What's going on with these Vindicators? (1 Viewer)

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OldGeezer

Airman 1st Class
202
397
Dec 11, 2020
I noticed this photo of aircrew and flight deck people alongside Vindicators in prewar colors, but I can't figure out what's going on. A bunch of them are staggering around looking like they've been injured, one is lying flat on the deck. Zooming in, the details of the plane markings have been monkeyed with, and several of the people (but not all of them) have big black streaks running down the middle of their noses. I can't find another copy of this image on the net anywhere, to get any kind of explanation. Anybody know the story here??? Maybe a movie...?
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Not "under noses" but "on noses" the guys clearly have black streaks on them. But I found out what the image is by reading the URL where I found it. Usually that's not very enlightening, but in this case it says it was from the movie "Dive Bomber" in a scene that I frankly don't remember, so I'm going to have to go back and watch it again.
 
It is from Dive Bomber with Errol Flynn. An excellent color movie for background aircraft markings, based on the development of the pressure suit with all the Hollywood non-cense added. The movie was available in the past few years on DVD.
 
It is from Dive Bomber with Errol Flynn. An excellent color movie for background aircraft markings, based on the development of the pressure suit with all the Hollywood non-cense added. The movie was available in the past few years on DVD.
I have a copy around here somewhere, I'll have to go take a look.
 
It is from Dive Bomber with Errol Flynn. An excellent color movie for background aircraft markings, based on the development of the pressure suit with all the Hollywood non-cense added. The movie was available in the past few years on DVD.
Maybe the picture in the OP is from a rehearsal for an action scene. With people marked for director cameramen to tell people apart.
 
These are Black Panther Vindicators during the filming of Dive Bomber. In 1939 the squadron was designated VB-4 with green tailed SB2Us for service on Ranger. Ranger moved to the Atlantic taking Saratoga's SB2U squadron (VB-3 Tophatters) with her; VB-4 then moved to Saratoga and switched to white tails.

One of the movie's plot points involved brother pilots each having a Tophatter lighter. Since the Tophatters were now on the wrong coast for the filmakers, the black panther fuselage marking (under the observer's canopy) was overpainted with temporary aluminum paint and a ringed top hat was painted under the pilot's cockpit. (The fresh aluminum paint is obvious in several of the movie scenes.) Additionally, VB-4 became VB-3 in July 1939, which might partially explain the revised fuselage codes.

After the movie finished, the top hat markings and temporary aluminum paint were removed, returning the black panther to its proper position.

BTW, a fun movie, despite the hokie pseudo-science examination of flight medicine. Lots of colorful aircraft filmed during the transition from highly visible marking to Light Gray camouflage.

Cheers,


Dana
 

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