[WWI] Albert Ball's A-213

[Mike Kavanaugh]

Michael Kendix wrote:
"I noticed that Albert Ball's A-213 Nieuport 17 is in French OD.  I have some 
questions.

1. What is French OD?
2. I have a Polyscale bottle with "FR FOK DARK GREEN" - is this something 
like it?  A sort of dark green with a touch of blue/grey.
3. What are the markings on the top of the fuselage?  I see another "A" but 
there looks like there is something behind that - another "I"?
4. Were there roundels on the underside of the top wing?
5. Was the fuselage underside painted in CDL or French OD?"

Michael, Bob Pearson is probably the best person on this list to answer these
questions.  He has a side profile of this aircraft on his "Colours & Markings 
1912-1920" CD, but best are his top, side and bottom profiles of it on the inside
cover of the FMP "Victoria Cross, WWI Airmen and Their Aircraft".

The color of the profiles look more like a dark brownish PC10 to me, but I'll defer
to Bob's interpretation if he will provide one.  

Top fuselage markings are the "A" followed by a straight line vertical "1".  Les
Rogers discussion of Squadron 60 markings in his "British Aviation Markings of World
War I", writes that in mid-October (1916, I'm supposing) flight markings consisted
of the flight letter being painted in front of the fuselage cockade.  Individual 
markings were by numbers painted behind the fuselage cockade - "letter/numbers were
repeated on the top decking painted black on silver aircraft and white on dark
coloured aircraft."

Large roundels on underside of top wing, smaller roundels on underside of lower wing.
Bottom of wings and fuselage are CDL.

Please contact me off-list if you don't have access to the FMP VC book.

HTH,
Mike