliver88

[Oliver88 274]

UPDATED 29/10/2020

• Added three new schemes (each one with both a PC10 and PC12 version, so that's six skins added)
  • B3893 in 9 Squadron from August 1917 and used by Arthur Brown. At least for a time the machines in A Flight featured the image of comedian George Robey (taken from a poster for the revue Zig-Zag) doped onto the port side of the vertical stabiliser.
  • B3881 in 9 Squadron from August 1917 and used by Edmund Pierce. At least for a time the machines in A Flight featured the image of comedian George Robey (taken from a poster for the revue Zig-Zag) doped onto the port side of the vertical stabiliser.
  • B7275 in 3 Squadron from March 1918 and used by Edmund Pierce. Notable features on this include an painted RNAS eagle on the starboard side.

[Oliver88 274]

UPDATED 05/12/2020

• Adjustments to alpha layers for every Camel. Making painted parts of the cowlings appear painted rather than coloured metal.
• Adjustments to weathering layers for every Camel. Fixing another error noticed (oil leaks from cowling encroach upon rear fuselage deck) from the original template.
• Added two new historical schemes (with both PC10 and PC12 versions);
  • B3910 in 10 Squadron from December 1917 (when the stripes were painted at Christmas) and used by Wilfred Wilmot. This aircraft has been named "Enid".
  • B6449 in 10 Squadron from January 1917 (the aircraft was delivered then) and used by Hugh Maund. This has deputy flight leader markings.
     
• Added another personal 10 Squadron scheme (with both PC10 and PC12 versions) this version is pre-Christmas 1917. This lacks the stripes.
• Tweaked the "engage the enemy more closely" text on my "personal" B6286 schemes.

Edited December 6, 2020 by Oliver88

[Jaws2002 1607]

Hey @Oliver88, you made a lot of cool skins, Thank you!

  I have a suggestion. When you post screenshots for the skins, please take a screenshot with the sun somewhere behind you, so the side of the plane facing the camera is not completely in the shadow. 

 I see all the screenshots for your skins are taken with the sun "in your face" and, just like in real photography, that makes pretty bad images, because the camera is adjusting based on the strongest light.  Let the sun fall on the side of the plane that's facing you.  High noon is not a good time for photos and it's the same in games. To help with positioning, you can change the time of day, so the sun is lower on the orbit and the light falls from the side and behind and not from the top and front.

 

 

 here are some examples:

 

 High noon with most of the plane in the shadow. You can barely make out the camo on the plane.

 

 

this one is from the other side. a lot more light falls on this side, so you can better see the actual colors, but the sun is still at high noon, so you have a lot of shadow on the plane.

 

 

 

Next one is done at 4:00PM, with the sun somewhere behind, but i also rotated the camera position to get a lot more of the plane in the shot. 

 

 

Depending on what you want to showcase, you move the camera and the light source (the sun), in the best position to showcase that area or that effect.

 

You worked really hard on all this skins. Don't hide your work in the shadow. Bring it to light.

 

 

Edited January 3 by Jaws2002

[Oliver88 274]

Thanks for the advice.

 

The screenshots were taken using a mission that I quickly made along with some edited the fixed views. So that all that was needed to do for the many screenshots was to run the mission (remaining paused) and cycle through the three fixed views taking the screenshots, restart mission, change skin, and repeat. Ensured all would be from the same viewpoints, scenery and lighting etc. No fiddling about in flight needed to get the views that I wanted etc. Ease of use.

 

Assuming I remember correct I fiddled with the weather and sun because I wanted more of a dull grey cloudy appearance to the scenery. The sun in them all is actually coming from in front of the aircraft, rather than in front of the camera, but you are correct about the time of day being used. Odd though then that the screenshots that are taken from the port quarter look the best for lighting in my opinion? Perhaps its due to the haze then making the background the "strongest light" in the profile shots and putting more shadow on the aircraft then, when the port quarter view has the darker sea for background instead?

 

I probably cannot (or rather would prefer to not) have more missions (or do the shots manually) just so that the sun can always be behind the camera. I've got a couple of 8 Squadron schemes that should be ready in the not too distant future so can try change the lighting for them as a start and see what you all think. Try change the time of day then. Maybe see whether less haze has any effect? Would having the sun from the rear of aircraft be better than front of aircraft also?

 

 

Edited January 3 by Oliver88

[Jaws2002 1607]

Less clouds would help as well, since you are not taking this shots to highlight the weather in the mission, but the skins and, in my opinion, it's better to have a bit more light on the plane. The colors and details of the skins are easier to see. A lot of people look at the screenshots and decide to download that skin, or not, based on that screenshot. 

   I like to take screenshots for skins from slightly behind, slightly above, unless I want to showcase some details in the front of the plane. In that case I move the camera to the front and side of the plane. The light is best to come from behind the camera, but slightly from the side. Maybe, from 7-8 o'clock, or 4-5 o'clock.

I move the light source somewhat in front of the camera only when I want to highlight reflections. 

 

Anyway. You made a lot of cool skins.

 

Thank you!     

 

 

Edited January 3 by Jaws2002

[Oliver88 274]

UPDATED 31/01/2021

 

• Had left out the paint on corners pieces of the horizontal stabiliser on Edmund Pierce's B7525.
   
• Added four new historical Camel schemes (with PC10 and PC12 versions);
   
  • N6377 of 3 Squadron and Harold Beamish. The aircraft joined the squadron in June 1917 and Harold Beamish scored four victories (some shared) using her. It's service with 3 Squadron ended after a landing accident and by December was in Dover for repair. Afterwards the aircraft served in 1 Squadron (later renamed 201 Squadron) and in the end went missing in the air on 22nd April 1918 near Hangard.
     
  • B3757 of 8 Squadron and Philip Johnston. The aircraft joined the squadron in July 1917 and Johnston gained three victories (one was shared) with the aircraft. However just a little over a month after joining the squadron, B3757 was involved in a mid air collision with B3877 during combat against some Albatros scouts near Lens. The collision claiming the lives of both Johnston and Eric Bennetts.
     
  • B3921 of 8 Squadron and Richard Munday. Depicted here in early winter of 1917 this aircraft had been with 8 Squadron since August and with the aircraft Munday had claimed three kite balloons and one two seater. After leaving the squadron B3921 would change engine to a Bentley and be given to 13 Squadron, then 10 Squadron later.
     
  • B3883 of 9 Squadron and Oliver Le Boutillier. Having joined 9 Squadron at the end of July 197 this aircraft was issued on 4th August to Oliver Le Boutillier, an American serving in the RNAS, but just ten days later Le Boutillier crashed B3883. The aircraft was repaired and continued to serve in 9 Squadron (with a number of claims in her from other pilots) and then later at Manston for training purposes until finally written off in a crash in late April 1918.

[Oliver88 274]

NOT AN UPDATE BUT AN ANNOUCEMENT INSTEAD 13/03/2021

 

As of now all the paint schemes that are shown in this thread have been added onto Haluters Skin Downloader.

 

The download link for the skin pack is going to remain available in the first post for the time being for those that prefer to obtain the skins that way. But do consider using Haluters Skin Downloader instead. It's not got every feature that you could wish for (bit slow at times also) but using the program so far has on balance been great (ease of upload, installs the skins for you, neat handling of censored/uncensored skins) and I think it's got lots of potential.

 

I am also considering whether to provide my skins exclusively through Haluters Skin Downloader and at that point I will probably use this thread more for posting about works in progress.

Edited March 15 by Oliver88

[Oliver88 274]

WORKS IN PROGRESS 23/03/2021

 

Right then first time that I am going to use this thread to show the works that I’ve got in progress. This first time is a bit annoying to post due to having to use my phone as the website continues to have problems on computer. Along with just an image of the work in progress skin am going to show some of the historical photographs and other details that I’m using to base these skins upon. Until now have just had to take my word for it that the skins I’ve made are historical and not complete figures of my imagination. 😆

 

 

I believe this one has been done by another skinner before. But wanted to give my own take on the aircraft using this photograph below for reference.

 

 

 

I’ve matched the size and position for the hearts on the wing based on the ribs that you can see in the photograph (seems to stretch from edge of centre section across two ribs and ending before reaching a third). The fuselage heart seems to have over painted the “LIFT HERE” marking as it’s not visible protruding out in the photograph despite the arrow beneath and the aft markings being clearly visible.

 

The Camel File (by Sturtivant et al) mentions that in 3 Squadron “flight colours were used, on engine cowlings, wheel covers and (probably) fins” and you can see in this photograph that in common with other images of their Camels that the top cowling appears to be painted leaving just the side in unpainted metal. So I’ve done this in my skin also. This seems to be something that profiles you can find on google of the aircraft leave out having only the front circular part of the cowing painted in the flight colour.

 

There is potentially one more thing I’ve to work on with this aircraft. In the photograph if you look at the upper forward corner of the unpainted part of the cowling you can see a strip of unpainted metal that curves away forward and up. The same strip can be seen in some other photographs of 3 Squadron Camels;

 

 

The thing that these serial numbers have in common is that they are Bentley engine Camels that were manufactured at Sopwith Aviation. In these there was a different design of cowling (as illustrated by these images from wingnuts) and that is what this strip of unpainted metal seems to be following. Unfortunately as it would also mean changing the normal map (which has its disadvantages) I’m not going to hack our Camels cowling into a Sopwith Bentley cowling for this skin but can at least also provide this strip as unpainted metal.

 

Edited March 24 by Oliver88

[Oliver88 274]

SKINS ADDED AND WORK IN PROGRESS 26/03/2021

 

B3781 of 3 Squadron has been uploaded to HSD and should be available once it's passed their curation process. And yeah I'm ceasing with the google drive download for the pack. This and any future schemes are only going to be available through HSD. The preparation and upload is much less hassle for me.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

I've got three or four more other skins in various stages of production;

 

I've done a Camel that served in the Aegean with 2 Wing before. That was B6254 of C Squadron. Before late 1916 the RNAS was organised around numbered wings with lettered squadrons within them. The letters were not unique so there could be an C Squadron of 1 Wing and C Squadron of 2 Wing. After late 1916 the squadrons serving in France were given unique numbers, those serving in 2 Wing were not changed. So in effect meaning that the squadrons in Europe were numbered and those in the Aegean were lettered.

 

This one in the in game screenshot shown below is B5655 of G Squadron 2 Wing. It seems from photographs that the Camels in 2 Wing were rather unadorned and according to The Camel File (by Sturtivant et al) for the RAF squadrons (220, 221, 222 and 223) that 2 Wing became on April Fools it is "doubtful whether any unit markings were used". Not the most striking nor difficult schemes to create but thought that the units from this theatre deserve to be painted none the less. I've also started work upon B6360 which is also shown in the photographs below (but there's nothing to show at the moment).

 

 

B5655 was manufactured at Clayton & Shuttleworth hence the black serial number upon stabiliser, black handling markings and white builders marking that I've added. As mentioned these are rather simple schemes, the most work involved in them is in creating the serial numbers, but even that has been made simple due to other skins previously made. Something remaining to tweak on B5655 that I'm not entirely sure on is the cockpit decking which appears rather lighter than the rest of the airframe in the photographs.

 

The Camel File (by Sturtivant et al) is primarily a listing of all the Camels that were produced along with the known service details of each one. However it does also devote about four pages to the colour and markings that would have been used on them. And the following images show what the book has to say about the various doping schemes and about the machines that were made at Clayton Shuttleworth. Due to the section about Clayton & Shuttleworth I've for the moment made this decking a lighter shade of PC10/PC12 though perhaps this lighter shade in the photographs is the battleship-grey pigmented oil varnish mentioned about the Class B doping scheme and had been applied over the factory PC10/PC10 when in service after delivery for some reason?

 

 

 

Another Camel that I've begun work upon is B6350 that can be seen second in line in the below photograph. Again a rather simple scheme and made easier due to having already made the Camel that is at the forefront of the photograph (same reference image). So to make B6350 should just be a matter of creating the serial number and aircraft identity letter.

 

Edited April 8 by Oliver88

[Oliver88 274]

The three schemes mentioned in previous post have been uploaded to HSD and are awaiting curation;

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

As I've got some good source images from some Cross & Cockade articles I'm considering doing some late 1917 schemes for 9 Squadron (the ones where the fuselage cockades are erased out) next. Or maybe I will once and for all download and get to grips with the SE5a template to do one of the very few (and boring) examples that the RNAS obtained in March 1918 along with a personal scheme.

Edited April 8 by Oliver88