Caption: "A nice detailed photograph of the front fuselage of a Hawker Typhoon IB, 56 Squadron, Matlask, 21st April 1943." Source: Flightglobal archives FA_18514s
The stripes were specifically introduced on Typhoons to prevent anti-aircraft gunners from mistaking them for Fw 190s. This is why the stripes are only on the wing undersurfaces, not the upper surfaces or fuselage. They were introduced in December 1942 and phased out in February 1944. Unfortunately, several Typhoons were shot down by Allied AA fire, and also Allied fighters - the first two Typhoons to be shot down were dispatched by Spitfires. Several recognition markings were tried, including a single yellow wing stripe, and painting the entire nose white, before the black/white stripes solution was finalized..(Robert Allen text)
This Typhoon IB (s/n R8752) of No. 1 Squadron RAF was written off after crash-landing in a field near its base at Lympne on 2 June 1943. W. H. RAMSEY hit a telegraph pole over France, but managed to bring his badly damaged aircraft home Photo : IWM (CH 18509)
