|
Post by sunny9850 on Mar 14, 2013 17:32:26 GMT -5
Do you have any shots of the DC-3 in the paint scheme of the first picture ?? Those swoopy lines are pretty enough to roll her into the FS paintbooth once I get settled back in the Fatherland now that Frank is painting the L-188 for ACourt. I am not going to compete with the master. Cheers Stefan
|
|
|
Post by capflyer on Mar 15, 2013 15:55:58 GMT -5
He was the guy who provided most of the airplanes to Renown Aviation and then split off to run his own company after he and the management at Renown had a falling out. His son closed that operation in 2009, but they've moved into an ACMI arrangement with a company in Mexico who's using 2 of their Convair 580's quite frequently.
|
|
|
Post by jamesvswanson on Mar 15, 2013 22:50:59 GMT -5
I have several black-and-white photos of Sears DC-3's, but not much in color. The photo attached is an exception, however, even though it's more a picture of the pilots than the plane. The plane in the first picture in this string is the Sears DC-3 named the "Pacific Coaster," the only Sears plane that was formally named as far as I know. It was based in Burbank, CA. The plane in the color picture attached appears to be a Chicago-based DC-3, probably N34113. Even though only a portion of the plane is visible, the color scheme shows up well, and the colors are pretty much the standard colors commonly used, with numerous minor variations, on all Sears DC-3's----that is, white top, thick dark blue stripe along the window level bordered top and bottom by thin gold stripes, a thin white stripe below that, a thinner dark blue stripe below that, and a light blue underside. Also, dark blue engine cowlings and light blue engine nacelles. In comparing the back-and-white photo to the color photo, the shadings in the black-and-while photo seem to match up pretty well with the colors in the color photo, with the exception of the engine nacelles, which appear to be dark blue in the black-and-white photo. I have a black-and-white photo of N34113 with a slightly different paint job which shows a dark color, undoubtedly dark blue, on both the cowlings and the nacelles, so that would track with the first picture posted. DC-3 vertical stabilizers were almost always white with a thick horizontal dark blue stripe at the top, so the design for the vertical stabilizer on the plane in the first picture threw me---I don't think I've ever seen it before. Looks like the normal horizontal blue stripe at the top has morphed into an extra-thick forward-sweeping vertical dark-blue stripe along the leading edge of the stabilizer. I can't confirm it at this point but it seems to me that the wings and horizontal stabilizers were always either light blue or white. I'll check further and let you know if I can find out anything more definite. A couple of additional notes: 1. The "Sears" lettering on the center of the fuselage above the windows is identical in both photos; 2. The name "Pacific Coaster" appeared in the thick blue stripe just in front of the passenger door, and "Sears" appeared in slightly curved lettering above the same door----even though both letterings are illegible in the first photo posted, I think you can just barely make them out. I'll send a close-up of this lettering in a black-and-white photo next time. To capflyer: Thanks for the additional information----much appreciated! Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by darrenvox on Mar 17, 2013 10:11:52 GMT -5
these are nice planes, anyone looking to paint these
|
|
|
Post by Tom/CalClassic on Mar 17, 2013 10:59:59 GMT -5
Darren, please read reply #15.
|
|
|
Post by sunny9850 on Mar 17, 2013 12:16:28 GMT -5
Thanks James, once I am settled in I will start on the Pacific Coaster on Manfred's C-47. If you find anything more on that particular plane and the colors and specific lettering that will surely be appreciated.
Cheers Stefan
|
|
|
Post by jamesvswanson on Mar 17, 2013 13:44:36 GMT -5
That's great, Stefan----I'll look forward to the finished product. Per my last post, here's a photo of the passenger doorway with the "Pacific Coaster" lettering and the Sears name overhead. I haven't found any more color Sears DC-3 photos at this point----I'll look at some 8-millimeter film I have of the Sears planes to see if I can pick up any wing and/or tail colors for you there. I'll also send a black-and-white photo of the entire plane from a different angle and with a slightly different paint scheme next time----still looks like the colors track with my last post. Jim Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by jamesvswanson on Mar 19, 2013 17:26:29 GMT -5
The "Pacific Coaster," N49952. This is Sears' Burbank, CA-based DC-3. I think it covered the West Coast and Nevada. Looks like the underside and tail may be bare metal in this paint scheme, which was common for the Coaster. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by Tom/CalClassic on Mar 19, 2013 17:37:51 GMT -5
One wonders where that is...
|
|
|
Post by Pixel Pilot on Mar 20, 2013 8:59:26 GMT -5
Tom,
I bet that sign mounted to the railing of the control tower says where. Can't say they invested a lot in paving though. Looks like loose rock would be laying around just about everywhere.
Ed
|
|
|
Post by Tom/CalClassic on Mar 20, 2013 11:20:20 GMT -5
Yea, it looks like "macadam" or "bituminous" paving, little more than heavy tar spread over the gravel.
|
|
|
Post by jamesvswanson on Mar 21, 2013 11:45:32 GMT -5
Location of the last picture posted could be San Luis Obispo. Photo below is a companion photo, showing the Pacific Coaster taking off----reverse side of photo says "San Luis Obispo, CA. August 8, 1949." I haven't been able to find a picture of the old San Luis Obispo control tower on the Internet yet, though. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by Tom/CalClassic on Mar 21, 2013 12:17:26 GMT -5
That looks like a concrete tarmac, whereas the previous picture has bituminous and gravel. Of course, you never can tell...
|
|
|
Post by jamesvswanson on Mar 21, 2013 14:08:12 GMT -5
Ya got me there. Could be a different portion of the tarmac, or could be a different airport. I'll keep nosing around the Internet and anything else that I've got here and let you know if I come up with anything more.
|
|
|
Post by jamesvswanson on Mar 23, 2013 20:50:23 GMT -5
Here's the Sears Convair 440 N9730 with a very unusual livery for Sears----no blues. Also no "Sears Roebuck" lettering----just a highly stylized, almost unrecognizable "SR" logo just behind the cockpit window. This aircraft replaced the Sears DC-3 N34113 for trips to South America. The Convair was, of course, roomier, more powerful, and pressurized, which meant she could fly over the Andes (the unpressurized DC-3 had to fly THROUGH the Andes). At some point in the early 1960's, due to political situations in some South American countries, it became a not particularly good idea to identify this plane as being owned by Sears Roebuck, or even use a previously-seen Sears color scheme. The result was this livery, which may qualify as early stealth technology. Attachments:
|
|