K5054NZ Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) Hi all, After watching Bridge Of Spies on Saturday I have a sudden urge to build Article 358/56-6693, the U-2C Francis Gary Powers was flying when he was shot down in 1960, in 1/72. I'm looking at using the Airfix kit as, apart from a Rareplanes vac, it seems like the only real option. But what did it look like? In the movie it was overall matt black with no apparent markings, and Google isn't helpful except to show me photos of the wreckage. Would it have had a serial painted on the tail, or any exterior markings at all? I'm at a total loss so any advice - even suggestions of books/magazines etc - would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Edited November 12, 2015 by K5054NZ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ben Brown Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 IIRC, it was actually a very dark blue, possibly Insignia Blue. There was a discussion a while back, either here, or on Hyperscale, and there were some color photos of some of the wreckage. Cutting Edge made some decals for Powers' jet: http://www.kitreview.com/reviews/u2decalreviewds_1.htm Ben Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tailspin Turtle Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Hi all, After watching Bridge Of Spies on Saturday I have a sudden urge to build Article 358/56-6693, the U-2C Francis Gary Powers was flying when he was shot down in 1960. I'm looking at using the Airfix kit as, apart from a Rareplanes vac, it seems like the only real option. But what did it look like? In the movie it was overall matt black with no apparent markings, and Google isn't helpful except to show me photos of the wreckage. Would it have had a serial painted on the tail, or any exterior markings at all? I'm at a total loss so any advice - even suggestions of books/magazines etc - would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. My guess is 35042, which is a nonspecular navy blue: http://www.colorserver.net/showcolor.asp?fs=35042 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) No guessing: FS 25044, the semi gloss version of USN Gloss Sea Blue Edited November 10, 2015 by Jennings Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 From the photos I took at the Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow, it is blue-gray...... I have a few more if you need them ? I know its only the wreckage - but it is in the colours it was wearing when it was shot down. Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Maybe this shade of blue: http://all-len-all.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/francis-gary-powers-and-u2.jpg Jari Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Guys, not guessing. This is well documented. It's FS 25044. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SR10user Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 I'm working on the same project. Depending on which kit your working with (Hawk vs. Testors) you may need to change some things. Norm Debuy has some resin bits that will help in the shape of some scoops, intakes, and a belly camera pack. Search over on Hyperscale to see his U-2"s and resin. In the mean time, these may help: Sincerely, Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted November 11, 2015 Author Share Posted November 11, 2015 (edited) Thanks all, especially Dave and Jennings. Interesting to see the different views of 25044 and 35042 being used. Dave - I'm thinking 1/72 with the Airfix kit (I really should've put that in my first post!). I'm keen to do the aircraft in flight on a stand of some kind, without going too over the top with details. But every piece of info is greatly appreciated! Nice photos, Ken. I'll have to add the museum to my list of ones to visit one day. Edited November 11, 2015 by K5054NZ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 (edited) Sorry, my mistake. There is no disagreement. I just typed the color number wrong. It ***IS*** semi-gloss Sea Blue. The other one is Insignia Blue, which is incorrect. It is 25042. Typing on my phone. Also, according to the latest research, it did not carry the article number on the tail. Just the basic safety/maintenance markings. I believe it also had the small 'canoe' (about 4' long) on top of the fuselage in 5/1960. Edited November 11, 2015 by Jennings Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted November 11, 2015 Author Share Posted November 11, 2015 Thanks Jennings Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 (edited) I've received a couple of messages from very well-intentioned members, and because of this I need to say again: I'm looking at this project in 1/72. I've updated my first post. Thanks all :)/> Edited November 12, 2015 by K5054NZ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
omar Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I am also very interested in the same project. I'll print 1/72. Decals for this particular airframe, share the artwork from here for your confirmation before printing. Few questions; It looks like there are no white walkway lines on wings like other CIA operated u2s.? Do you think "sugar scoop" plate attached in nozzle area? Any photos or illustrations available to replicate system 3&6 antenna.? Some early c models have a bump at under the aft fuselage, do you think this particular airframe has that ? Best Omer Erkmen Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob de Bie Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Few questions;It looks like there are no white walkway lines on wings like other CIA operated u2s.? Do you think "sugar scoop" plate attached in nozzle area? Any photos or illustrations available to replicate system 3&6 antenna.? Some early c models have a bump at under the aft fuselage, do you think this particular airframe has that ? Three partial answers to your questions: - most photos of blue CIA birds show white walkways, see for example the photos on my Seminar 1/72 U-2C page. The Wolfpak Decals sheet 72-045 contains them. But I don't see them in the photos of the Powers' wreck. - as far as I know, the System 6 antenna is a circular 'radome' in the Q-bay hatch, as drawn in the Cutting Edge instructions shown above. - note that two versions of the sugar scoop exist, that mask a different portion of the exhaust, expressed in degrees of the circumference. I'm guessing that the rather early CIA birds had the smaller version. I don't know whether Powers' aircraft had it. Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edubarca Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 I'm building three U-2s!! All Francis Powers version. First, the card model buy Schreiber bogen, second, the old HAWK version and third, the radio control version by Jack Bale. For the first two, I haven't been able to find some information on painting wheel well doors, inside, also wheels, not tires, and cabin interior. Both the original Hawk and Testors kits make no mention nor the Round 2 version. I haven't seen the Airfix or other kits. Anybody of you guys out there can provide me with some accurate information on this? Thanks, greetings from Colombia. EDUARDO Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 On 11/10/2015 at 4:08 PM, Ben Brown said: IIRC, it was actually a very dark blue, possibly Insignia Blue. There was a discussion a while back, either here, or on Hyperscale, and there were some color photos of some of the wreckage. Cutting Edge made some decals for Powers' jet: http://www.kitreview.com/reviews/u2decalreviewds_1.htm Ben midnight blue is the correct color and it was a flat color surface. Why? Black turns into a grey in bright light, but midnight blue shows a black in the bright light (think sun light hitting it). What I find interesting is a statement made during an interview many years back by Kelly Johnson. He said no two U2's were identical in panels and surface detail. How much different I have no idea, but that was his comment. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edubarca Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 My three U-2s will all be Powers' ship. But I need please the interior colors of landing gear doors and wheels, also cabin interior. Was it zinc chromate? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob de Bie Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 15 hours ago, Edubarca said: My three U-2s will all be Powers' ship. But I need please the interior colors of landing gear doors and wheels, also cabin interior. Was it zinc chromate?  I just posted the same on Hyperscale:  I have some photos of a NASA U-2C under maintenance, with the seat and instrument panel out. The color scheme is green down to and including the top longeron, and gray below the top longeron. This includes the rear bulkhead. I recon that this is the standard Lockheed paint scheme for the U-2A/C cockpit. I downloaded the photos in 2010, but I did not make notes who made them. I made a zip that you can download here: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/various/u2maintenance.zip Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrvark Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I'm good friends with Chris Pocock, the acknowledged historian of the U-2 program. Chris and his wife, Meng, live near Heathrow and I used to spend my last night in country at their place when I went to visit my daughter. Chris is a great historian, but not a modeler, so I decided to make him a model of the Power's jet. In his various books, there was not a definitive description of the jet so I started asking him questions about antennas, color, intakes, etc. He was getting fairly annoyed with me towards the end. 8-D To make it easier to transport, I didn't glue the wings on and fortunately the fit of the wings to the fuselage on the old Hawk kit is quite snug, so that wasn't a problem. He was quite surprised and pleased with my efforts and I understand he often uses it in talks he gives around the UK. I've scanned through what's been posted above and the main thing that is missing is the intake used. Between the original A-model intake and the much larger C-model intake there was an interm intake that was sized between those two--that was the intake used by the Power's jet. So far as I am aware, the only source of those inlets was in 1:48 scale and made by the long defunct Cutting Edge/Meteor Productions. Also, FWIW, the sunscreen area on the Hawk kit is way too big, but etched into the inside of the canopy and too hard to get rid of. Good luck on your 1:72 scale kit. BTW, I have decal artwork I can size to 1:72 for the various flush antennas. PM me if interested. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edubarca Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Your photos are a big help. But I see that your model has the "coke bottle" engine intakes. I've seen elsewhere, just as you say, that the Powers' U-2 had the smaller intakes. I have both the original Hawk U2 and the Round2 (Ex Testors/Hawk) So I have both ready to be adapted as the Power's U-2. Finally, which one is correct, the big or small intakes, or nobody can fully assure which one is the definitive. Thanks again!! EDUARDO Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrvark Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Actually, those are the correct intakes. They are much closer to the large C-model intakes, but a tad smaller. Here's another pic that might show the profile a bit better. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edubarca Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Thanks again. My U-2s will come out real nice, thanks to your comments and photos. Two more questions, Those gray roundels and under the nose, are decals? What were they? And Powers' U-2 was finally black or dark blue. If you have any insignia or decals, if you can scan them I would like to have it. I print my own decals. I do appreciate your help. EDUARDO Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob de Bie Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 If you've got U-2 references, take a look at Thornborough and Devies 'Lockheed Blackbirds'. Page 32 has photos of two U-2Cs, the upper with bulged inlets ('Coke bottle'), the lower with straight inlets ("interim"). I'm pretty sure they have the same opening, only the exterior shape aft of the actual inlet is different. I think they wanted to reduce 'spillage drag' and made the inlet duct more bulbeous. Â Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edubarca Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Unfortunately, I don't have the "Lockheed Blackbirds". Is there a way of downloading this? But finally, which would be more accurate for Powers' U-2, straight or bulged ones. Final veredict? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrvark Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Here is the artwork for the decals, you'll need to scale it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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