Skyraider AD-4W/AEW 1 colour

[825]

On a trip yesterday to Hannants in London I picked up the new Sword Skyraider AEW 1. It looks rather nice in the box and should build up to be a nice companion to my Gannet AEW 1.  However, one, fairly major, issue in the instructions has me a little confused. For all versions USN and FAA the colour call out is for overall Non specular intermediate blue. I would have thought Gloss Sea Blue would have been the correct colour.

 

Has anyone got confirmation/opinion?

[sloegin57]

26 minutes ago, 825 said:

On a trip yesterday to Hannants in London I picked up the new Sword Skyraider AEW 1. It looks rather nice in the box and should build up to be a nice companion to my Gannet AEW 1.  However, one, fairly major, issue in the instructions has me a little confused. For all versions USN and FAA the colour call out is for overall Non specular intermediate blue. I would have thought Gloss Sea Blue would have been the correct colour.

 

Has anyone got confirmation/opinion?

This small piece appeared in the British Aviation Research Group monograph (No.2) on the type, published in March 1974 .  It may assist as the publication was not designed for modellers but for serious amateur historians and concentrated mainly on the history of each aircraft delivered to the Royal Navy :-      

 

 

HTH

 

Dennis                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

[Giorgio N]

The colour would have been Glossy Sea Blue ANA 623, in its 1948 variant (this colour changed around that time, there are a few threads on the subject in this forum).

[825]

Thanks @sloegin57 and @Giorgio N. That's really helpful. The BARG monograph is really comperehensive.  The only thing I can think is that some stored and not yet preserved planes in store have faded to a dull matt lighter blue and this is what Sword used as their reference. Have a look at the FAA Museum's Skyraider in their reserve collection. https://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibit/douglas-skyraider-aew1-wt121/6-30-54.aspx

 

Anyway Gloss Sea Blue in its later form it will be. Thanks guys. 

[71chally]

Other things worth noting, many of the AEW.1s in Suez only had the yellow stripes applied, these being painted straight on to the dark blue, ie no black stripes applied.

There is photographic evidence that earlier in service life that the roundel blue was a lighter shade than the standard blue, possibly to make them stand out against the overall dark blue of the airframe.

[Tailspin Turtle]

Also see: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2019/08/sword-172-douglas-ad-4w-skyraider.html

[f111guru]

On 9/6/2019 at 1:07 AM, 825 said:

On a trip yesterday to Hannants in London I picked up the new Sword Skyraider AEW 1. It looks rather nice in the box and should build up to be a nice companion to my Gannet AEW 1.  However, one, fairly major, issue in the instructions has me a little confused. For all versions USN and FAA the colour call out is for overall Non specular intermediate blue. I would have thought Gloss Sea Blue would have been the correct colour.

 

Has anyone got confirmation/opinion?

I built the Monogram A-1J-H kit in 1981, converted it to the AEW-1 using NO.2S The History Of The Douglas Skyraider AEW.1. Purchased the book from the FAA Museum at RNAS Yeovilton back in 1979 when one of our F-111F's landed with engine problems. Everyone is correct on the Dark Sea Blue as stated in the book.

Apologies for the bad image. Did not have a good camera or scanner.

 

Ron VanDerwarker

[Don149]

Hi 825 , back in 53/54 in Malta , we used to see " Guppy " Skyraiders on a daily basis . They were stationed just down

the coast at the RNAS airfield at Hal Far . They were gloss Sea Blue . Any help ? .

                                                                                                                                 Don .