Most Beautiful Aircraft of WW2?

[Donivanp]

We don't need no instrumentation...
We don't need no ground control...
Hey instructor, leave us newbies alone.

We can fly into the wall alone

 

[Elvis]

We can fly into the wall alone

Did you see the frightened ones?
Did you hear the falling bombs?
The flames are all long gone, but the pain lingers on
Goodbye, blue sky

 

[GrauGeist]

Goodbye, blue sky

"Look Mummy, there's a plane up in the sky..."

 

[DBII]

Ground control to Major Tom...

 

[BarnOwlLover]

Now we're getting a bit hypothetical here, but what about a P-51H or F-82 that mimicked the upper fuselage lines of the XP-51F/G, minus the oversized canopy (and everything else remaining the same for the H/F-82)?

 

[Admiral Beez]

View attachment 719007
I love this photo.

Okay, now we have to ask. Which WW2 aircraft had the most beautiful paint schemes? I don't necessarily mean effective camo, just your favourite. And no aerial demo teams, postwar racers or other garish schemes, we want warbirds.

I'll go first. Spitfire PR blue.

 

[Donivanp]

IMHO P-51D/K's were some of the prettiest planes in there dress. Here is one of my favorite.

 

[BarnOwlLover]

Not a "warbird", but one of my favorite Mustangs from World War II:

 

[SaparotRob]

Does no paint count as a paint scheme? I like NMF. If not, the early Spitfires in the "temperate climate?" camouflage.

 

[Nobody]

Me262, no doubt. Come on, that's a flying sports car

Look at these lines. Would you like to go in here? Don't lie

The family-version:

Taking about the family: not the best looking, but definitely the cutest WW2-aircraft:

That thing is cute. And when it lands it looks so clumsy.

Pictures like this make me sad it came too late:

But maybe that's a little bit too much science fiction.

 

[BarnOwlLover]

Oddly, most British aircraft in peace time before and after World War II often flew either natural metal or painted silver grey (in the case of the DH Hornet or Mosquito especially since they're mostly made out of wood covered with doped fabric). However, PR planes were PRU blue undersides and silver grey or "sea grey" upper surfaces. Bombers/night fighters were similar but the undersides were black instead of PRU blue.

Interestingly, RAF P-51s (mostly D/K models) went from standard RAF camo to silver/grey during the later stages of the war, and I'm a fan of 1942-45 RAF camo (that came back in the early 50s).

 

[BiffF15]

This is my favorite Mustang paint scheme, followed closely by the AVG Sharkmouth P-40s…

 

[Escuadrilla Azul]

IJAAF had some interesting camo schemes:

 

[GrauGeist]

As far as paint/camo schemes go, my top three are:
Italian, particularly North Africa.
Imperial Japanese Army camo.
Luftwaffe night-fighter camo.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I like the Arsenal VG33.

It reminds me of the later Italians.

 

[Donivanp]

I like the Arsenal VG33.

View attachment 722771

It reminds me of the later Italians.

View attachment 722774

The Italians did make some sleek exotic lines.

 

[Elvis]

Okay, now we have to ask. Which WW2 aircraft had the most beautiful paint schemes? I don't necessarily mean effective camo, just your favourite. And no aerial demo teams, postwar racers or other garish schemes, we want warbirds.

I'll go first. Spitfire PR blue.

I have always appreciated that light blue that the first Spitfire was painted in.
Some of the pre-war paint schemes, while bordering on gaudy, were rather delightful, as well....

 

[PAT303]

Okay, now we have to ask. Which WW2 aircraft had the most beautiful paint schemes? I don't necessarily mean effective camo, just your favourite. And no aerial demo teams, postwar racers or other garish schemes, we want warbirds.

I'll go first. Spitfire PR blue.

View attachment 722687

It's actually called duck shell blue, same colour as duck eggs

 

[PAT303]

I never knew one was flown in Australia?.

 

[GrauGeist]

Australia has a Me262A-2a (Black X)