Ansaldo SVA

[WWIModelGuy]

Does anyone know how they did the camoflage on the upper wing surfaces of the Ansaldo SVA. It's been suggested that perhaps they used a natural sponge??? I'd like to recreate this camo somehow for a large scale model.

[Lyle]

WWIModelGuy,

Color Profiles of WWI Combat Planes by Giorgio Apostolo and Giorgio Begnozzi has a good 5-view of the SVA-5--the top wing does look like it's painted with a sponge, but no description is given of the technique used. Incidentally the scheme illustrated is that of 4a Squadriglia of the 2nd Aviation Group. Sorry that I can't be more of help! A very interesting idea, though...
Best, Lyle

[WWIModelGuy]

Lyle, Thanks for the info. That is the book I will use for my color scheme. You missed a great Jamboree at Rhinebeck. Jack was the hit of the show with his 1/3 scale Jacobs triplane. He flew in the actual airshow - a mock dogfight with a Moraine and tight formation with a full scale triplane! Hope to see you soon.

[Intrepid]

Marco Gueli who did the colour and markings for Datafile #40 Ansaldo SVA5 wrote that the finish was applied with a brush. He noted colour references as to match Methuen 26E/F7-8 (FS 14110 ) and Methuen 9D7 (FS 11136/20152).

He noted these two colour were applied over the natural fabric.

[Breguet]

Well here's how one modeler (Ross Woodcock) portrays it.

[The PIPE]

Dear Breguet:

The PIPE Here...and as I have Windsock Datafile No.40 myself (the one on the Ansaldo SVAs) I can clearly see that Ross Woodcock got the TAIL COLORS "goofed" on HIS model of NELLO MARANI's SVA 5 No. 11779...

...as those tail surfaces (except for the rudder) SHOULD be painted the SAME SHADE OF GREEN as the Italian national color markings on the rudder have...NOT in BLUE!

One of the photos of Marani's SVA in the Datafile even has a CAPTION that states this...from Marani's own recollections...and the shade of GRAY in one of the photos (for the solid color on the tail of 11779) just about EXACTLY MATCHES the shade of gray of the GREEN vertical band, of the Italian national colors on the rudder!

Even the Aircraft in Profile five-view color drawing of Nello Marani's plane goofed it, too...which I am CERTAIN is the one Ross Woodcock used for documentation...at least the WORDS are there in the captioning under one of the photos of Nello Marani's No.11779 SVA aircraft!

If I ever used the Aircraft in Profile five view for documentation for a future RC Giant Scale model of the SVA (based on FACTORY drawings I've got of the fuselage, from the Smithsonian, AND from the best set of scale drawings found in ANY of the Datafiles I've so far had...Marco Gueli's SUPERB and VERY ACCURATE ones of the SVA 5 in that Datafile) I'd re-do the colors on my PC to elimiate the "blue" color on the tail surfaces in that color five-view-after scanning it into my PC, and SUBSTITUTE the correct FLAG GREEN color on the erroneously "blue" colored tail surfaces on the printout for my documentation. album.

Signor Gueli even got the ASYMMETRIC wing panel lengths "right-on-the-nose" on the drawing...as well as a RUDDER HINGE LINE that is TIPPED FORWARDS going from bottom to top...I was VERY surprised at THAT feature!

But that COLOR goofup on the TAIL of Ross Woodcock's SVA IS one that is revealed within the pages of Windsock Datafile No.40...I just felt it HAD to be mentioned...!

Yours Sincerely,

The PIPE!