RSAF Invader

[Barrovian]

Over here in Saudi for a short time.

I was looking at poster of the aircraft types used by the Royal Saudi Air Force and on there was A/B-26 Invader with what looked like the 8 gun nose.

The picture was a side on black and white profile and the script in arabic.

Does anyone have any info on the RSAF's use of this type and it,s markings and colour schemes.

thanks

[XV107]

That's a coincidence - was looking at some stuff on the A-26 earlier, so a couple of recently-found linkys....

Some info can be found here:

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Elevon/baugher_us/a26-24.html

Photo of an RSAF A-26 on a pole:

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/a26registry/a26-4322679.html

[Pete in Lincs]

Now there's a funny thing, I work and live over there, just outside Riyadh. But I've just come home to rainy Lincolnshire for three weeks leave!

There are/were the remains of a couple of these aircraft in the dump at Riyadh. They came from Jeddah some years ago.

On my computer over there I have the addy for the RSAF museum (next to Junction 10 on the Riyadh ring road)

Either on here or Hyperscale, someone asked a question about Saudi Hunters a few months ago. If you can track it down the address is on there.

I'm off to the sunday market in an hour or so, rain permitting. Last time I found a 2 seat Lightning for £2!

All the best

Pete

[Seahawk]

That's a coincidence - was looking at some stuff on the A-26 earlier, so a couple of recently-found linkys....

Some info can be found here:

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Elevon/baugher_us/a26-24.html

Photo of an RSAF A-26 on a pole:

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/a26registry/a26-4322679.html

The fist link quotes a load of useful stuff from Hagedorn and Hellstrom's (excellent) Foreign Invaders. The same book has 3 photos of very derelict looking Saudi Invaders in Jan 1976 and says of camo and markings:

"From the few photos available it is likely that most were originally painted overall black but at least 2 [incl 303: my note] had natural metal finish. Some of the black aircraft may later have had their upper surfaces painted a dark sand colour while the upper surfaces were left black but this is not confirmed. RSAF roundels were probably carried in 6 positions together with a Saudi flag on the fin. The aircraft numbers were applied to the rear fuselage. The number was applied in red but may have been black on the unpainted aircraft. The USAF serial was originally kept on the fin, again in red, but this was later replaced by the RSAF serial. In mosts cases it was written in the same style as on the fuselage but at least one aircraft (303) had it written in Arabic. The same aircraft also had the official name of the RSAF, Al Quwwat Al-Jawwiya Assa'udiya, written in Arabic in front of the fuselage roundel."

The pictures show:

303 No gun turrets. Natural metal. Roundel roughly 36" midway between wing and tailplane, with serial in very spidery Arabic script between it and the tailplane. Saudi flag high in fin with serial just below it in about 12" script. RSAF name in very spidery arabic between roundel and trailing edge, about 12" size. Appears to be 12" or so gap between roundels and script (but it's hard to make out any of the Arabic inscriptions). Can't make out whether wing roundels present.

309 No ventral turret, prob no upper either. It's a contrasty shot but appears to show an aircraft with black undersides and a light upper colour. Demarcation 1/2 way down the cowlings and a bit lower on the nose. Hard to tell where it goes after that but roundel seems at least 3/4 on light background. Hard to tell whether upper surface is remnants of black surviving on natural metal after the rest has flaked off or black showing through after paint over it has flaked off. I'm fairly sure it's the latter. Roundels and national flags as before. Serial 303 in about 24" US-style characters midway between roundel and tailplane, top aligned with top of roundel. Can't tell what markings other than flag were or were not on fin (weathering).

Were I tempted into modelling aircraft that hardly ever flew, 309 in sand and black would look a bit different.

All measurements v approximate by the way.

Hope this helps.

Nick

[Seahawk]

That's a coincidence - was looking at some stuff on the A-26 earlier, so a couple of recently-found linkys....

Some info can be found here:

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Elevon/baugher_us/a26-24.html

Photo of an RSAF A-26 on a pole:

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/a26registry/a26-4322679.html

The first link quotes a load of useful stuff from Hagedorn and Hellstrom's (excellent) Foreign Invaders. The same book has 3 photos of very derelict looking Saudi Invaders in Jan 1976 and says of camo and markings:

"From the few photos available it is likely that most were originally painted overall black but at least 2 [incl 303: my note] had natural metal finish. Some of the black aircraft may later have had their upper surfaces painted a dark sand colour while the upper surfaces were left black but this is not confirmed. RSAF roundels were probably carried in 6 positions together with a Saudi flag on the fin. The aircraft numbers were applied to the rear fuselage. The number was applied in red but may have been black on the unpainted aircraft. The USAF serial was originally kept on the fin, again in red, but this was later replaced by the RSAF serial. In mosts cases it was written in the same style as on the fuselage but at least one aircraft (303) had it written in Arabic. The same aircraft also had the official name of the RSAF, Al Quwwat Al-Jawwiya Assa'udiya, written in Arabic in front of the fuselage roundel."

The pictures show:

303 No gun turrets. Natural metal. Roundel roughly 36" midway between wing and tailplane, with serial in very spidery Arabic script between it and the tailplane. Saudi flag high in fin with serial just below it in about 12" script. RSAF name in very spidery arabic between roundel and trailing edge, about 12" size. Appears to be 12" or so gap between roundels and script (but it's hard to make out any of the Arabic inscriptions). Can't make out whether wing roundels present.

309 No ventral turret, prob no upper either. It's a contrasty shot but appears to show an aircraft with black undersides and a light upper colour. Demarcation 1/2 way down the cowlings and a bit lower on the nose. Hard to tell where it goes after that but roundel seems at least 3/4 on light background. Hard to tell whether upper surface is remnants of black surviving on natural metal after the rest has flaked off or black showing through after paint over it has flaked off (just as I think the black undersides aren't just shadow). I'm fairly sure it's the latter. Roundels and national flags as before. Serial 303 in about 24" US-style characters midway between roundel and tailplane, top aligned with top of roundel: colour looks black to me. Can't tell what markings other than flag were or were not on fin (weathering).

Were I given to modelling aircraft that hardly ever flew, 309 in sand and black would look a bit different.

All measurements v approximate by the way: rank guesses!

Hope this helps.

Nick

[Pete in Lincs]

As a general rule:

Nothing goes above the Saudi flag, if it is on the fin.

If an aircraft had USAF on the wings, the U was removed/overpainted and an R substituted, this is clear to see on an old Sabre wing in the

museums reserve collection on Riyadh base (West of the runway and on the Northern side of the maintenance hangar.)

The aircraft seen in the photo on the pole had had its back broken when it was hauled up there years ago. It was replaced by a Strikemaster, marked as 911, though I think the real 911 is in the USA somewhere.

Pete

Edited July 21, 2008 by Pete in Riyadh