The Ship Model Forum

Excellent-- thank you. That was just the level of detail I was hoping for, too.

A couple of useful references:
[list]Stuart Lloyd [i]Atlantic and Mediterranean Theatres 1937-1941 - Fleet Air Arm Camouflage and Markings[/i] (Stamford: Dalrymple & Verdun, 2008)
Mike Starmer & Peter Freeman [i]Wings & Waves - On Target Special No 5[/i] (Wantage: Aviation Workshop, 2008)[/list]
According to the latter, "For all other types [[i]apart from one specific type[/i]], a more easily maintained and superior anti-UV light finish prevailed with the application of aluminium (silver) based doped fabric, occasionally with black metal cowlings, then dull silver anodised or natural metal panelling becoming more general. Along with these were black finished struts and smaller metal fittings since corrosion control on seaborne aircraft was paramount, more so than with land-based aircraft. This basic finish remained unchanged until 1938."

Does anybody know how the Royal Navy painted its airplanes in the interwar period, before the introduction of the Temperate Sea Scheme in 1939? I've seen some drawings that could be interpreted as overall white, overall pale gray, or even just bare aluminum apart from the various markings, but no firm textual information.