Most Beautiful Aircraft of WW2?

[Elvis]

Dark blue of the US Naval planes was pretty nice, too....

 

[GTX]

Dare I suggest the most beautiful for many would have been any rescue plane such as this Catalina in a scene like this:

 

[Admiral Beez]

Dark blue of the US Naval planes was pretty nice, too....

View attachment 722784

Did the Brits use the same USN blue for their lend lease aircraft when choosing a solid colour rather than FAA camo? It would seem the easiest thing to do, everyone gets USN blue and then just change the roundels and marking.

Edit: the FAA scheme above looks more greenish blue than the USN below.

 

[buffnut453]

Did the Brits use the same USN blue for their lend lease aircraft when choosing a solid colour rather than FAA camo? It would seem the easiest thing to do, everyone gets USN blue and then just change the roundels and marking.

For later deliveries of the Corsair, yes the FAA did use the USN blue colour.

Edit: the FAA scheme above looks more greenish blue than the USN below.

Since both machines are restored warbirds, there's no guarantee that either shade is even remotely close to the colour applied during WW2...and that's before we consider different lighting conditions, different camera settings, any filters fitted to the camera etc. etc.

 

[Elvis]

Did the Brits use the same USN blue for their lend lease aircraft when choosing a solid colour rather than FAA camo? It would seem the easiest thing to do, everyone gets USN blue and then just change the roundels and marking.

View attachment 722886

Edit: the FAA scheme above looks more greenish blue than the USN below.

View attachment 722893

For later deliveries of the Corsair, yes the FAA did use the USN blue colour.




Since both machines are restored warbirds, there's no guarantee that either shade is even remotely close to the colour applied during WW2...and that's before we consider different lighting conditions, different camera settings, any filters fitted to the camera etc. etc.

All I said was the USN dark blue was pretty nice.

 

[NevadaK]

Natural Metal Finish would be my favorite although there are quite a few others I favor as well. As a side note, back when I was still teaching (architecture professor) I developed a history/theory course that focused on architecture in the U.S from 1945 to the present. The first pair of slides I used were of a bare metal P-51 and B-29 and asked the class to discuss how the planes' paint schemes reflected America's self-perception at the time. It was one of my favorite class sessions to teach.

 

[BarnOwlLover]

If the F-82 and P-51H looked a bit more like the P-51 lightweight prototypes and the concept sketches from the XP-82 development, they might have been the best looking aircraft of World War II in my opinion (forgive the small photos):

 

[GrauGeist]

How about this beauty?

You guys know that I'm kidding, right?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Natural Metal Finish would be my favorite

Skipping the primer and paints also saves on both weight and production time. There must have been an issue with reflected light? I think an unpainted Spitfire might give aways its position against the countryside below.

 

[Elvis]

Skipping the primer and paints also saves on both weight and production time.
View attachment 723162

...and they called her, Girty

 

[Barrett]

Dare I suggest the most beautiful for many would have been any rescue plane such as this Catalina in a scene like this:

View attachment 722845

EXACTLY what I was thinking. (Great Minds Dept). A late Hellcat aviator friend would endorse the sentiment. Like totally.

 

[pbehn]

Skipping the primer and paints also saves on both weight and production time. There must have been an issue with reflected light? I think an unpainted Spitfire might give aways its position against the countryside below.

View attachment 723162

View attachment 723163

If they were NMF nothing would say "this is a fighter Airfield better than a dozen polished aluminium Spitfires parked in the countryside.

 

[GrauGeist]

Dare I suggest the most beautiful for many would have been any rescue plane such as this Catalina in a scene like this:

View attachment 722845

Then the OS2U was a beauty as well.

Especially this Kingfisher just outside of Truk Lagoon, May 1944.

 

[GTX]

Indeed

 

[Warbirdnutball]

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....

View attachment 722776

Ditto. The Yellow wings were superior in their markings. Some of my favorite "plumage" of the pre-war markings.

 

[SaparotRob]

Yellow wings. I love yellow wings.

 

[stug3]

The Lewis Air Legends VC-121A Constellation made its first flight in 8 years after restoration.
This is 'Bataan', personal aircraft of MacArthur during the Korean War.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqgZL7z4Nx0&ab_channel=Skyes9

 

[DBII]

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

Nice but so is the pink and desert pink.

 

[MIflyer]

asked the class to discuss how the planes' paint schemes reflected America's self-perception at the time. It

I think it ironic that in late WWII, the USA was the country most able to paint its aircraft anything it wanted and the only one that did not paint so many of them at all. The Japanese did not paint some, or not very much, but I think that was because they were out of paint.

Paint on military aircraft is designed to camouflage them. The US was saying, "We don't care if you can see us! We are going to kick your butts!"

I read where a WWII Luftwaffe pilot saw a large flight of aircraft at high altitude and wondered who it was.
Then there was flash of light on polished metal and he said, "Oh! Its THEM!"

The first airplane I ever flew in was a natural metal SC ANG C-54. The first jet I got to fly in and the first that I got to handle the controls on was a unpainted USAF T-33A.
Want to guess what my personal aircraft looks like?

And yes, I need to go polish it. It does not look quite that good right now.

 

[Shortround6]

I once read that the US was leaving the paint off the big cargo planes to increase payload. The Martin Mars needed 550lbs of paint. Paint on a single engine plane was minimal