SPAD color scheme

27 February 2003, 09:35 AM

I saw a photo today of a SPAD (XIII?) with a paint pattern I have not seen. On the side of the fuse, aft of the cocpit, was a white star in a blue or red (light color) circle. Eminating from the circle were rays of red white and blue (white, light and dark) that covered the whole plane. On the upper wing, the roundels had rays but I could only verify the dark color. Is this familiar to anyone? are there other photos that show the whole plane? It had the Hat-in-the-ring insignia on it.

Jeff

Cliff · 27 February 2003, 09:52 AM

Jeff
It's one of the Showbird SPADs of the 94th in the spring of 1919, 'Rising Sun' flown by Lt. John Jeffers.
Internet Modeler of Sept. 2000 has a couple of Bob Pearson's profiles of this aircraft.
The book

The Hat in the Ring Gang has a few pics and Windsock did an article a couple issues back.

Cliff

28 February 2003, 03:18 AM

Quote:

I saw a photo today of a SPAD (XIII?) with a paint pattern I have not seen. . . . Is this familiar to anyone? are there other photos that show the whole plane? It had the Hat-in-the-ring insignia on it.

Jeff

Some of the other examples of the 94th's other special SPADs from the article noted by Cliff can be found at:

http://www.wwi-models.org/IM/index.html

Check under "USA" for "showbirds."

The artist Bob Pearson has two-views of all of these on his CD compilation of his work describeed at:

http://www.jastaboelcke.de/artwork/artwork.htm

and

http://www.internetmodeler.com/cd-roms/RNP...NP_CD/index.htm

Have fun,
Stefen

DavidErrol · 28 February 2003, 02:23 PM

An original period photo print from my collection of the same bird:

1 March 2003, 01:57 AM

Good morning, DE,

Thanks so much for posting this image of Lt John Jeffers' "American Sunrise." I have not seen the published reproductions before, and I wonder whether this particular view has appeared previously?

My reading of your image seems to suggest some differences from Bob Pearson's fine rendition of this machine, particularly the pattern on the lower wing. Specifically, the red and blue rays on this surface appear to be in contiguous pairs, rather than all separate. Other discrepancies appear to involve the size and/or positiooning of the upper wing roundel, placement of the rays around the lower portion of same, and the placement of the large rear-going red ray.

Can you confirm in particular the first point from examination of your original? Having commenced the 1/32 kit of the SPAD, these showbirds have been tempting me as the scheme of choice. If you have other photos of these fabulous flyers, might you consider sharing them here?

Very best regards,
Stefen

DavidErrol · 1 March 2003, 02:16 AM

The radiating coloured stripes are definitely in three shades.....you know I don't guess colours from B&W photos so I'll let the "EXPERTS" on this forum tell me what they are. I've seen the stripes depiced as red and white only and I think that idea may have originated with Drew Eubanks in his article in C&C(U.S.) Vol. 19, No. 1, page 38.

Sorry, I don't have any other "Show Birds" original photos.

Regards,
DE

StephenLawson · 1 March 2003, 01:01 PM

The rays project behind the hat-in-the-Ring on the fuselage. *The port side section of fabric with the hat is in the Lafayette Foundation Collection. Its origin was verified by Alan Toelle. The colours of the rays are bright red, white and a medium French blue. There is no grey in the blue more that 3%. *It tends to look very bright. *The Uncle Sam Top Hat is the same colours.

Added 3/2/03 Note, I said behind the hat-in the ring not from it as the origin.

DavidErrol · 1 March 2003, 01:59 PM

Well, one of our venerable "Experts" has spoken.

On Jeffers' SPAD, the rays do NOT project from the Hat-in-the-Ring. They project from a pre-1918 star in circle insignia. The Hat-in-the-Ring is painted abaft the star in circle.

DE

2 March 2003, 06:21 AM

Quote:

.....you know I don't guess colours from B&W photos so I'll let the "EXPERTS" on this forum tell me what they are. *I've seen the stripes depiced as red and white only and I think that idea *may have originated with Drew Eubanks in his article in C&C(U.S.) Vol. 19, No. 1, page 38.

G'day, DE,

Well, you know I don't believe in pulling colors out of thin air, but where other information--both internal and external-- may be available to narrow the possibilities to a manageable side, I am willing to take the plunge and make some educated guesses.

Anyway, in initially examining of your image, I was immediately drawn to the starboard lower wing, where the relative tonal values of the presumably red (darkest), white (lightest), and blue (middle value) scheme seemed to suggest the contiguity of the red and blue rays (see annotated version of your photo, attached). *These relative values can be appreciated in the admittedly rather poor view of 5 of the "Showbirds" at the USAF Museum site:

Further examination of the lower port wing, however, shows a tonal relation consistent with the interpretation of Pearson and others, namely alternating color rays. *

Were the port and starboard lower wings really different? *I suspect not, but, to return to your reluctance to divine colors from b&w photos, the exercise suggests the difficulties involved even when there does seem to be supporting information to help do so.

Thanks for the opportunity in continuing education on this subject,
Stef

DavidErrol · 2 March 2003, 08:48 AM

StefenK:
If the colour ray order is symmetrical between the two lower wings (I don't think so by the way) the pattern itself isn't. Compare the dark (red) ray passing closest to the inner interplane struts on the port and starboard wings. I think it a safe bet to assume the two lower wings were painted by two different "artists".

Always good hearing from you SK.

DE

PS....please no lectures from anyone on the SPAD's inner struts not being true interplane struts.