Hi Bernie,
This isn't an easy request to respond to. Full size Ercoupe measurements, scaled down for the model, should make it look right.
The PQ-13s retained their civilian bare metal fuselages including cowlings, spinners, wing fairings, landing gear struts, fairings and forks. They had double-fork main gear trailing legs. Because the 700-4 tires aren't made any more, most early planes now have been fitted with the postwar side-axle steel gear (wheel covers would be unpainted). The wooden propeller retained its original clear finish.
On the fuselage, standard ERCO markings consisted of two 3/4" red stripes 1/2" apart 2" below and parallel to the leveling sill from the firewall to the vertical line of rivets joining the rear cone to the center section tapered rearward ending at the bulkhead rivet line next aft of the one at the front of the horizontal stabilizer. These lines projected forward onto the cowl sides. 4" forward from the rear edge these are interrupted by black letters "ERCOUPE" (10-1/2" pattern 2" high, slanting forward on right cowl and rearward on left). An additional 3/4" red line 1/2" above the lettering (with ends matching slant of letters) ran aft above the lettering to cowl edge and another below the lettering ran forward and the resulting three-line pattern tapered to end in a point at the seam of the front cowl side and the nose bowl.
The leading edge of fins, horizontal stabilizer and wings/center section/fairings were trimmed in red. Without infringing on factory trim, both sides of fins, horizontal stabilizer and wings were sprayed chrome yellow (or orange-yellow).
Be sure to leave the fuselage-to-wing center section fairings unpainted. The outer (wing stub) part of the center section and fairings covering the wing attachments may or may not have been painted. Wing walk areas were to be black.
Rudders were painted Insignia Red, White and Blue as follows: a vertical blue stripe was 1/3 the maximum chord (or 4-5/8" wide). Each rudder is divided for thirteen stripes along the rear face of this blue stripe. These begin and end with red separated by white.
Along each side of the fuselage, centered between the back of the wing fairing and the front of the horizontal stabilizer, and tangent to the bottom of the tapering red stripes, would be the Air Corps serial ( 41-25196 or 41-39099) as 125196 or 139099 in 6" block letters. This is repeated in 4" letters on L & R cowlings.
The underside of the wings had U.S. ARMY lettering approximately 22" high. A 3:2 (height/width) ratio with strokes 1/6 the height was standard.
Wing star insignia was on top and bottom each side 35" to 36" in diameter with edges tangent to the aileron cut-out and approximately 27" from wing tip edge. These consisted of an Insignia Blue circle containing an Insignia White five pointed star and Insignia Red center circle. Star points go to (but do not break) continuous edge line of insignia, and one star points directly forward. The Insignia Red center circle is of such size as to be tangent to (invisible) lines connecting star sides across middle of star.
Share pictures when it's done!
Regards,
William R. Bayne
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(Copyright 2002)
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On May 28, 2004, at 12:59 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I'm having a scale model built (by my Son-in-law) of the 415-C Ercoupe, and want to bring the finished model to the National Ercoupe Convention in Knoxville, Iowa in a few weeks.
My problem is that I have been unable to find information on the exact paint scheme for the plane.
I want to finish it exactly like the PQ13 Manned Target Drone as built for the military in W.W.II.
Does anyone here have the color and insignia info that they would be willing to share?
This is just for the 1:48 scale plastic model at this time.
Thanks for any help you can give me...
Bernie Wiklund
