Picture of the day. (15 Viewers)

[Viking1066]

USS Saratoga (CV-3), circa 1942. Planes on deck include five Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters, six Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers and one Grumman TBF-1 Avenger torpedo plane the net

 

[Viking1066]

RAF 260 Sqn Marble Arch Libya the net

 

[Viking1066]

Vought SB2U-1 Vindicators VB-3 1939 the net

 

[Viking1066]

USS Saratoga in 1943-1944 the net

 

[Capt. Vick]

Looks like an RAF serial-brilliant picture-thanks

Isn't that one of the Matchbox kit decal options?

 

[Dana Bell]

Hi Dana - what was the rationale for making the pathfinder markings so distinctive?

Hi DragonDog,

Early experiments with Neutral Gray showed that when viewed from the ground in formation with a silver aircraft, the Neutral Gray aircraft always appeared less visible, smaller, and at a higher altitude. In the AAF the pathfinders tended to fly with the bomber formation, rather than ahead of it - more like a lead bomber. The gray camouflage made the pathfinders a touch less visible to the ground-based antiaircraft.

Cheers,


Dana

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[Viking1066]

Martlet 'AJ128' on HMS Formidable Sep 1942 the net

 

[Viking1066]

USS Ranger (CV-4) at anchor on 8 April 1938 the net

 

[Viking1066]

USS Saratoga launching aircraft on 31 May 1934 during her Atlantic deployment the net