Hi Everyone -
I've been gone this past week, and unable to check emails. Anyway, let me clear up some of the questions posed in this recent conversation thread. When Cruver began producing models, the MIL-SPECS called for the addition of lamp black to the cellulose acetate mix. The models weren't originally intended to be painted. When the first models came out, the unpainted models were too reflective. If you have ever held an unpainted model, you have seen the somewhat glossy nature of the item. The MIL-SPECS were revised to change production techniques so that the models were dipped in flat black lacquer. Manufacturers continued to add lamp black to their plastic mixtures, simply because the specifications still called for it. They weren't religious about this, however, and sometimes did not bother. Models came in all kinds of colors under the black paint. While most are black, I have models in clear, like the P-38 shown, amber, pink, robin's egg blue, etc.
Then there are the variegated models, which are known as having a "bowling ball" look. See the P-47 shown. At the time, the necessary raw materials to produce cellulose acetate were in short supply. Cruver was melting down toothbrushes, hair brushes, and the knobs off the dashboards of old cars. Anything to get raw material. These pieces were simply stirred together, resulting in the swirled effect. Scraps were swept up off the floor and reused, as well.
- P-47A.jpg (121.69 KiB) Viewed 6066 times
Keep in mind that the models were intended to have only a 5-year life. Impurities and vagaries in the chemical mix were tolerated. Quality standards could not be enforced under wartime conditions. The fact that so many of the models have survived to the present day, and will continue to survive long past any of us, is remarkable.
A few of the clear models were carefully painted in full camouflage coloration, with appropriate decals. This allowed light to shine through all of the windows, and made the model look very realistic. Perhaps these were used as photographic models, since obviously it would be easier to pose a realistic-looking 1/72-scale model against a variety of backdrops than to try to photograph a real plane in similar settings. I have some old recognition training photos, cards, etc., which I will try to find. These are very early, and show what are clearly painted Cruver models (the early P-47 is unmistakable!) posed against a simulated sky/cloud background.
- EBAY 105A.jpg (101.47 KiB) Viewed 6066 times
So.... I think all of the models pictured, as well as all of those described by the various commentators, are "real". Let's face it, if you have a black model with a 1942 date, there is absolutely no way to tell if the model was produced in 1942, or 1947, or anywhere in between. The odds are that it is probably from 1946-7, anyway, since with the war over Cruver had an easier time obtaining raw materials. Chemically-stable models are more likely to date from this early postwar era. Cruver stopped producing wartime models by 1948, as production ramped up for models in the postwar series.
The same molds were used during this entire time 1942-1947 frame. Furthermore the dates on the model weren't changed even when the mold was modified to produce a different variation. For example, there are three different versions of the A-31 Vengeance, but all 3 have the same July 1942 date. There is a model of the P-40F, too, but the model is marked P-40E. Cruver modified the mold but never bothered to modify the markings. If you like P-40's, then look for both!
Hope some of this helped! Write with any questions.
Happy New Year to all! -- Bryan
by ramseyd » Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:18 pm 
