Northrop SM-62 Snark Model

An update to my progress.
I sanded off the unoriginal silver paint, to reveal the original grey color. I also found out the Jatos were painted white. I then started filling in some of the dings in preparation for primer and paint. I also fixed up the exhaust and tail to give it a finished look. I have been working on seeing how some new decals will look. My latest project has been to make a new base for the Snark to fit on. Originally the missile was displayed on a pole but was worried about it structurally and the complexity of that type of base. So I chose to make my own more stable base out of hardwood and thick lucite. Enjoy some of the pictures of my progress!

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Are the wings significantly twisted? (Ie lower AoA at the tip?)
 
Ok getting ready to paint the Snark. Does anyone know what color red it would have been painted (in FS numbers)?

Thanks
CAIR67
 
Here's a semi-large (26-in.) factory Snark in my collection. Hope that helps a little.
 

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Beautiful Snark Circle-5!! Now would you consider that Insignia Red? Thats the color I'm leaning towards. I also like the F4D thats behind it a lot!!!
 
circle-5 said:
Here's a semi-large (26-in.) factory Snark in my collection. Hope that helps a little.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Did the Snark fly habitually nose-high? Thats the only explanation I can think of for the canted national symbols on the fuselage rear.
 
rickshaw said:
circle-5 said:
Here's a semi-large (26-in.) factory Snark in my collection. Hope that helps a little.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Did the Snark fly habitually nose-high? Thats the only explanation I can think of for the canted national symbols on the fuselage rear.
Click to expand...

Haha, no it did not fly habitually nose-high. If you see a snark on its launcher the national symbols are not canted. I assume it looked better on the ground, this way.
 
CAIR67 said:
rickshaw said:
circle-5 said:
Here's a semi-large (26-in.) factory Snark in my collection. Hope that helps a little.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Did the Snark fly habitually nose-high? Thats the only explanation I can think of for the canted national symbols on the fuselage rear.
Click to expand...

Haha, no it did not fly habitually nose-high. If you see a snark on its launcher the national symbols are not canted. I assume it looked better on the ground, this way.
Click to expand...

Odd thinking. I can't think of a single other aircraft or missile which displayed national insignia in such an odd manner.
 
CAIR67 said:
Beautiful Snark Circle-5!! Now would you consider that Insignia Red? Thats the color I'm leaning towards. I also like the F4D thats behind it a lot!!!
Click to expand...

Sorry, I don't know enough to say if it's Insignia Red for sure. But it has some yellow in it, much like Pantone 485C (in the printing business). I also have the small, desktop version of this model, built by the same people, and it is a darker red. Apparently, close enough was good enough, back then. As for the big F4D, it was built by the Douglas model shop for the Collier trophy award ceremony, won by engineering wizard Ed Heinemann (I believe) for a speed record. The F4D model is made of solid blocks of Honduran mahogany! No wonder it's now an endangered species of tree...
 
Here is an image of a Snark at Le Bourget, taken 31 May 1957. I think that it is a N-69A (note the small pitot centered on the nose cone) and may be the same airframe as seen on the first page of this thread (after all, how many full scale static displays could there have been in this time period while development was still ongoing?).

As to the overall color being Insignia Red - draw your own conclusions...

HTH,
Craig
 

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Stunning pic! I'm amused at the thought that the young man passing with a camera in his hand could very well be my dad... He was 19 at the time, definitely attended this airshow and took some photos there and then!
 
Wow a stunning COLOR photo!! Exactly what I have been looking for, even the scheme I am doing. Thank You Thank You!! ;D
 
Snark Update:
Well, after much deliberating on how to paint the beast I just jumped in and did it. I primed the missile with PPG primer and sanded and primed and sanded and primed. Partly because I have never used auto paint and never painted something so huge! Once I was satisfied with the primer I began by painting the Jatos and Aux tanks white because they are really hard to reach and kept getting over spray on the rest of the fuselage. It was a good test run and I learned a lot about the paint. Once I was satisfied with those parts, I taped them up and painted the rest of the Snark white. I can not over emphasize how much of a pain it is to work around those Jatos right next to the Aux tanks somedays I wish I could just cut them off and re-glue them after the painting was done. Anyway there she stands a beautiful glossy white. Now I am taping the stripes in another long tedious process.

Oh yeah the paint I am using is PPG Delstar white paint. The amazing thing is I payed $40/Qt for it 2 years ago only to find out that it now sells for $90/Qt now if you can find it in your state (illegal in some?) and if you want red its $190/Qt !!!!! Needless to say I switched to another PPG paint that is easier to find and 1/5 the price.

Enjoy these photos. First Snark in Primer Second is glossy white
 

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Well exciting news in the Snark Rehabilitation Program (or so my gf calls it!). Finished the 3 day process of masking the stripes. Painted it red and it looks great, see for yourself! Just a couple of touch-ups, clear coat, and decals to go!
 

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I'm sure the right museum would buy it from you - and for a tidy sum. Great work!
 
Here are a couple of pictures of how the Snark currently looks. I put on a good 2 coats of clear coat and touched up the stripes. I had to leave to go do upgrade training for a couple weeks. I wish I could have taken it with me because 3 weeks in a hotel is shear boredom. When I get back I will put the decals on.
 

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I finished decaling the Snark model today here is a picture of the model. The decals turned out great and were a synch to put on! Now onto the next project anyone know where a large Bomarc model is ;) ??

Dave
 

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Some more photos. Enjoy
 

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Nice find Flogger15!

While the "Snark" was named by Jack Northrop from a character of author Lewis Carroll's (yes I had to look that up), I guess it could also be interpreted as a SNAKe and ShARK combo.

Note the snark of Lewis Carroll's books is an imaginary creature as well (in the center, with the wig), but nothing near the above Northrop image.
 

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I never knew that!
Lewis Carroll was a weird duck for sure and his descriptions of a Snark are even weirder!
 

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