Warbird Information Exchange

A quick question for all of you paint experts...

The aircraft (9th air force particularly) used in Africa and the Middle East; were they originally OD with the sand and sand/dark earth schemes painted over the top?

Need to know for a modelling project I am doing...want to get some proper weathering done.

Thanks in advance,
Mark

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Once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards... for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo daVinci

I'm sure more experts will reply, but I have never seen a USAAF airplane leaving the factory in desert camo. As a result, I believe OD is always going to underlie desert camo, with the exception being, for instance, 12AF B-25s that were NMF and later oversprayed with OD (or the HJGB P-51 thread example). Go back and look at the Lady Be Good threads to see some nice color photo examples of OD showing through sand-worn desert camo. Good luck!

Ken

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"Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves."

Thank you Ken.
I figured that is the way it would be. I will get pics up in the modelers gallery in a couple of days when it is finished...no laughing.

Mark

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Once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards... for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo daVinci

The ones that were mid stone (i.e. tan) and dark earth over azure blue were originally built to RAF orders as Kittyhawks and should have left the factory in those colors, I would think. The ones that were solid tan over neutral gray generally would have been built to US orders and would have started out olive drab.

August

B-24s were painted in Sand at the factory in Fort Worth. There are photos of a mixture of OD and sand aircraft on the final assembly line. They may have been OD during subassembly and painted later on in production, similar to LBG. I'm not sure about San Diego or the other plants.

Scott

Thank you all.

I am going to go home tonight and spray it OD first then sand (desert pink) with neutral gray (with a little azure blue mixed in).

Thanks again,
Mark

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Once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards... for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo daVinci