The FoxOne sheet includes a selection of stencil data more extensive than Monogram included on their 1/48 sheet. But I can't help thinking that given the 50's mania for plastering the full manual text all over airframes in those days, is it anything like as complete as it should be? And are there good references relating to this issue? There's a few general references on the net, but nothing of any great detail. Anyone seen a real one close up - or better yet, got the paintshop manual? :P Chek
Chek commented in his question about the B-58 markings:
Nay, Nay, the mania for stemcilling the complete maintenance manual really didn't happen until later, more like the mid 60s.
The first a/c that I can remember seeing "fully" stencilled was a Navy F-4, also the F-101 had a lot of information exposed.
Stencilling didn't usually survive the first repaint except for the important stuff like "step", "no-step", ejection seat and armament warnings, batery access, dange markings such as the turbine blade stripe.
Of course my comment is from memory and I suffer from CRS syndrome.
Oxmoron1, Thanks for your response. Yep, I'd agree with the F-4 observation (aah- first loves...) BUT I would also then say what about the libraries of text on the F-84, F-86, F-89, yep F-101, F-102 and early F-106's to pull back the timeframe a bit more to the
50's. Which like the B-58 were mostly natural metal and didn't suffer the indignities of the service paint shop. Has anyone got a good recall of its heyday in service, or seen the SAC museum one in the flesh as it were? Chek
I was too young to remember B-58s in service, but have seen the one at Pima many times in the past 25 years. It does not have much stencilling. Nor does the one at the USAFM or the one from the old SAC museum. Certainly not as much as other aircraft. There are the usual rescue arrows and that kind of stuff. Even the wheel wells have limited stencils and placards. If you want I will email you the few photos I have taken of details on the Pima bird.
CB, Thanks for the input, you can't beat an eyewitness. I'd have to say 'yes' to the offer of the photos - that would be very kind of you. Let me know if you have any current projects/obsessions, and I'll see if I can return the favour. All the best, Chek
I rarely put most of the stencils on my kits,which are 1/72 and smaller.72+ feet away in real life wouldn't even be noticable. eyeball...the braille modeler
Ox, Thanks for your response and your memories. My dad was on RAF Canberra B2's, which I remember as a very plain dull aluminium painted finish. And low enough for a child to see everything easily. I DO remember the big red axe marking on the nose clearly! Thirty years later when I used to visit RAF Wyton (the last RAF Canberra base till 1990), it was strange how small they seemed. He was later on Vulcans which I recall more clearly being older at the time. The main thing about them was how dirty the finish became. White airplanes must be hard to photograph, because I've never seen a photo yet that matches my memory of them spreading for what seemed like miles around the perimeter at Waddington. The B1's had a more 'predatory' stance than the B2's that came later. Mainly I'm getting an urge to do a foil job, and the Monogram Hustler has been calling out to me :) I'm sort of disappointed it won't be covered in minute lettering now... All the best, Chek
Well, if you want to get picky, how does one simulate all those little cross marks in the US military's full size a/c decalmania. We could leave th silvering in place and call it scale on the glossy finishes.
Gene define heavily stencilled please. The RB-57A models that the 117TRS/190TRG flew out of Forbes weren't heavily stencilled in 1970 or so. They had the normal safety, battery, walkway, ejection seat type stuff. The individual panels and hatches for example didn't carry numbers and descriptions as in the F-15, 16 or F-4 type of graffiti. Did these airplanes go back to the Reg USAF before they got transferred to storage? A couple of RB-57A's got an upgrade to the rocket seat, but these a/c had the hatch over the nav position changed from metal to "glass" to allow for the canopy breaker feature of the rocket seat. Curiuos Oxmoron1
It just seemed to me that they had alot of stenciling. Not nearly as bad as an F-4 , but the Canberras had lots of stenciling around the nacelles, especially for the cartridge start .
As for going to the regular AF before going to storage, I haven't seen the logs but I don't think they went to the reg AF. They still had their Kansas ANG markings when we recieved them. We have since repainted one into the original black overall with red markings paint job. The other had the Kansas markings repainted and the aluminum repolished.
Both of our Canberras have a metal hatch over the nav station. However the one we repainted black was missing said hatch over the nav station and we had some EAA guys fabricate a new panel for us. These guys were retired Martin employees.
We have a few spare seats we recovereed from Aberdeen. The Army removed any charges from them before giving them to us. I'm not sure of the maker of the seats I'll have to check.
It sounds to me like you worked/flew in B-57 Canberras. I would love to hear more. E-mail me, I put together our newsletter and am always looking for interesting stories.
Gene DiGennaro The Glenn L Martin Aviation Museum Middle River Md.
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