Stars and Bars.., I give up!!

[Second Air Force]

I would really hate it if someone made the decision to repaint Flak Bait. What a time capsule of information that airplane is...... The painter/painters who updated her insignia did a pretty nice job of following the TO. Some of the outlines on other airplanes didn't turn out quite so neat and straight!

Scott

[Second Air Force]

As an example of the field application of markings in North Africa, here is Colonel Kane's Hail Columbia as it looked just before Tidal Wave. Notice that the right upper wing insignia is somewhat darker than the left, having been applied later and faded less.


Scott

[Steve Nelson]

Nice job! What kit? I'm thinking Academy/Minicraft, since that's the only one with the correct tail turret for a D (even Hasegawa blew that one on their new high-dollar B-24s..along with a couple of other bonehead mistakes!)

I've always wanted to do "The Witch," with the "three color" fuselage insignia. Hey, I just realized..today is the 67th anniversary of Operation Tidal Wave!

SN

[Second Air Force]

Correct, Steve that's the "old" Academy/Minicraft kit (of which I still have a bunch in boxes). The tail turret dome on that model is the Squadron vacuform upgrade. A number of us pitched in together and entered the Collection category at the Dallas IPMS years ago and my assignment was to do several B-24s of MOH recipients. I did Kane's airplane and Hells Wench among others.

I posted that photo without thinking about today being 1 August, but it does seem appropriate on the anniversary of the mission. Here is Hells Wench, flown by Lt. Colonel Addison Baker and Major John Jerstad:


Of course, '994 has yet another variation in markings, the field-applied "greyed out" stars that have been a fertile ground for discussion.

Scott

[Mgawa]

I did not know for this! Thank you!!

[b29flteng]

77 years ago, "Tidal Wave". WOW!

[Second Air Force]

I've always wanted to do "The Witch," with the "three color" fuselage insignia. Hey, I just realized..today is the 67th anniversary of Operation Tidal Wave!

SN

I don't have a photo of The Witch that I can easily access, but here is a neat shot of The Squaw taken at Herington in November of '43.


At the time this photo was taken Herington was a primary Processing Center for B-24s and crews preparing to head for the combat zones. Occasionally a combat vet would stop by to give the new crews and Base Unit folks a chance to see a survivor.

Scott

[Mgawa]

Very good info and image

[Second Air Force]

Here's another example of "D" on the wing with fully updated fuselage insignia, this time the Navy way:



I built this Otaki F6F-3 YEARS ago and don't even remember the unit it was assigned to or what reference book I found it in. I chose this subject because of the spray-painted "090" on the cowling, kind of unusual for an in-service combat airplane.

Scott

[WIXerGreg]

I really don't want to derail this thread, but Scott what did you use for that exhaust residue? That looks great!

[Second Air Force]

I actually overdid the lead staining and didn't follow the correct airflow for a Hellcat, but the color is one of the Testors sand or earth colors, I forget exactly which one. I sort of matched it to color photos I had of B-17 nacelles, which got the nastiest shade of exhaust staining from the leaky collector rings.

Scott

[WIXerGreg]

Thank you Scott.

[the330thbg]

Found an example of a B-25G being painted with the 'Red surround'. Also an Ventura with an emblem in some place I have never seen before.

B-25G in Aleutians 1943


PV-1 Ventura

[Second Air Force]

The Navy put the national insignia on the nose of many patrol aircraft. That is a good example of the practice.

That B-25 photo is a great example of field application!

Scott

[Steve Nelson]

And to further muddy the waters, many PV-1 Venturas had the insignia painted on both the nose AND the aft fuselage!

SN