[Milsurplus] RBK-13 question

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 4:15 AM, Dave <davprin1 at optusnet.com.au> wrote:

> Were the RBK-13's painted this colour as standard?

I've had a number of them Dave, all were black wrinkle. The front
panel is actually an imitation cracked leather look, stamped into the
steel. Most likely these were repainted later either while still in
service or by a later owner. It wouldn't surprise me if you checked
around the front panel for nicks and found black paint beneath, though
the stamped or engraved panel made stripping and repainting easy
enough. Different services/countries had their own requirements of
course, and some probably used them far beyond their life in the US
Navy.

AFAIK, the battleship gray paint was only original to the later RBK-16
which had a smooth, silkscreened panel. The 1950s version of the
S-36A, and last in the line.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4