Warbird Information Exchange

Just a continuation of the discussion in the Texas Raiders thread. I ran across this pic on a modeling forum..it clearly shows the faded OD and outer wing panels obviously repainted a different color. That, combined with the bare metal wingtip vents got me thinking..I wonder if the plane had had the long-range "Tokyo tanks" retrofitted in the field, and then after the mod, the wings were repainted with whatever green was available (maybe even RAF dark green.) Supporting that argument, you can see the check, waist, and tail guns stations are a slightly different shade of OD, since they were installed at a modification center..and they're a different shade than the outer wings.

Just some idle speculation..

SN

Steve,

I have a photo of VP-P somewhere in my stuff. She was named "Dreambaby" and made it back to the U.S. in June of '45. The Tokyo tanks were standard equipment from sometime in "F" production, but I'm not sure about the tip vents being added later. I think the darker green on both outer panels may be the way the subassemblies were put together on this one, notice how the green on the leading edge panels matches the rest of the wing. One thing is for certain, those nacelles are some kind of nasty, not unlike Princess Pat!

D'OH! I didn't look closely enough at the fuselage codes..you're right, Princess Pat is VP*X. Of course, this does show that sister ships in the squadron had the same color anomolies. Like you, Dana Bell speculates that it was a case of outer wings painted by a sub-contractor. That sounds reasonable to me as well. The Tokyo Tanks idea was just a thought..I didn't realize they were actually installed in B-17Gs at the factory.

Some have speculated that the different color wings are replacements due to battle damage, but to that theory Mr. Bell once commented "the Germans seemed to have an uncanny ability to precisely hit only the outer wings on camouflaged B-17s."

You wouldn't happen to have a clear photo of the nose art of "Dream Baby" or "Prncess Pat" would you? I think I'm gonna have to do a B-17 model in about a half-dozen different shades of OD and green..it'll drive the so-called "color police" at model shows nuts!

SN

Steve,

Are we the only two idiots up this time of night studying aircraft photos? Your question about the nose art for Princess Pat is a good one--the 381st Bombardment Group website has need of a picture of the art for her. The photo I put up on the TR thread came from their website.

As for Dreambaby, here is a link to her before the actual art was painted on:
http://www.381st.org/Aircraft/tabid/137/Default.aspx
Just click on "nose art" and go to the "D" section. At least the name is well documented in that picture.
I have a pretty sharp photo of her from an old magazine, but the artwork is still hard to make out. I'll find it and post it in the morning.

Scott

Thanks for the link..maybe I can come up with another 381st bird to do.


Actually I work the overnight shift at a radio station..from midnght to 5:00 I'm the only one here, so I can surf when I get a bit of down time.

SN

I would like to point out that I wasn't involved!!!

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

Just a quick note ... my cousin's 35 misssions with the 381st including missions on both Princess Pat and Dreambaby. When I converted his personal 8mm films to VHS and then DVD you can see Dreambaby flying next to the 17 he was on at the time. If memory serves me correctly, he was on Fort Worth Gal at the time.

_________________
Jerry
S/Sgt. - USAF Radio Operator '52-'56
C-119 "Flying Boxcar" - Korea & Japan

Volunteer: National Museum of the US Air Force (2007-2016)
LTM 381st Bomb Group Memorial Association