USAAF Camouflage

[Marshall_Stack]

What do you think of the USAAF's practice to stop camouflaging their planes later in the war? I can see where it saves time and money in the production cycle and weighs less therefore giving a few more miles per hour. But if I was a pilot I would want some kind of camouflage or paint. It would seem that the sun would reflect off the silver aluminum thereby possibly giving the enemy the advantage in your detection. How about alt least one coat of some flat paint just to cut off the relections?

 

[davparlr]

I have read somewhere where the AAF made a conscientious decision to make the aircraft more visible thus encouraging combat with the Germans. How true that is, I don't know.

 

[drgondog]

I have read somewhere where the AAF made a conscientious decision to make the aircraft more visible thus encouraging combat with the Germans. How true that is, I don't know.

Dave - I also heard that but no validation so far.

There were tangible reasons including less weight, better aerodynamics and lower unit cost to go along with the decision.

 

[TheMustangRider]

I have heard the same thing also, that later in the war when the USAAF had enough long-range fighters available they were seeking to engage the Luftwaffe and therefore destroy it as a competitive force faster but I haven't found any comfirmation of this as well.

 

[Airframes]

There's also the thought about air-superiority. With the huge formations over Europe virtually daily, and the masses of con-trails, but with the USAAF having the 'upper hand', it was thought that camouflage paint was unneccessary. However, after some units moved on to the Continent after D-Day, some aircraft received a coat of camouflage paint on their uppersurfaces, not for concealment in the air, but on the ground, in case of attack on the airfields.

 

[magnu]

Camouflage could also be a disadvantage as found out by Maj.Clareborne Kinnard of the 4th FG. Having his P51 Man O War sprayed with irregular OD stripes caused him to be continually attacked by his own side and the camo job was removed post haste