Modern aircraft stencils

[32scalelover]

I am currently working on an Academy F/A-18C and I am down to putting the stencils on.  I have several reference books on F/A-18's and looking at most of the pictures I don't see any "NO STEP" on the wing slats, flaps, or tailplanes. The kit instructions show around 50 stencil decals to place all over the air frame. Is this really accurate?  I assume when the aircraft comes out of the factory it would have these stencils on it, but it looks like they wear off or are painted over in the field.

To be accurate should I put on all the stencils, some of them , or none of them?

 

Any input would be appreciated.

 

Greg

[LSP_Ray]

Shorter answer: Do what you think looks best having looked at ref pics, and no one can call you wrong.

[DonH]

This is interesting. If stencils are not important enough to be repainted and visible, what's the point of them in the first place? 

[Chek]

When the planes are new, they're probably very helpful.

As familiarity with handling and maintenance by the squadrons increases, the need for any but the major ones decreases, I'd speculate.

[32scalelover]

Thanks guys. That is what I sort of thought, but wanted to see if what you thought.

The aircraft I am modeling was operational in Desert Storm.  It is from VFMA-122 Werewolves.  It looks fairly weathered in the photos I have, so I guess I will leave some of the stencils off but not all.

 

Greg

[Juggernut]

When an aircraft (or other military hardware) is procured by the U.S. Gov't., the contract for said aircraft (or equipment), refers out to several specifications (MIL-STD or MIL-DTL among others) which must be met before the Gov't. will accept the aircraft (or equipment) into service.  Within those specs it calls out that all required placards, no step, no push, access panels, etc., shall be identified using a particular system (which I have not yet come across).  BEFORE being accepted at DD250, every panel, indeed every aspect of the platform, will be verified by the Government representatives (TOMA, etc.), including the publications.  IF any required contractual items/markings or what have you are absent (and indeed, all other aspects of the contract) or do not meet spec, the aircraft will not be accepted by the Gov't. and thus won't be paid for...  So, the manufacturer will put each and every marking on the piece of equipment that is required before delivery to the Gov't. inspectors.  That's why you see new aircraft with so many identifying stencils/placards, etc.  Once that aircraft is in the inventory of whatever service is using it, they probably have a set of regulations they follow which may or may not include keeping stencil data up to spec.  Aircraft being sent to depot, civilian contractors or back to the manufacturer for depot/overhaul/mods may turn the aircraft back to its "as new" condition and thus restore all the stencil data, etc.  Rinse and repeat until the airframe (or equipment) is retired.

 

After reading what I wrote, i find that it may be a little misleading.  The Gov't. does not determine the required stencils that are on a given piece of equipment, the manufacturer does (probably with some guidance from a given specification on font size, type, etc.).  The Gov't. receives a drawing package with all the engineering drawings for the piece of equipment being procured and during manufacturing of said equipment, Gov't. representatives will ensure that every aspect of the equipment meets the provided drawing package and satisfies all the contractual obligations (and that it meets or exceeds the specifications detailed in said contract).  Technical documentation (which is what I'm involved with) goes through a similar process but also goes through validation and verification events to ensure that the documentation meets or exceeds the relevant MIL specs, it's accurate, and conforms to Gov't. (Military) writing standards.

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Juggernut