Anyone else looking forward to GB18 Heavy Hitters

[Catch22]

That looks great!

 

[meatloaf109]

looks right to me!

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Glenn.

 

[fubar57]

That looks great Glenn. I was going to suggest downloading Paint.net, but I think you've got it covered. I've also got Gimp but during an upgrade, something got corrupted, so now I have to un-install and re-install.

Geo

 

[T Bolt]

I made multiple copies of the picture and tinted them in the various colors I needed, then cut out the individual areas of of each color and pasted them on the B/W picture. When all the coloring is dome I'll cut out the surrounding picture, clean up the edged a little pixel by pixel and put it on a word doc for sizing

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Very good effort Glenn, a real cracker.

 

[rochie]

nice work Glenn

 

[T Bolt]

I'm calling this finished now. I reduced it and test printed it and it looked real good. Now that I know I can make the nose art decal I'm defiantly doing this one for GB #18

I've been trying to find the standard markings of a camo B-24 with the 490th BG from mid to late 1944 and have been having trouble. I know I've seen it in one of my books but can't locate it. What I've been able to turn up on the internet is not much. White tail fin with red top, and a "T" in a square box. Also some conflicting squadron codes. 7Q for the 850th squadron, but also a plus and a letter shown on other places. If it is 7Q, I have no idea where it should go, tail? fuselage? I have a suspicion that the square T and the red tail top were not used at the same time and that may account for the different kinds of squadron codes. There seem to be a whole lot to pictures of B-17 from the 490th at a later time, but none of B-24s showing the tails.
Any help sorting this out would be greatly appreciated

 

[fubar57]

I've got 12 books on the B-24 Glenn. I'm on my way to P.G. for half a day and I'll check them when I get back. I've also got the Battle Colours series of books. If you jot down below... time frame, theater, etc., I'll check when I get home.

Geo

 

[T Bolt]

Thanks George.

The info I have is:
Olive Drab and Neutral Gray camoflaged B-24H-20 s/n 42-94802
490th Bomb Group
850th Squadron
8th Air Force
Based at Eye, Suffoke, England
Time frame: June-November, 1944

 

[meatloaf109]

Excellent!

 

[Lucky13]

Looks great mate!

 

[rochie]

got the bombers of the 8th airforce in colour or something like that !

i will look on sunday for you as it is on another computer, unless Geo turns up something before then

 

[T Bolt]

Thanks Karl. I do some more digging myself tonight. It's got to be out there somewhere.

 

[Airframes]

There's a good chance I'll have the info somewhere Glenn. If I haven't been in touch by the end of next week, remind me! I'm trying to catch up with a lot of stuff at the moment, so i might forget, or miss the note I've just made!

 

[fubar57]

Right. Let's begin with some minor confusion. This is from the book "B-24 Liberators of the 15th Air Force/49th Bomb Wing in World War II" by Michael D. Hill and John R. Beitling. It's after the period you're looking for but the serial number is different. I checked with the B-24 Nose Art Directory book and your info coincides with this book. Odder is the aircraft above the picture of your noseart. Both arrived at the same time, both are from the same squadron, both have the same combat number and both were retired at the end of the war. Eleven more books to go.

Geo

 

[T Bolt]

Thanks for your help George
Looks like some confusion on the serial numbers but it IS the same aircraft. Other info above also makes sense.

1a. It stated above that it was a former 8th AF bird
1b. Info I dug up stated it was 8th AF 490th BG 850th BS
1c. My dad was with the 8th AF 490th BG 448th BS and according to his records that I have here, he flew missions between June 29 and Sept 10,
1944, so although "Booby Trap" was not in his squadron it was in his bomb group and he must have known it.

2a. George's above info stated 'Booby Trap" was with the 827th Bomb Squadron which I know was part of the 484th BG 15th AF
2b. Info I dug up stated it was transferred to Italy although it mentioned another unit.
2b. My dad was transfered to the 484th BG 824th BS 15th AF and flew missions from Nov 18, 1944 until Feb 21, 1945 when he was shot down on a mission to Vienna Austria, so again although 'Booby Trap" was not in his squadron, it was again in his bomb group and he would have seen it again.

I can't tell you guys how cool this is finding real info like this that backs up a story my dad told me 20+ years ago. It really makes history come alive!

I guess I could depict her when she was with the 484th, but I really would prefer to use 490th markings as I have decals for another 484th aircraft I'll do later

I managed to dig this picture up showing the tail marking of a camo 498th B-24 so it looks like the square "T" was on a OD tail fin. Don't know what the "H" at the bottom means though. I know there must be info in my 'B-24 Units of the 8th Air Force' but I can't find it! That serial number could be a little difficult, it looks to be yellow of white which would be hard to make decals for. White would be out of the question and yellow would turn out to faint to see on clear decal film.

 

[fubar57]

Book number two "Consolidated B-24" by Martin W. Bowman:Crowood Aviation Series.

Geo

EDIT:Glenn, I've seen yellow serial number decals on eBay before.

 

[Airframes]

Glenn, the 'T in a Square' is the Group and Bomb Divison marking, the 'T' being the Group, and the Square being the Division. The 'H', in white on the OD fin, is the individual aircraft code letter. On a bare metal aircraft, this would be black.
I'll see what I can find for the Squadron markings whilst at Eye with the 8th AF - I'm bound to have something, somewhere!

 

[T Bolt]

Thanks Terry. The "T" decal should be easy to make on white decal film. That individual aircraft letter code could be difficult to find. Every pic I have of Booby Trap is of the nose. Hope you have better luck.