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PBY 5 Catalina 'Black Cats': Black a factory finish?


Juanita

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Just wondering whether the standard USN stencil markings on the fin of the 'Black cat' Catalina (ie, 'NAVY', Bureau number, and aircraft type 'PBY-5A') were present.

Studying the photos I've not yet to been able to discern such markings on the black camo.

Possibly, if the black was applied at one of the modification centres or maintenance bases (ie, wasn't a factory applied finish) then they mightn't have bothered reapplying the stencils...or maybe I'm just not looking hard enough!

So was the 'black' finish done in the factories, or was it applied later?

Juanita

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Originally the black was made up in the unit usually a mixture of lamp black (soot they said in one article I read) and varnish

It wore away very rapidly in service, maintainer's foot prints and crews boarding took the colour off and it needed frequent reapplication at first

I understand that the colour was later applied in maintenance units and could be why so many of the later service ones photographed up 'better' and some did indeed show more of the maintenance stencilling

I did research this in some detail for my Black Cats Model which I based on the 'look' of many Black Cats on which the underlying Blues and Grey sea camouflage came out as the black wore away

Catbuildpaintingc028_zps00cc2bcc.jpg

There is lots of information out there in the net if you get deeply into it and there are also some very good books to check out

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Nice model, Perdu.

What unit is that aircraft from?

I'm research the Black Cats of VP-44, early 1945. Very few photos around of those.

I believe they had been re-equipped with the Catalinas with the 'eyeball' nose turret. They had search radar but this was no longer the Yagi antenna fitted to the wings. I think the antennas were fitted near the navigator's windows.

Juanita

Edited by Juanita
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I think you can take it that the model is generic

I did find a photographic source but it's gone in the mists of time

Which is one reason I didn't put in a build thread even though I took the usual hundreds of pics

In the end I decided to try to show the wear and tear they underwent in theatre in the early days

I used the model to practise the salt weathering technique

I quite liked it too

Catbuildpaintingc009_zps41d71833.jpg

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Sqt Squarehead: Thanks for that link. Certainly is a great source of info.

Since starting this thread I have come across one photo, a rather poor quality photo, that shows the standard Navy & Bu number stencils on the fin/rudder of one of the later (1944+) Black Cat Catalinas.

Juanita

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During WWII USN (& USMC) serials were 2 inches high and painted on the fin, in various locations depending on the type. The "serial" is actually called the BUNO, for BUreau of Aeronautics serial NUmber. It was a sequential number assigned based on contract awards. Interesting history here: http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/navyserials.html

Unless the BUNO is known it is rare that it is readable in a period photo. It does of course make modeling easier.

Tim

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  • 8 months later...

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