timmah Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Hi all The squadron codes and serial numbers on RAF Aircraft, is it a standard font or something else? Many thanks in advance Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Rogers Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Hi Tim, Unfortunately I don't think it's as simple as that. Different aircraft had different styles, and it depends on the date etc. The best way to deal with it is to get a picture of the aircraft you're doing, then get a font match for that. Someone will come along with a far better answer than mine, but hope this helps a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattie Bee Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I got my fonts from here http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/forums/dlc...itary-fonts-19/ Again the one you need, you will have to match up to images of the aircraft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) For code letters, there was a set format, with dimensions diminishing pro rata. 48" letter/numerals were 24" wide, 6" apart, and the brush strokes were 6" wide; dimensions for 24" letters were 12", 3" & 3" respectively. When Spitfires got their dispensation to go down to a height of 20", some Squadrons seem to have kept to the other dimensions, giving the letters a slightly "squat" appearance. For general use, I found that Univers 67, or Helvetica Medium, seemed closest. It isn't easy to find a font which has all of the curves, on capital Bs, for instance, exactly the same size, and nobody seems to do a straight figure 1, so "I" has to act as stand-in. Serial numbers, with a height of 8", were 5" wide, 1" apart, and brush strokes 1" wide; 4" numbers were 21/2", 3/4" & 5/8", respectively. Although not exactly dimensionally correct, due to the figures being much smaller, I still found Helvetica Medium was closest, especially as its "8" has virtually identical circles, though 7 is duff, so a butchered "Z" stands in. Edgar Edited September 11, 2009 by Edgar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousA667 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Can do custom serials and codes for anybody that's experiencing difficulty finding what they want elsewhere. You will need to supply me with sufficient references to see what's what and you will also need to arrange your own printing. peebeep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennings Heilig Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 What time period and a/c type are you talking about?? Since around 1947 the RAF and RN have used a more or less standard alphabet and number set. Yes, there is a "font" available for your computer, but it's not 100% accurate according to the specs. It's close though. WWII stuff was pretty much all either hand painted or applied using stencils, of which the variety is staggering. There were almost no two airplanes alike it seems. There are no "fonts" for those. Look closely at a lot of pics of Spits and such and you'll actually see the brush marks and uneven edges to the codes. Lately, the RAF seem to be using Helvetica Bold, or possibly Arial (I despise Arial and all other things Microsoft). That's because they're using a computer controlled stencil cutter just like the USAF and USN. You're seeing a lot more of that kind of stuff on military airplanes nowadays than you ever did before. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmah Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 Many thanks for the responses and info guys........ Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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