Benefit of paint stripping

[bauple58]

VIII Air Force HQ, Weekly Report of Policies and Activities, 23 October 1943, 214.3 Shortages, File No. 519-832-6, 9373-533, AFHRA Reel A5759.

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[Bretoal2]

VIII Air Force HQ, Weekly Report of Policies and Activities, 23 October 1943, 214.3 Shortages, File No. 519-832-6, 9373-533, AFHRA Reel A5759.

View attachment 754635.

Paint stripping AND polishing surfaces...

 

[N4521U]

weight and balance

 

[gruad]

Wow! Thought the effect would be minor.

Did the RAF try this too?

 

[PAT303]

Wow! Thought the effect would be minor.

Did the RAF try this too?

Yep, the effects of poor panel fitting and chipped rough paint was thoroughly researched and tested by the RAF. Spitfire performance has a lot of information on the subject

 

[BobB]

Since at least the 1980's, the USAF has required camouflage paint to be "gunship quality" with a low level of reflected light as one of the spec requirements. The surface feels rough and one suspects that even WW2 camo paint would have been rougher than gloss paint and had some minor effect on drag. Back in the 1980's, Lockheed accidentally bought some paint that was the correct color number but not "gunship quality" and there was a big fuss about it because they painted an airplane before the error was discovered.

 

[MIflyer]

There is a video on Youtube that says in the case of the B-17, OD paint added only about 100 lb to the weight of the airplane and there was a marked reduction in drag for painted aircraft. The paint, although flat rather than glossy, still smoothed the airflow over the rivet heads. I presume that the P-47 used flush riveting, although the F6F did not.

I have read that German WW2 aircraft used paint that was both flat and had a smaller particle size than used on US aircraft, resulting in lower drag.

The finish in this photo looks quite smooth and the P-38 ain't bad, either.