Skipjack color question

[casey thrower]

Does anyone know if the Skipjack class was red or black below the waterline? Also, where exactly was the water line on this boat. I've seen several different versions from a straight down the middle waterline to a oblong more topside version. Color photos are hard to find. I have never seen a color drydock picture either.

[boss subfixer]

Re: Skipjack color question

Casey,
Look through the sections at Navsourse. There are a bunch of pictures there. At the top of each page for a given boat you want to look for a link to additional pages. There is a good drydock photo of USS Scamp that shows the top half of the boat black and the bottom half is red. The picture was taken in 1981 and is black & white but those are the colors, I've actually worked on her right before she was decommissioned. I hope this helps.
Don

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/05idx.htm

[casey thrower]

Re: Skipjack color question

Thanks, Boss.

[tom dougherty]

Re: Skipjack color question

Sometimes the subs are painted by the builder red up to the freeboard water mark.
See:http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0858849.jpg and http://navsource.org/archives/08/100/0858840.jpg
But Ingalls shipyard launched them in half red/half black, as seen in this B&W photo of Sculpin http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0859000.jpg
Although in B&W, one can see the red/black line is now halfway down the hull in service]http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0858820.jpg[/url] and http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0858821.jpg

[steveuk]

Hi Casey, take a long trawl through this USS Snook website. There are lots of very interesting photos. Thanks to the crew who took the photos and for sharing them with us. Follow this link to the pics on page 49 of the photos collection where Art Martin has put up some colour pics of Snook in dry dock. http://snook592.com/facebookpics/art...ookdrydock.jpg

http://snook592.com/picture49.html

[steveuk]

From what I have seen all the skipjack subs went through different colour schemes throughout their working life. Drydock refits seem to mark the change of paint schemes. My research seems to suggest they all went through the same major colour scheme changes. The red from centre line down seems to stay throughout their life. But above waterline I've seen different subs go through original builders colours which look dark grey to a two tone scheme of light grey sides with dark grey topsides, to all over dark grey with light grey antislip surfaces, and finishing with final refit version which looks actual black. (When I say dark grey this looks like a dark blue grey mix).

The Moebius/Revell paint scheme guides for each different sub are not much help since they conflict with existing photos of the real subs they relate to.

In short I would say we have to select a period in the subs life to determine a true colour scheme - and that should also determine any pennant markings and extra sonar appendages that should be present. If we want to be accurate.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

If you choose to use the center line scheme, it will make painting much easier.
Most build our boats so they come apart at the center line and only the tail cone has both halves together that need to be taped off.
If you use a Z cut then the bow will also need to be taped off.

I have a George Washington that I painted as launched. (water line color change)
Makes touch up painting a pain.
Should have painted at the center line like it was when I was on GW.

My Skipjack is painted at the center line.
This boat was built with a Z cut.
After operations, I think I should not have used the Z cut at the bow and just made more connection guides.

I remember asking a yard worker why they changed the paint line to the center line on the GW.
He said it was a matter of cost cut backs.
The red paint cost more than the black or gray so they used more black.