green vc metal B-17s.

T

tigisfat

Guest
Where and when was one color used versus the other? All the old historical videos I've seen only have the green B-17s. Of course I've seen the restored and MSFS repaint bare metal ones, but I don't know where and when or if in WWII they were used.
 
They were bare metal pre-war and went bare metal again late war when it was decided that not carrying the weight of all that paint would help aircraft performance. Also having Luftwaffe pretty much whupped down by that point helped in the decision too.
 
Willy said:
They were bare metal pre-war and went bare metal again late war when it was decided that not carrying the weight of all that paint would help aircraft performance. Also having Luftwaffe pretty much whupped down by that point helped in the decision too.
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That, and the vapour trails left by 1,000+ four engined heavy bombers throbbing overhead and the advent of radar kinda left the need for paint behind...
 
Takes time and money to paint aircraft. When you need them in the sky it's a waste of time painting them.......especially at the end of the war when the luftwaffle was overwhelmed.
 
The transition back to bare metal started not too far into the G model production. That's why you see most of the chin turret (G) B-17's in bare metal, including the ones still flying today.
 
I like the green ones too....but then again, I prefer the earlier models of the 17 (D and E). For me, the chin turret messed up the looks of the plane...but then looks weren't the priority when the chin turret was added.

OBIO
 
The bare metal planes gradually entered service alongside the older camo-ed ones. Often photos will show bomber foramtions with both types intermixed. Some crews thought the bare metal would cause increased attention from the Luftwaffe fighters. But as others have said, the Luftwaffe was fading fast.
"If it's a dark plane, it's RAF"
If it's a light plane, it's USAAF"
If it's no plane, it's ours(Luftwaffe)"
 
I don't know which I prefer. After years of seeing beautiful polished B-17s in person, I liked them. Now the experience of flying the Accusim B-17 in olive drab with a period-correct crew is humbling. Seeing the olive paint all marred up is moving.
 
Head on over to A2A's website, Nath has done both a bare metal and an Olive Drab ... bare skins/factory fresh/no markings expcet spect markings.
 
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