Re-8 d'4932

ONEALM · 27 December 2011, 01:25 PM

Gents -

Just unpackaged the WNW RE-8 - Santa put it right next to the Rumpler and the FE-2 (whoo... hoo.....).

New Jersey boy and 21 Sq pilot Jay Pollins was killed in this airplane on 28 September 1918 in a takeoff accident. I'd like to try to do the airplane in the markings of D'4932. I've seen photos of D'4739 which appears to have a black serial # outlined in white. D'4847 has the serial in solid white #s....

I'm pretty sure this was a re-built machine. Does anyone know:

A) what format the serial # was in, and,
B) If there as any flight number or letter on the airplane ?

Failing that, I'll probably make it a generic 21 Squadron airplane....

Thanks in advance,
Mike

RobW · 27 December 2011, 04:44 PM

Mike,
I'm assuming you have Les Rogers' British Aviation Squadron Markings... if not, there is not much help there other than to say squadron markings (w/Re8) was a dumbell and individual aircraft were numbered with letters. Flights were possibly identified by wheel cover color...

not much to go on... the few photos of 21 squadron aircraft show a wide range of serial numbers and a variety of ways of painting those numbers.

rob

ONEALM · 28 December 2011, 09:14 AM

Thanks Rob.

Yep, I have the Rogers Book and looked through my old Profile Pub and the RE-8 Datafile, the old C&C issues 14/4 and 24/4 that have 21 Sq. histories in them - all came up empty.

I suspect as a rebuild there's no consistency with the serial number re-paint so I may be stuck with just a guess.

The good news seems to be if there's no photo, I won't get questioned about it !

Still hoping someone will pop in with a a more definitive answer.

Thanks,
Mike