Martin Marauder Gold for FS9 has been released

[Mick]

Mick, that fresh aluminum looks terrific!

Thank you!

I have painted that basic skin with the colors and markings of the three squadrons of the 22nd Bomb Group, which was, as far as I can tell, the only group to fly the Marauder before they were all painted OD and gray. The squadrons applied their colors, red, white and blue, to the cowlings, so there's a dash of color on each skin.

Tomorrow morning's project is to figure out why the turret ring and frames look dark, like OD. If I can figure that out, the three skins will be ready to go up the pipe.

 

[Milton Shupe]

Thank you!

I have painted that basic skin with the colors and markings of the three squadrons of the 22nd Bomb Group, which was, as far as I can tell, the only group to fly the Marauder before they were all painted OD and gray. The squadrons applied their colors, red, white and blue, to the cowlings, so there's a dash of color on each skin.

Tomorrow morning's project is to figure out why the turret ring and frames look dark, like OD. If I can figure that out, the three skins will be ready to go up the pipe.

Mick, look at "turretrails.bmp"

 

[Mick]

Mick, look at "turretrails.bmp"

Thanks Milton!

I was planning to look through all the textures this morning, and I suppose I would've found it, but your comment has saved me some time and aggravation.

I also have to get out the digital paint remover and get the insignia off the upper right and lower left wings. As I mentioned above, there are photos of silver planes with that early insignia in six positions, but after carefully peering at numerous photos, I don't think that was the case with the B-26. I now believe that I was confused by pictures of the prototype, which had four wing insignia but none on the fuselage.

I hope to have the 22nd Bomb Group skins uploded to the library later today.

 

[Mick]

OK, they just went up the pipe. Three skins with the squadron colors of each squadron in the 22nd Bomb Group. The 22nd was based at Langley Field in mid-1941 when they introduced the Marauder to Army service. In December they were at Muroc Army Airfield for weapons training, and by early 1942 they were in Australia with the 5th Air Force.

By then they'd had their insignia updated and their group and squadron codes removed, but they were left overall natural metal, a finish that wouldn't clothe Marauders again until late in the European war, when there were no more Marauders in the Pacific. (At least, as far as I know.) I have pictures of a couple of their planes when they were in New Guinea that I think are within my ability to render, so I may have a coupe more silver skins in a few days.

I thought these three were almost finished the day before yesterday, but he closer I looked at them and the more I looked at the reference photos, the more things I had to change. The most noticeable thing is the loss of two insignia on the wings. I now think that only the first B-26 had four wing stars, and it had none on the fuselage. And little things kept jumping out to poke me in the eye. But now they're finished. Picture me sighing in relief!

 

[Sascha66]

This will be the basis for some late 1941 / early 1942 skins. The 22nd Bomb Group flew the Marauder in the pre-war livery before they went to Australia. I don't believe there was ever a specification that called for "meatball" stars in six positions on silver airplanes, but photos show that there were a lot of planes painted that way. I suppose they just added the fuselage star without removing the upper right and lower left ones.

Anyway, here's what I have so far. Still needed are unit markings and a very minimal bit of wear and tear.

Superb work!

 

[Blackbird686]

Awesome work, Mick. From what I've read the early Marauders were tricky on landings as well as take-offs. As tenacious as the Australian pilots were, I wonder if the B-26 gave them fits too.

BB686

 

[wombat666]

Without checking I would think the RAAF aircrew avoided the early B26 models, they were a scarce aircraft in the PTO and had received less than favorable press.
At best the USAAC regarded them as a stop gap until sufficient B25s arrived.
That aside, and I may stand corrected, most of the PTO Marauders that I have seen photographs of were the early model with hand held guns in the tail position.

 

[Mick]

Without checking I would think the RAAF aircrew avoided the early B26 models, they were a scarce aircraft in the PTO and had received less than favorable press.
At best the USAAC regarded them as a stop gap until sufficient B25s arrived.
That aside, and I may stand corrected, most of the PTO Marauders that I have seen photographs of were the early model with hand held guns in the tail position.

I'm not sure either but I think you're right. Photos of Pacific Marauders are rare in the references I've perused, and the ones I've seen are all of early models and taken early in the war. I believe the 22nd Group was the only Marauder unit in the south or southwest Pacific. There was a Marauder unit in Alaska for a while, and I believe it was some of their planes that showed up to drop torpedoes (and miss with them) at the Battle of Midway. Otherwise I think the B-26 was a European War airplane.

 

[Hurricane91]

I'm not sure either but I think you're right. Photos of Pacific Marauders are rare in the references I've perused, and the ones I've seen are all of early models and taken early in the war. I believe the 22nd Group was the only Marauder unit in the south or southwest Pacific. There was a Marauder unit in Alaska for a while, and I believe it was some of their planes that showed up to drop torpedoes (and miss with them) at the Battle of Midway. Otherwise I think the B-26 was a European War airplane.

Mick,
Here is a link to three photos (hopefully) of Martins belonging to the "Silver Fleet" in New Guinea. The man standing in front of "Pistol Packin' Mama" in the second photo is James Gallagher, a communications officer (and amateur photographer) with the 33rd Fighter Control Squadron. The photo was taken at Dobodura in 1944. The profile painting appears accurate in comparison to other Silver Fleet photos I've seen.

http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=ForumsPro&file=viewtopic&p=133891

 

[Mick]

Mick,
Here is a link to three photos (hopefully) of Martins belonging to the "Silver Fleet" in New Guinea. The man standing in front of "Pistol Packin' Mama" in the second photo is James Gallagher, a communications officer (and armature photographer) with the 33rd Fighter Control Squadron. The photo was taken at Dobodura in 1944. The profile painting appears accurate in comparison to other Silver Fleet photos I've seen. http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=ForumsPro&file=viewtopic&p=133891

Cool! I might be able to extract the nose art, name and tail marking and put them on a texture. I've copied the profile and I'll put it on my list. The profile must depict the plane in the fall of 1943, just after the insignia's mid-1943 red outline appears to have been removed and before it was replaced (if it ever was) with a blue border. I like that red-bordered insignia, so I might backdate the plane to the summer of '43.

I have profiles of two other silver 19th BS planes that I was able to get the art from profiles on Wings Palette. I can only hope the artwork is correct. A lot of incorrect guesswork turns up on those profiles,when artists have made color drawings from black & white photos, or just artistic license. (It's entirely possible that I've copied such errors or made some of my own in my paint jobs, hopefully not often.)

It's interesting that some of those old early silver Marauders were still around in 1944! Too bad the pictures don't show the whole plane or the colors of the markings. I have enough p;lanes to paint anyway though...

 

[downwind]

Weren't Marauders known as the Widow Maker? I recall that this was due to nasty stall tendencies traceable to short wings and too low airspeeds.

 

[Hurricane91]

It's interesting that some of those old early silver Marauders were still around in 1944!

According to Mr. Gallagher, one of PPM's crew told him the plane was preparing to leave for Australia to meet the rest of the Silver Fleet. It was the last B-26 they saw at Dobodura.

 

[Mick]

Weren't Marauders known as the Widow Maker? I recall that this was due to nasty stall tendencies traceable to short wings and too low airspeeds.

Yes, and also "The Baltimore Whore" (for having no visible means of support) and several others. "One a day in Tampa Bay," they used to say.

Once the wings were made longer in later models the plane became much more tractable. It was never as easy to fly as the B-25, though.

When the war was over and the statistics compiled, it was found that the B-26 had the lowest loss rate of any Allied bomber.

 

[Mick]

According to Mr. Gallagher, one of PPM's crew told him the plane was preparing to leave for Australia to meet the rest of the Silver Fleet.

Ah... By 1944 Australia can only have meant retirement to secondary roles, or scrapping. Still, for a plane to remain in service two years after it arrived in theater was a great accomplishment for it's ground and air crews. Over a two-year period it must have had more than one crew of each kind. It speaks well of the design, too.

 

[Hurricane91]

Ah... By 1944 Australia can only have meant retirement to secondary roles, or scrapping. Still, for a plane to remain in service two years after it arrived in theater was a great accomplishment for it's ground and air crews. Over a two-year period it must have had more than one crew of each kind. It speaks well of the design, too.

An excerpt from: With The Fifth Army Air Force, Photos From The Pacific Theater, by James Gallagher;

"Through the years, I have kept in contact with one of the great Pacific aces, Robert M. DeHaven of the 7th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group.
In one of his letters, referring to the B-26s, he recalls: We called them the last of the Silver Fleet in as much as they were to be the last Marauders
to serve in the SWPA and were flying sans camouflage. I flew several missions escorting them on strikes to Salamaua and Lae in mid-1943. In all
honesty escorting meant rendezvousing with them over the target during the strikes and little more. They were so much faster than our P-40s so
we had to reach the target before them and then on the way home watch them fly off and leave us. They were such beautiful machines."

 

[Mick]

Here's another one, "Major Monsoon," 19th BS, New Guinea 1942.

 

[Hurricane91]

Here's another one, "Major Monsoon," 19th BS, New Guinea 1942.

Excellent Mick. All you need is the Silver Fleet logo on the rudder.

 

[PhantomTweak]

They were such beautiful machines.

Boy, he was sure right! Beautiful they truly are.

So are all these paints coming out for it. An impressive collection.

Have fun all!
Pat☺

 

[Milton Shupe]

Yes, and also "The Baltimore Whore" (for having no visible means of support) and several others. "One a day in Tampa Bay," they used to say.

Once the wings were made longer in later models the plane became much more tractable. It was never as easy to fly as the B-25, though.

When the war was over and the statistics compiled, it was found that the B-26 had the lowest loss rate of any Allied bomber.

The real reason for the bad names were lack of proper training and procedures for new flight instructors, new pilots for the type, and mechanics for a high speed, short-winged aircraft. The early models that went to the Pacific did fine and they loved them. That's the difference in the experience of pilots and mechanics.

Good reading on the B26 here in the training manual (if you did not download it from an earlier link:

http://www.sim-outhouse.net/downloads/SOHTeam/b26trainingmanualsmall.zip

 

[Mick]

Excellent Mick. All you need is the Silver Fleet logo on the rudder.

My reference picture didn't show it on that plane. It was on another pane I plan to paint, and after a futile search yesterday, I guess I'm going to have to try and make one from scratch. Today's project is another one without the logo, but tomorrow's project will be to try to make that logo for the next paint job.

I have a profile with the logo on it, but it's so small and such low resolution that I can't just extract it and paste it on a texture. It would look too indistinct and blobby. I can barely see it well enough to know what I'll be trying for. The curved lettering will be a challenge, but I think I know a way to do it.