C-45's in WWII and their associated paint schemes.

flightsimer · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:45 pm

Well, I am really interested in Beech C-45's and think it would be my first warbird if I was able to get one, which I am actively working towards. I know I am getting ahead of myself, as I sort of need a plane first, but I am already thinking about what paint scheme I would want to paint it in.

While I like the looks of a nicely polished C-45, I do not think the upkeep of such a finish will be possible for me at this time, therefore any aircraft I get will be painted or repainted. I have decided that I definately want it to be restored to a WWII Vintage and have narrowed my choice down to two schemes, a WWII Olive Drab and Meatball insignia or a WWII Desert or Forest Camo of if they truly had those schemes as some of the pictures online suggest.

I am really leaning towards the OD scheme as my favorite for some reason (think it is the meatball Insignia). However, in searching for pictures online, there is a real lack of them. I have been able to find three so far, but they have not answered all my questions.

MARK, I know you previously had a thread of pictures of C-45's, but I can't seem to find it. If you could possibly post some pictures in this thread, I would greatly appreciate it.

I am hoping there are some people here who might be able to shed some history on the paint schemes as it seems just about every plane today is different from one another.

These are the few questions I am really hoping to get answered.

1) How rare was it to have OD C-45's during WWII and where would they have been found and of what use were they for?

2) Where C-45's used outside of the CONUS during WWII?

3) For Meatball insignia Birds, was the standard insignia locations the normal Top Left Wing, Bottom Right Wing and Two Fuselage Sides? Or did they have them on the Top of Both wings as suggested by this model kit? And if they indeed were on both Tops, were any on the bottom as the one picture from below makes it look like ARMY is written under the Left Wing, but I could not find any photos shot from the right side at all.

Does that say Army?

I know this is not a Meatball, but it at least is a OD

I actually just found this photo while writing this post... But before finding it, I was hoping to find a photo like this, but only original as the thought of the Pre-WWII Flag on the tail seemed like it could look really good. Though it would look a lot better if a single color on that plane had been the correct military paint shades...

Pogmusic · **Posted:** Tue Jan 27, 2015 7:22 pm

They were used all over. USAAF, USN, RAF, RCAF. There was an experimental camouflage of orange and green for a photo version of the C-45.

Pogmusic · **Posted:** Tue Jan 27, 2015 8:37 pm

Here is a B&W image of the F-2 in the Oran ge and Green camo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft ... e_1941.png

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7898

Greetings Tyler, so sorry I missed your thread until now. Yes indeed I have a big batch of C-45 photos for you. I'll try to post some for you tomorrow. I'm also trying to think of the thread I post some in as well. Darned if I can remember myself. I'll do a search.

All the best to you on your soon to own warbird. Good for you.

M

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7898

Here's a start Tyler

https://www.flickr.com/search/?w=49487266@N07&q=C-45

flightsimer · **Posted:** Wed Jan 28, 2015 9:52 pm

Mark Allen M wrote:

Greetings Tyler, so sorry I missed your thread until now. Yes indeed I have a big batch of C-45 photos for you. I'll try to post some for you tomorrow. I'm also trying to think of the thread I post some in as well. Darned if I can remember myself. I'll do a search.

All the best to you on your soon to own warbird. Good for you.

M

No problem Mark, I figured you might see it eventually, though it was only up for a day

This fascination of C-45's has been growing for about a year now, if not longer. Sometime back during the summer, I spent a few hours searching for that post of yours that had pages upon pages of C-45's but could never find it. The sad thing is I even remember thinking I needed to bookmark it for the future when I first saw it, but obviously I never did...

Thanks for the link to the Flickr page, it is a good start for now.

JohnB · **Posted:** Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:12 am

You'll occasionally see a C-45 in shots of UK/8th AF air fields. It might be fun to see those markings in case someone want's to pay tribute to the 8th but can't quite afford a B-17. I'm pretty sure BGs didn't rate one as hacks (I don't know why not, Beech made enough of the things) but perhaps HQ or some other entity.

Relatedly, the same could be said for L-4s, UC-43s ,UC-64s and the like.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7898

Tyler you interested in an SNB-5?

An array of aircraft pictured on the flight deck of the carrier Intrepid (CVA 11) as the carrier prepares to launch June 1956

An SNB-5 maneuvers into position for launch from the flight deck of the carrier Intrepid (CVA 11) June 1956

flightsimer · **Posted:** Fri Jan 30, 2015 4:17 pm

Mark Allen M wrote:

Tyler you interested in an SNB-5?

An array of aircraft pictured on the flight deck of the carrier Intrepid (CVA 11) as the carrier prepares to launch June 1956

An SNB-5 maneuvers into position for launch from the flight deck of the carrier Intrepid (CVA 11) June 1956

Thats pretty cool to see it on a carrier. Wonder if there are any videos floating around of one taking off.

Really, It has was between a WWII OD or one of the Navy/Marines Jetglo Schemes. However when trying to find pictures, it seemed that most 45's out there are either Bare Metal or in the Navy/Marines schemes, so I really want something you do not see too much of that will set it apart from the other C-45's, hence why I am really leaning towards the OD.

Another big reason I am leaning towards the OD is I might already have all, if not a large portion, of the OD, Grey and Insignia paint needed for the C-45 as we ordered a little bit too much for our C-47.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7898

You could always think of adding a bit of color ...
photo source: http://www.ronneantarcticexplorers.com/planes.htm

JohnB · **Posted:** Fri Jan 30, 2015 11:02 pm

Great shots of the UC-64 combining arctic and ARS colors.
Plus a nice Studebaker Weasel.

Stoney · **Posted:** Sat Jan 31, 2015 12:10 am

The 2 stars insignia is wrong, the red is a little to big

jdvoss · **Posted:** Sat Jan 31, 2015 1:17 pm

Attached is a period photo of a USMC JRB-1 Expeditor taken in Melbourne, Australia. It is apparently marked in classic US Army OD camoflauge paint scheme. Sorry for tilted photo...

http://www.fuselagecodes.com

jdvoss · **Posted:** Sat Jan 31, 2015 1:47 pm

Here is a period photo (post WWII) of a Royal Navy Expeditor is a wrap-around midnite blue scheme.

JDV
http://www.fuselagecodes.com

Pogmusic · **Posted:** Sat Jan 31, 2015 1:56 pm

The USMC JRB is in Marine Green not OD. Shade is a tad bit different.

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C-45's in WWII and their associated paint schemes.

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