USAAS Paint Schemes

[Hunter]

I need some help with finding a couple of paint schemes of two US pilots. The first is Jerry Vasconcells. Same squadron as Frank Luke. Lt. Vasconcells was born and grew up in a nearby town from our ranch in Kansas, before moving to Colorado. I can find no color plates or photos of his SPAD XIII. Even my Osprey books have no visual images.

The second pilot is Field Kindley, from Arkansas but enlisted for WWI in Coffeyville, Kansas. My home state. I found a side view color plate, in my Osprey book of Camel Aces, of his Sopwith Camel but is of no use as there is no top view of his plane to be able to mimic it.

I want to repaint both Vasconcells SPAD and Kindleys Camel and need to order the correct decals. Any assistance would greatly appreciated.

Thanks Wingers!

[Hunter]

Really? No one has any references for Kindley and Vasconcells aircraft schemes. Back to the internet...

[Jager]

Kindley is in Ospreys' Aircraft of the Aces 42: American Aces, plate 21 pg 59: side view only, looks like a standard coloured Sopwith with British roundels, A white letter "B" in front of the side roundel and a white triangle behind. Aircraft number on the rudder is E1537 in black. Red wheels and a small pointed spinner of white and red.
No plate or pic for Vasconcells, but he was in the 27th Pursuit sqd., so you could use Luke's SPAD as a template.
Karl

[somaliavet]

On a side note, the book Unknown Soldiers by Neil Hanson follows the life of George Seibold, Kindley's squadron mate in the 148th. It has a couple of low resolution pics, but they aren't of too much use. I've been wanting to do a repaint of his plane, but now your project has piqued my interest. (Unknown Soldiers is great read, by the way, following 3 soldiers of the Great War, and then going into the development of the Cenotaph and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.)

[Oberst Hajj]

What unit was Kindley in?

[somaliavet]

148th Aero Sqdn

[Oberst Hajj]

He flew a British Camel in the 148th??

[Oberst Hajj]

Ahh, here is the info: assigned to the Royal Air Force's 65 Squadron on the Western Front on 22 May 1918.

[Hunter]

Kindley is in Ospreys' Aircraft of the Aces 42: American Aces, plate 21 pg 59: side view only, looks like a standard coloured Sopwith with British roundels, A white letter "B" in front of the side roundel and a white triangle behind. Aircraft number on the rudder is E1537 in black. Red wheels and a small pointed spinner of white and red.
No plate or pic for Vasconcells, but he was in the 27th Pursuit sqd., so you could use Luke's SPAD as a template.
Karl

Yes, I have that side view plate also. It's the best one I have for him. I was looking for the top view but haven't found a pic yet. Thanks Karl for reminding me of the red & white spinner!

[Oberst Hajj]

I'll have a look in my British unit markings book (when it gets unpacked) and see if I can give you any more info on the unit's standard markings if they apply here.

[Hunter]

On a side note, the book Unknown Soldiers by Neil Hanson follows the life of George Seibold, Kindley's squadron mate in the 148th. It has a couple of low resolution pics, but they aren't of too much use. I've been wanting to do a repaint of his plane, but now your project has piqued my interest. (Unknown Soldiers is great read, by the way, following 3 soldiers of the Great War, and then going into the development of the Cenotaph and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.)

Thanks Brian, I'm going to track Unknown Soldiers down at the library here and check out those pics you mentioned. Did you know that Jerry Vasconcells was born and lived in Lyons, Kansas before enlisting and moving to Denver? I thought that was kind of interesting that a 'neighbor' was a famous ace.

[somaliavet]

I hadn't heard of him but now you've got me interested.

[Oberst Hajj]

Kindley had 12 kills in his Camel, almost all of them over Fokker D.VIIs

[Oberst Hajj]

I think this is the one you already have:



A book on him during WWI: War Bird Ace: The Great War Exploits of Capt. Field E. Kindley

Not much help, but here is some artwork featuring his plane by Steve Heyen:

[Jager]

He flew a British Camel in the 148th??

That's apparently the case; Osprey says the white triangle is the squadron marker for the 148th.
Karl

[Hunter]

Hey Keith, I ordered that Kindley book from Amazon, thanks for the lead.

[Oberst Hajj]

Sorry, I've not got mine unpacked just yet. I'm sure you'll like it, it's a pretty extensive book on British units. Some of the guys here pointed me to it.

[GilmoreDK]

hi Hunter

Look at this video of 148th lined up in Bergues. The Camera is panning. An lo and behold "B" shows up. And it does not look like there is any specific markings on the topside. But look for yourself:
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65...-Aero-Squadron

This tread reminded me of another thread on the aerodrome about the USAS Camels being up engined to a 160hp Gnome. A Big step up from the 110-130 hp Rhône and Clerget in RFC use (as opposed to the RNAS 150hp Bentleys).

More here: http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/ca...as-camels.html

- Svend

[Oberst Hajj]

That's a nice video you linked to Svend!

[Jager]

Yes, nice video. Any idea what the 2-seater is? The nose looks too pointy for any of the likely ones (DH-4 or 9, Salmson or Berguet).
Karl

[GilmoreDK]

Yes, nice video. Any idea what the 2-seater is? The nose looks too pointy for any of the likely ones (DH-4 or 9, Salmson or Berguet).
Karl

The one at about 1m08s is definitely a DH-9...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airco_DH.9

The not so pointy DH-9 is the Liberty engined DH-9a

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airco_DH.9A

- Svend

[Jager]

That explains it; I looked in the wrong Munson book. WWI Bombers illo is a Liberty engined DH-9, while Between the Wars is the Puma engined one.
Thanks. Karl

[Rabbit 3]

I'll have a look in my British unit markings book (when it gets unpacked) and see if I can give you any more info on the unit's standard markings if they apply here.

Here`s a useful link for some generic RAF 65 Squadron Camel markings.
http://www.rafweb.org/SqnMark065.htm

[Hunter]

WOW! Svend that's a nice video. Thank you very much for posting. This helps me alot!

[somaliavet]

Wow that was a great video!! The 1st Camel in line (D9516) is supposedly Geo. Siebold's, according to Unknown Soldiers. The book also says that A Flight planes had red wheel covers whith a white center, B Flight were all white, C Flight were blue. Kindley was A Flight commander, so hopefully everything matches up with other references.

[Zoe Brain]

The book also says that A Flight planes had red wheel covers with a white center, B Flight were all white, C Flight were blue.

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the front cowls at the beginning looked a different colour. See 0:28 for example. It's the right grey-shade for blue.

[somaliavet]

Does anyone have any good views of Bleckley and Goettler's 50th Aero Sdn DH-4 #6? Both were awarded the MOH for trying to locate the "Lost Battalion". Erwin Bleckley was from Wichita (where I live) and evidently there is a street named for him here ( which I am going to have to investigate.)

[Hunter]

Brian here is a blog post that has a b/w pic of the 50th's DH4 (#5) with the 'Dutch Girl' emblem on the side. http://warnepieces.blogspot.com/2011...-squadron.html

[somaliavet]

Thanks Terry. My research so far has turned up a couple of paintings of the plane. I'm thinking the AEF Marine Corps DH-4 would be a good start for an easy repaint.

[Hunter]

Brian, I'm still looking. Do you have the wording of both of their CMOH citations? Do you want it?

[somaliavet]

I've actually found the citations online. His MOH is actually next to Frank Luke's at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH.

The Highest Possible Courage by John Shaw which shows a somewhat fictionalized view of Bleckley's death.