Super Combat Streak, looking for opinions...

[wwwarbird]

 Howdy folks,

 Next to hit my workbench will be a "Super Combat Streak" kit which is a recent release from Walter Umland. My intention with it is to build a "replica" of the original Top Flite box art model as shown in the photo below. This old "picture" is not so much a photo, but is really only an artists rendering in black and white which was common to the era. Granted, this is only my own assumption, but the orange color on the rest of the labeling creates an impression and feel that this particular model would have used orange in it's color scheme. Because of that I plan to do my model in orange, white, and black.

 Now, for reference and by comparison, if you look at the current Top Flite ARF Flite Streak scheme, it uses black on the leading edge third of the wings. The Super Combat Streak art makes you think that the lighter color, not black, is used on that area. If you go by that, and you plan a three color scheme to copy the Supers box art, this would make the whole back of the model all black except for the white areas. It would not be a very appealing finished model at that point in my opinion. In trying to figure out the layout for my model, part of what makes this difficult to me is that there is no color "break" line from the wing to the fuse shown on the box art. So what colors would really go where?

 Anyway, here's my question. To aid in my decision making I would like to get some of your opinions on what colors you think would be where going by the original box art. With this, imagine the tail surfaces each using all three colors.

 I'm thinking orange fuse, wing L/E and tail surface L/E's, with black wing T/E and tail surface "vees" with white in the obvious areas. This would work, but then what about where the black wing T/E meets the orange on the fuse? As shown on the box this is all the same color.

 Obviously I'm thinking way too hard about this, and I could just do whatever, but I want to try to make it an "accurate" replica.

[Clint Ormosen]

I always thought the plane was all black with yellow trim on the wings. I have no evidence to support this, but I still think it's painted that way.

[dennis lipsett]

I always thought the plane was all black with yellow trim on the wings. I have no evidence to support this, but I still think it's painted that way.

Yellow and Black were the colors that the Jr Flite Streak were shown in on the box art. The origional Combat streak as I remember it was white with a Black leading edge and orange trailing edge

[john e. holliday]

Both the Flite Streak and Combat Streaks I seen in my area were Red, White and dark Blue front to back.  Mine were just what ever color I had on hand. 

[Russell Shaffer]

Do you have a combat special for power?

[bill bischoff]

From the picture it appears that the fuselage would be the same color as the back portion of the wing. There is a visible white line separating the wing LE color from the fuse. I would say black fuse and aft wing, orange or red LE, black leading edge areas on the tail. I thought a Crusader was up next!

[wwwarbird]

 I thought that this point might come up. On the original box art rendering what appears to be a white line between the wing and fuse is actually just the representation and reflection of what would be the wing/fuse fillet, not a color break line. That's part of what's made this whole thing hard for me to define.

 Bill is right on in his theory, and I totally agree, but that outlook is what I think has been throwing me off all along. I think Dennis has come up with the answer that I may just go with, orange on the rear third of the wing. Doing that would make it all work out. I just didn't like the idea of the black L/E for impression in flight, dull to me. Because of the "photo", I've had it all visualized with the orange on the L/E portion of the wing, and that threw a wrench in the entire plan for the scheme. I kept thinking that because if you look at the box art photo, the L/E of the wing is definitely lighter in color than the T/E portion. This would make you think orange there, not black.

 Power for this model will be a brand spanking new Supertigre .35 Stunt.

[Bill Little]

HI Wayne,

I disagree slightly.  It appears to me that the plane in the "artwork" was only a "two tone".  Possibly Orange (since you are wanting to use that color ) and white.  Not so sure the artist was trying to define three colors.  Of course, you could use a different color for the LE on the wing, stab, and fin.

My original was painted to match the "box art" in red and white with black 1/8th" separations between the two. (back in 1972 or thereabouts)

Big Bear

[dennis lipsett]

HI Wayne,

I disagree slightly.  It appears to me that the plane in the "artwork" was only a "two tone".  Possibly Orange (since you are wanting to use that color ) and white.  Not so sure the artist was trying to define three colors.  Of course, you could use a different color for the LE on the wing, stab, and fin.

My original was painted to match the "box art" in red and white with black 1/8th" separations between the two. (back in 1972 or thereabouts)

Big Bear

Bill,
That's not the box I remember. The label had Orange predominately in it and the plane was the colors mentioned.. The profile was red, unpainted silkspan and black,my opinion only. The Jr Streak was yellow and Black on the label.

[wwwarbird]

HI Wayne,

I disagree slightly.  It appears to me that the plane in the "artwork" was only a "two tone".  Possibly Orange (since you are wanting to use that color ) and white.  Not so sure the artist was trying to define three colors.

 Yeah, I considered that too Bill, and you could be correct. The other reason I've been keying on using three colors though is because to my memory that's how all the original 'Streaks were presented in the ads. I think I'll probably go with what I described above, three colors with the orange on the T/E so on.

[Steve Helmick]

Since GMA has passed on, it would seem that Da Dirt would be one of the FS experts in the country. I recall him saying that the original FS was red/white/black, but he modified the scheme to red/white/blue for the extra appearance points. Not to say that the Combat Streak was necessarily the same, ok?  Steve

[Bill Little]

Yellow and Black were the colors that the Jr Flite Streak were shown in on the box art. The origional Combat streak as I remember it was white with a Black leading edge and orange trailing edge

Hi Dennis,

I am just looking at the picture of the box that Wayne posted above and see the trailing edge and fuselage have no separation of colors, plus from that picture, there does only appear to have two colors present.  That is an "artist's representation" for box art and probably not a real depiction of an actual model.  I do not remember the box from my younger days.   From doing research for NASCAR historians, I have had to do a ton of looking at black and white pictures trying to differentiate colors from shades of gray.  Got pretty good at it, too.

Big Bear

[wwwarbird]

From doing research for NASCAR historians, I have had to do a ton of looking at black and white pictures trying to differentiate colors from shades of gray.  Got pretty good at it, too.

Big Bear

 What colors do you think then Bill?

[Lynn Weedman]

I had one of the original kits and I remember the colors being a base of black with white trim and red lettering. The original had stationary flaps but I put a set of functional flaps and a Fox MKIII Combat Special on it, and I had ONE BAD FLYING MACHINE.
Lynn Weedman