Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Vintage wing markings?

  1. #1
    cub builder's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    North Central AR
    Posts
    456

    Vintage wing markings?

    Our EAA Chapter is restoring a pre-war J-5 and have decided they would like to paint the registration numbers on the wings as they would have originally appeared using the NC registration number on the bottom of the left wing and top of the right. We are having some difficulty finding the size of the font originally used on aircraft of that size and vintage. As best I can recall, I believe they were painted on the wings with a 24" font, but can't cite any source as proof. The current international standard is 50 cm (19.6"), but we are looking to display the numbers as originally marked.

    Thanks for any assistance.

    -Cub Builder

  2. #2
    Airmutt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    NW. Atlanta GA
    Posts
    560
    There is a thread on the supercub.org BB on Cub marking. Wing N numbers were 24x16 with a 4 inch character. I tried posting a copy but I keep losing it.
    Dave Shaw
    EAA 67180 Lifetime
    Learn to Build, Build to Fly, Fly for Fun

  3. #3
    cub builder's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    North Central AR
    Posts
    456
    Thanks. I'll go search that out on SuperCub.org. I'm on that forum as well. Thank you.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Mar 2022
    Posts
    2
    Name:  8B2A430A-939A-49D3-B067-2C718FAE8CFA.jpg
Views: 1541
Size:  17.3 KB

    this is something I found and saved for future reference

  5. #5
    rwanttaja's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    2,948
    Quote Originally Posted by painless View Post
    Name:  8B2A430A-939A-49D3-B067-2C718FAE8CFA.jpg
Views: 1541
Size:  17.3 KB

    this is something I found and saved for future reference
    Interesting. What nearly everyone calls "Cub Yellow" is labeled as "Lock Haven Yellow."

    Ron Wanttaja

  6. #6
    Airmutt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    NW. Atlanta GA
    Posts
    560
    This should help…
    “Piper originally used nitrate dope for the J3. This is the darker, more orange shade that Piper called "Lock Haven Yellow". Some time after the [Second World War], when the supply of nitrate dope was dwindling, bids went out from Piper for a paint manufacturer to come up with a pigmented yellow butyrate dope that would as closely match the nitrate shade as possible.
    None of the companies could match the Lock Haven Yellow exactly, but [Randolph Products Co. in Chicopee, Massachusetts] was the closest and thus was awarded the contract. This butyrate yellow was a little brighter and more a pure yellow and though Piper continued to refer to it as Lock Haven Yellow, Randolph dubbed it "Piper Cub J-3 Yellow". [Alas, I searched the Randolph website in vain for any trace of Cub Yellow. -- DF]
    So, all J3s up until the change of dope during 1946 was painted with the darker shade which Randolph refers to as "Lock Haven Yellow" (#M-9521), while the butyrate doped J3s and ALL PA-11, 15, 17, 18 and PA-20/22 aircraft were finished with the light butyrate, Randolph's "Piper Cub J-3 Yellow" (#F-6285). [Similarly, when I searched for #M-9521 and #F-6285, the Randolph website replied: "Sorry, no content matched your criteria." -- DF]
    A nice detail: After changing to butyrate dope, Piper couldn't use dope for the boot cowl. The boot cowl had to be painted with enamel, and that is why the butyrate doped J3s (especially from Ponca City, Oklahoma) had a shorter black lightning bolt, ending (starting) behind the boot cowl.
    Best regards,
    Magnus”
    Dave Shaw
    EAA 67180 Lifetime
    Learn to Build, Build to Fly, Fly for Fun

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •