The genesis of blue Lou

[res6kgcr]

Friends,

Surfing the net I came a across this ‘Pin-up’ from Popular Science, Feb 1945 issue of Lou IV. Which I think is probably the origin of the blue top side finish. Granted that the ink print is 6 generations from the negative (it takes 4 separations to make the ink print) but why is it so blue? Did the art editor want it that way or was the print he had that blue? Too bad the negative was stolen.

What do you all think?


Best regards,

Tom

[Tripehound]

A couple decades ago I read an article about this in (if I recall) "AIR CLASSICS" titled "Blue Belief". The article contained a picture of four P-51's (of which the above is one, Sky Bouncer another) in formation above the clouds on a bright sunny day. The film type plus the blue sky reflected from the aluminum skin made everything appear to have a blue tint. A fella named Urban Drew was interveiwed for the article, and he said the color was actually olive drab. Also of note was of the four Mustangs in the formation there were three different models: a bubble canopy with dorsal fin, the same without the fin, and one with a greenhouse canopy.

[airnutz]

Heh, heh, heh....

[Ken]

Granted that the ink print is 6 generations from the negative (it takes 4 separations to make the ink print) but why is it so blue? Did the art editor want it that way or was the print he had that blue? What do you all think?

Maybe it's because I've seen so many photos (period and of restorations) of Mustangs sprayed with OD that I just don't see the blue in the photo. Looks like dark OD to me.

Ken

[Nathan]

This debate will never die. It comes up very often on other model forums and us-aircraft.com.

[jasonp51d]

I wish it was a debate that would die!!

Not one pilot or ground crew thinks they were anything else but OD. All the archaelogy supports OD.

Just had a new photo of Lou IV arrive this week (black and white) - will post on www.361fg.com when I get back from holiday in two weeks time.

[Jim Beasley]

Of course they are supposed to be blue

I wish it was a debate that would die!!

Not one pilot or ground crew thinks they were anything else but OD. All the archaelogy supports OD.

Just had a new photo of Lou IV arrive this week (black and white) - will post on http://www.361fg.com when I get back from holiday in two weeks time.

[JohnTerrell]

You can just tell that there is an added influx of blue into that and other photos that seem to show the OD/RAF green paint as being blue-ish, for the sake that the shadows below the exhaust ports, over the yellow nose, are green. With all that's been put out there, it just doesn't seem like it could be a debatable subject any longer.

Though of course there is a certain 361st FG-marked P-51D flying today, that just wouldn't be the same without 'the blue' - it just looks too good. ; )

[Russ Blow]

Looks OD to me

[Steve Nelson]

Apparently, other than the photos (in which the color is somewhat indeterminate, depending on how the photos wre processed and printed) the only other evidence that the Mustangs were blue comes from some contemporary spotter reports, which describe the color as "royal blue" (certainly not the "baby blue" often seen on restorations!)

I fall into the green camp myself. Since the camouflage was added for tactical purposes, blue just doesn't make any sense. In fact, I've seen some careful analysis of the black-and-white phtoos from the series, in which it appears that a combination of Olive Drab and RAF Dark Green were used..one color for the upper camo, and the other to paint out the upper invasion stripes. Certainly those colors would be much more available and an ETO USAAF base than blue.

But, as has been mentioned above..the debate will never die. It's the warbird equivalent of the Kennedy Assassination, 9/11, and "Birther" conspiracy theories.

SN

[richkolasa]

Of course they are supposed to be blue

I wish it was a debate that would die!!

Not one pilot or ground crew thinks they were anything else but OD. All the archaelogy supports OD.

Just had a new photo of Lou IV arrive this week (black and white) - will post on http://www.361fg.com when I get back from holiday in two weeks time.

The sky's blue and the water is blue, so it makes sense to me that camo would be blue. And "Bald Eagle" just looks so darned good!

Rich

[ZeamerB17]

I was looking through The Mighty Eighth in Color tonight and this thread came to mind. Interesting bit of info - don't know if it is accurate, but it sounds good to me ...

[oz rb fan]

Of course they are supposed to be blue

I wish it was a debate that would die!!

Not one pilot or ground crew thinks they were anything else but OD. All the archaelogy supports OD.

Just had a new photo of Lou IV arrive this week (black and white) - will post on http://www.361fg.com when I get back from holiday in two weeks time.

darn jim where is the like button!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steve Nelson]

I don't buy the "insignia blue" caption. Check the photos..the blue of the fuselage insignia is noticeably darker than the surrounding field-applied camo.

SN

[Django]

Insignia Blue sounds good in theory (and I've not heard that one yet) but I agree, still unlikely.

I still love the blue though.