Blue Angels Bearcat question

[Chad Veich]

Ok gents, there is an ongoing discussion on one of the R/C boards regarding the color of the leading edges on Blue Angel Bearcats. Was it yellow, silver, natural aluminum, polished aluminum, or what? Does anyone have color pics or a reliable source confirming what was used? I am not, of course, referring to the all blue scheme but that which came a bit later. TIA

[Trey Carroll]

I don't know when these were taken but they both are forms of evidence





Trey

[Chad Veich]

Rob, I always assumed it was as you state, natural metal on the leading edges. However, the b&w pics that I've come across really tell another story. They just don't have the look of natural metal, unless it is a very dull natural metal (not likely I would think). They look more like silver paint to me. I guess I always assumed they were natural metal because most of the jets had natural metal leading edges. Beetle Bomb also has silver leading edges, not sure if they are paint or natural metal on that one either.

Trey, very nice color pic. Got one like that showing the later paint scheme?!

[RickH]

When the Blues picked up the Bearcats at Bethpage they had blue leading edges. They were also new aircraft, the only time the time has ever had new aircraft.

They performed the first Bearcat show for the Grumman employees.

Source : Butch Voris, and AMM3 Bob Boudreaux

http://www.blueangels.org/History/Voris/FirstBlu.html

http://www.blueangels.org/History/Enlis ... dreaux.htm

[Elroy13]

Ive seen them with and without a different color on the leading edge. I had a helping hand with the LSFM Bearcat. Personally like them blue.

Last edited by Elroy13 on Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Tulio]

Guys:

I would assume that you have the book "Reflections of Blue" by Carol Knotts -ISBN 0-933424-24-8?

There is a photo dated August 1946 (Grumman, Bethpage plant) showing the F8Fs in an overall color -as Rob stated, standard scheme.

4 other photos show the airplanes already with the numbers on their vertical surfaces, and U.S. Navy lettering, and there is a wing leading edge band.

Page 16 has a photo thus captioned:

"May 1949: Lt. George Hoskins and his crew chief AD1 D.R. Miller prepare for takeoff. People at the Denver Air Show were able to get a close-up view of the new paint scheme of yellow cowling name and leading edge."

Saludos,


Tulio

[Lynn Allen]

Ive seen them with and without a different color on the leading edge. I had a helping hand with the LSFM Bearcat. We didnt paint the leading edges because we couldnt determine the right color. I personally like them blue.

Elroy, thanks for the photo's of Gumby the Bearcat driver...

Cheers,

Lynn

[RickH]

Ralph told me that he sent the pictures of the Bearcat after it was painted off to Butch Voris shortly before he died. Butch said , " perfect ".

[Elroy13]

I was really hoping to have him see him in person for the LSFM airshow. Its very sad. But yes he did know about it before his passing.

Last edited by Elroy13 on Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[RickH]

It would have been nice.

[Steve S]

Nice Legs Elroy

[Kenneth D. Wilson]

I collect on the Blue Angles, however only the Grumman F8F Bearcats they flew.

From Lynn Mc Donald, retired Historian for Grumman, I found that the leading edges of the Blue Angles' Grumman F8F Bearcats, as well as the Grumman F9F Panthers, etc., , was a product known as Corogard, a very tough coating which stayed on the applied surface, even if it was a high rate of speed.

Corogard was pioneered by Grumman and came in Aluminum and Red colors. It was the Aluminum color Corogard that was applied to the leading edges of the Blue Angles' Grumman F8F Bearcats.

Cordially,

Kenneth D. Wilson
Evansville, IN

[steve dickey]

Gumby better not fly too far with the lower cowling removed !

[sdennison]

Geez, I would have loved to see that show. Any vintage Angels video you guys know of? The jets are amazing but I'd love to see the state of the art at that time.

Thanks,

[Elroy13]

Gumby better not fly too far with the lower cowling removed !

He was just doing some taxi tests.