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Hughes H-1 Racer colours?


k5054nz

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Hi all,

This is one that I've found a bit of conflicting info on over the years: was the H-1's wing red or blue when Howard flew the speed record run in September 1935? Pretty much everything I've seen and read indicates blue, but there are sources which say it was red. The long wing - as on the aircraft today - I'm pretty sure has always been blue.

 

George J Marrett has written about seeing the aircraft in its storage hut in 1975 with the extra wings against the wall...it'd be great if he's still around to ask!

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Zac,

 

IIRC, both sets of wings were blue, but I don't have an FS equivalent or other color reference- sorry. See if these links help. I have the CMR kit, but they only list both wings as being 'royal blue,' with  no FS or other equivalent. The aircraft is displayed with the long-span wings, IIRC, and the 'short' wings are in storage. I seem to recall an article in either Wings or Airpower way back that covered the restoration by the NASM, and I think both wing sets were blue. Somebody who knows for sure will log on, hopefully!

Mike

 

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/hughes-h-1-racer

 

http://old.sandiegoairandspace.org/gallery/album.php?id=100

 

 

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Hi  Zac,

                  An article by Wayne Moyer in the Air Racing and Record Aircraft SIG magazine "Bent Throttles" claimed to have identified the blue used on the Hughes Racer. He published an original letter from a master modeller called Lloyd Jones in which he named the colour as Prairie Smoke Blue, manufactured by the Fuller Paint Company. Only one batch was made, apparently and that was sent to the Hughes Tool Company. No chips or charts were available but a small sample of paint was provided by Hughes for Jones's examination.

Jones describes it as a 50/50 mix of FS 15050 and FS 15045.

Wayne Moyer obtained a sample from Jones but thought it darker than FS 15045, possibly through the effect of ageing (it was 40 years old!).

 

The mix Wayne suggests is Model Master "Blue Angels Blue" which is FS 15050 for 1/72 models and the same colour darkened a little with Insignia Blue (35044) for 1/48.

 

Regarding the red claim, he took a photo of the short wings at Silver Hill in 1976. The damage from the wheels-up landing was evident and the wings were definitely blue.

 

Many original photos were published by Paul Matt in his Historical Aviation series and it's worth noting that although the silver finish is often described as polished, it is nowhere near the degree of polish on the recent recreation.

It appears more like what you would expect from using a slight abrasive rather than a machine polished and buffed surface, i.e., slightly dull and not too reflective but very smooth.

 

Hope the above is of some use,

 

Dave   

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Thanks Dave, that really is very useful! I've been pleased to see how dull the original was when compared to Jim Wright's version. That will make a nice contrast between the two models and, selfishly, an easier build.

 

Apparently the red wing started with a contemporary newspaper article. But practically everything says blue. Howard was a notorious meddler and perfectionist but surely even he wouldn't paint it red, change his mind and then fly the record?!

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