question RAF Land Rover tilt colour?

[XM496]

My friend has reached the stage in her ex-RAF 1966 Land Rover S2A 88" restoration where she needs to order the tilt. The original isn't there to check, but we think it should be dark blue. What do all you experts think?

 

I'm afraid we don't yet know what role it served with the RAF, so no clues there currently.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

[RAFMT]

Assuming you are​ going for a UK, Near East or Far East based vehicle - i.e. blue-grey - then yes, the canvas would be finished in paint, finishing, bituminous emulsion, blue-grey, R.A.F. to specification C.S.2398

 

EDIT: Have you asked the RAF Museum if they hold the vehicle card for your friends Land Rover?

Edited April 24, 2013 by RAFMT

[XM496]

That's great, thank you. No, we haven't contacted the RAF Museum yet but that's next on the to-do list.

[Tootles]

I always thought that all the RAF 2As had hard tops??????:-X

[XM496]

I've seen photos of S2s on RAF airfields with tilts... trouble was, the photos were black and white

[ted angus]

Here we go lads its a Series 2 or 2a this is how the tilts looked with the blue grey emulsion; hope this helps

 

TED

[chevpol]

Here we go lads its a Series 2 or 2a this is how the tilts looked with the blue grey emulsion; hope this helps

 

TED

 

nice piccy!!!!!

[XM496]

Here we go lads its a Series 2 or 2a this is how the tilts looked with the blue grey emulsion; hope this helps

 

TED

 

That most definitely helps Ted, thank you. Now, next question - does anyone know a supplier for a tilt in this colour, or is it a case of 'paint it yourself'?

[Mark Collins]

You could try Craddocks, I ordered one from them for my series 3 109 FFR, you will have to supply them with a vin number etc and they will then get back to you with the options, as they told me they had two colours for mine (both olive drab and khaki) the olive drab was the colour I needed, (the tilt was made by ex moor trim) so you could also try them, when I looked on both Exmoor trims and Craddocks there was not much price difference mine was about £400 odd new.

 

You might find that they will quote you for a blue one it will possibly be darker but will fade over time.

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Edited April 25, 2013 by Mark Collins

[ruxy]

69AA79 tilt has not been emulsion painted , if it had - then the duck would be same colour as the seam tape ,,,,

[ted angus]

69AA79 tilt has not been emulsion painted , if it had - then the duck would be same colour as the seam tape ,,,,

 

 

then it is as supplied in a canvas to match RAF blue grey ??

[ruxy]

As you are aware , the webbing & duck colour was available :-

 

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/army-surplus-uk/37-pattern-webbing/geunine-raf-small-pack-446140.html

 

Documentary evidence of hoods available by way of Rover / MOD Parts books & literature - not so easy for me to come by. RAF (in service) - photographs are not easy to come by , esp for Lightweight

[ted angus]

As you are aware , the webbing & duck colour was available :-

 

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/army-surplus-uk/37-pattern-webbing/geunine-raf-small-pack-446140.html

 

Documentary evidence of hoods available by way of Rover / MOD Parts books & literature - not so easy for me to come by. RAF (in service) - photographs are not easy to come by , esp for Lightweight

 

We were issued with B/G webbing of 37 pattern when I joined as an apprentice in 64

[ruxy]

The Rover / MOD Parts Books are fine but in isolated locations are a bit dis-jointed and Hoods / Tilt thingies are one of these area.

 

As far as I am aware , the duck & trim for RAF blue/grey has not been around for a good while. Possibly only Undercover Covers have any ?? The civvy blue would look truly awfull.

 

In later years , there have been three shades of duck used for Army / Tri-Service Contracts Khaki, Olive Drab and Green , generally (but not always) these come lumped under the same Land Rover Part No. with a label Green (this is the case of genuine Land Rover trim-shop products with labels) - in any case they wash out & fade once the dressing with colour has gone - they all end up more or less faded to sand. I have a few genuine tilts (new) I keep for reference , some I have had for over 35 years and they are S2A, I have a note in a book somewhere with part No. & colour labels stapled in. The only other info. I have is on similar NOS S3 tilts , such as Sand , other labels just state Green (I would say Olive Drab) , the numbers tie up with Factory build up sheets I have that are 1979 / 1980 when the truck would be NATO green Tri-Service.

 

Then you get such as :-

 

FULL LENGTH HOOD

See Pages 27-16 and 27-17 in RTC9009C (E1206)

Hood Complete (27-14)

 

1. qty. Part No. 320876 (AD) (= additional)

 

That would be a std. 88" FFR radio type hood

 

I would suggest , if ever they had a new factory RAF blue / grey hood , then it was only when they left Solihull , after that it would be a olive drab one that may / may not be emulsion painted in RAF blue/grey.. That is probably the only practical solution.

 

------------

 

As you are aware the Army Parts Books had :-

Army Code No. ---

 

FOR USE IN THE

ARMY

ROYAL AIR FORCE

 

Unless there was some supplementary parts book for sole use of RAF (that I doubt) , then they would have no Part No. to order on . Most such books don't even list Sand hoods for Army.

[ruxy]

Here we go lads its a Series 2 or 2a this is how the tilts looked with the blue grey emulsion; hope this helps

 

TED

 

===================

 

Nice photograph - I have saved it.

 

Not able to date the "AA" VRM just now.

 

Looking at the truck rear X member , etc. - I would say a Rover Mk. 6 (S2 (prior to 1961 approx. ). The external fill - also indicates a S2 Contract , NOTE the petrol / diesel nozzel protection patch (PVC) stitched to the hood (as civilian). So civvy spec. hood construction BUT there would be no civvy type part No. for a colour of RAF Blue/Grey ..

[XM496]

Thanks everyone for all these really helpful responses

[Ivor Ramsden]

I haven't seen a photo of a blue/grey painted hood but I've got these which are, without any doubt, khaki.

[XM496]

Thanks Ivor. I've seen that first shot before and to me the tilt looks grey. I'd imagined that grey was the original colour or it had started off blue/grey and faded. No disputing it's khaki in the second photo!

[RAFMT]

All i can say is that according to regulations it should be painted in 1966. Maybe the unpainted photos were later and the regulations changed? I am unable to get at my files at the moment to check. Or maybe the tilts were supplied uncoloured?

[Ivor Ramsden]

In my first photo above the Land-Rover 69AA89 is a very early S2. It's not brand new but it doesn't appear to have been repainted and it doesn't show any major wear or battle scars so I think the photo will date to 1959-62. I haven't got my parts books handy otherwise I could date the vehicle a bit more narrowly.

 

The second photo is a bit later than that, probably 1967-68, so it seems that khaki tilts were seen throughout the 60s.

Like I said before, I've never seen a photo which indisputably shows a blue-grey painted tilt. If they were painted somebody must have a photo somewhere.

 

If it was my Land-Rover I'd be ordering a khaki tilt.

[Ivor Ramsden]

Here are two more mid-late 60s S2As with khaki tilts.

[ted angus]

Thanks Ivor. I've seen that first shot before and to me the tilt looks grey. I'd imagined that grey was the original colour or it had started off blue/grey and faded. No disputing it's khaki in the second photo!

 

 

I also think its a scruffy grey ! re the khaki and white hot weather tops, they were locally made in GEF , Canvas came in a range of green /khakis on 4ft 6inch rolls . the white was LPO .

TED

ps although this is a Series 3 L/weight I had to share this shot !!

Edited April 29, 2013 by ted angus

[ruxy]

Many thanks Ted for the photograph of 53AM69 , dated at 1972 - obviously the truck was brand new so the pic is datable abt.

 

IMHO - that is a RAF BLUE grey tilt - and that would confirm at that period in time such a hood existed.

[Ivor Ramsden]

Yep, I'd say that is definitely blue-grey. I've still to be convinced about the previous photos.

[simpleearth]

Thanks Ted for posting the image above, I am trying to track down RAF Lightweight images for my restoration of 53AM78.

Do you have any more photographs?