US Navy and USMC Between The Wars in 1/100

[Rata]

And anyway so what about the 'good and bad' issues of these types? 'Area Rule' fuselages, delta wing planforms, engine and afterburner developments- all part of the learning curve. The military aircraft industry HAD to have these to go to the next level. The F-105 'Thud' acquitted itself reasonably well in Vietnam and with Wild Weasel. The F-100 did ok for itself in that theatre too. The F-104 was a pretty successful export type. By today's standards you can't argue they were all that good, but we probably wouldn't have today's standards without 'em. And as I said earlier, they look good.

[Rata]

Did this little bugger a while ago but only just got around to colouring the edges which as usual made a world of difference.
It's another Vanhecke gem: one of the Boeing F4B-4's with Lexington tail colours.
I've got other F4B-4 models to add later- Ranger and Yorktown.

[Don Boose]

Garry’s model is of a Boeing F4B-4 assigned to U.S. Navy Fighting Squadron 2 (VF-2B), which served aboard USS Lexington from late 1934 to the summer of 1935. At that time, the major combat elements of the U.S. Fleet were assigned to the Battle Force (all the battleships and aircraft carriers, two divisions of cruisers, and several divisions of destroyers) or the Scouting Force (cruisers and destroyers). Aircraft squadrons assigned to the Battle Force had the suffix “B” appended to their numbers, hence “VF-2B.” Aircraft squadrons assigned to the Scouting Force had the suffix “S” appended to their numbers.

VF-2B was a unique organization. While the squadron commander and section leaders were commissioned officers, the rest of the pilots were non-commissioned officers with the designation Naval Aviation Pilots (NAP) and the rank of chief petty officer (CPO). Known as the “Flying Chiefs,” the squadron used the CPO chevrons as its insignia.

During the 1920s and early 1930s, Curtiss and Boeing provided most of the fighter aircraft to the U.S. Army and Navy. The F4B-4 was the final version of the Boeing F4B and was the equivalent of the Army P-12.

In November 1934, VF-2B began receiving F4B-4s to replace its F4B-2s and flew F4B-4s until June 1935, when they were replaced by Grumman F2F-1s.

Since Garry is going to be building other Navy inter-war aircraft, it may be worthwhile to explain the use of colors to identify U.S. Navy carrier aircraft.

During the time that VF-2B flew the F4B-4s, the tail surfaces of aircraft assigned to carriers varied and the squadron numbers were unrelated to the carrier hull numbers. In 1931, VF-2B (Fighting Two) and VT-1B (Torpedo One) aboard Lexington had Lemon Yellow tail surfaces, while VF-5B and VS-3B (Scouting Three) had Insignia Blue tails. In October 1934, VF-2B retained its Lemon Yellow tails, VF-5B changed to True Blue, VB-1B (Bombing One) had Lemon Yellow tails, and there was no torpedo squadron. In October 1935, after VF-2B had exchanged its aircraft for Grummans, all the aircraft of a single carrier were given the same color tails: yellow for Lexington, white for Saratoga, green for Ranger, red for Yorktown, and blue for Enterprise. In 1937, squadron numbers were changed to match the hull numbers of the assigned carriers and the Battle Force/Scouting Force suffixes were dropped, so Lexington’s squadrons were renumbered as VF-2, VB-2, VS-2, and VT-2, all with Lemon Yellow tails (which VF-2 had retained throughout).

Carrier squadrons consisted of 18 aircraft divided into six sections of three aircraft each. The sections were assigned distinctive colors to be carried on the cowlings (or crankcase covers of uncowled aircraft), fuselage bands (section leaders only), and top wing chevrons (used as a guide for formation flying): 1, Red; 2, white; 3, blue; 4, black; 5, green; and 6, yellow. The lead aircraft of each section had the entire cowl and the fuselage band painted in the section color. The Number 2 aircraft had the top half of the cowling painted and the Number 3 aircraft had the bottom half of the cowling painted. That’s why 2-F-14, the Number 2 aircraft of the fifth section, has the top half of its cowl and the wing chevron painted in Willow Green and the number 14 on the top wing center section.

A useful guide to these markings is available at: Yellow Wings: Pre-war US Navy Aircraft Markings

Images:

1. I could not find an image of 2-F-14, and have been unable to determine the BuNo, but here is an image of F4B-4 BuNo 9042, 2-F-1, the aircraft of the squadron commander in 1934. The full cowl, fuselage stripe, and top wing chevron were Insignia Red, since the squadron commander also led the first (red) section. Larkins, p.149.

2. This is a U.S. Naval History & Heritage Command image of F4B-4 9258 bearing Garry’s avatar emblem of Felix the Cat aboard USS Saratoga, Lexington’s sister ship. Caption: “Boeing F4B-4 fighters, of VF-6B, spotted for take off over the ship's stern, on 17 May 1934. Note: 8" guns; plane in center is Bu. 9258; VF-6B's "Felix the Cat with bomb" insignia.” Available at https://www.history.navy.mil/our-col.../NH-51369.html

3. This is an image of the VF-2 “Flying Chiefs” squadron emblem, a set of Navy chief petty officer’s chevrons and a shield bearing the word "Adorimini," Latin for “Attack,” or as, then-Lieutenant Commander J.J. (Jocko) Clark, the squadron commander in 1931 would have it, “Up and at ‘em!”

Sources:

Joe Baugher, “US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos, First Series (A6002 to 9999),” available at http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/firstseries2.html

Peter Bowers, The Boeing F4B-4, Profile Publications Number 27, Leatherhead, UK: Profile Publications, 1965.

---, Boeing Aircraft Since 1916, New York: Putnam, 1968.

Larry Davis, Boeing P-12/F4B in Action, Aircraft No. 141, Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal, 1994.

Thomas E. Doll, Berkley R. Jackson, and William A. Riley, Navy Air Colors: United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Camouflage and Markings, Vol. 1 1911-1945 (Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal, 1983), pp. 16-20.

John M. Elliott, The Official Monogram US Navy & Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide, Vol. 1, 1911-1939, Boylston, MA: Monogram Aviation Publications, 1987, pp. 106-126.

Enlisted Naval Aviation Pilots (NAP) USN, USMC & USCG 1916-1981, available at https://bluejacket.com/nap_index.htm

William F. Riley, “The Chiefs of Fighting Two,” Enlisted Naval Aviation Pilots 1916-1981, Paducah, KY:Turner Publishing Company, 2002, pp. 26-28.

The Flying Chiefs, available at The Second Fighting TWO

Peter Freeman, Wings of the Fleet: US Navy & Marine Corps Aviation 1919-1941, On Target Special, Ardington, Oxfordshire, UK: The Aviation Workshop Publications Ltd., 2010, p. 36.

William T. Larkins, U.S. Navy Aircraft 1921-1941, Concord, CA: Aviation History Publications, 1961, pp. 124-172.

Paul R. Matt and Bruce Robertson, United States Navy and Marine Corps Fighters 1918-1962, Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, 1962, reprint of the Harleyford edition of 1962, p. 52.

Researcher at Large, “U.S. Navy Air Group Markings of the 1930s,” available at Yellow Wings: Pre-war US Navy Aircraft Markings

W.E. Scarborough, “Wings for the Fleet: The Story of Naval Enlisted Flight Training . . . 1938,” Fighting Wings of the Navy 1911-1941, Canoga Park, CA: Challenge Publications, 1984, pp. 82-87.

Gordon Swanborough and Peter M Bowers, “Boeing F4B,” United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911, New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1968, pp. 61-62.

United States Navy History and Heritage Command, “U.S. Naval Aircraft Marking,” available at https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/naval-aviation-history/aircraft-markings.html

[Rata]

Thanks again Don for your amazing insight into this great period of aviation history. Particularly fascinating info about the reason behind the colours and designator codes. Mandatory reading for anyone with even just a passing interest in this subject.

BTW, I indicated earlier that the next model would be a Thomas Morse S4C. The build is in progress but life distractions (yeah, those pesky things) have intervened.

Garry G.

[MichaelS]

Rata & DB,

Great work on this build and a great write-up by Don. This is what this group is all about!

[Vinalssergio155]

I think like Michael, excellent what they do, a pleasure to follow this thread.

[CMDRTED]

speaking of thread, show us how you rig these little critters. I had a devil of a time rigging a simple 1/33 Fokker triplane, let alone century scale.

[Rata]

Apologies CMDRTED- I said earlier I was gonna do a WIP and show rigging on my next biplane build. That build (Thomas Morse S4C) is actually still going. This Boeing was one I did a while ago and I just cleaned it up a little for this thread.

Garry G.

[MichaelS]

I just have 3 words for you.....


paint brush bristles

[Rata]

Yeah, yeah, paint brush bristles... heard ya the first time Mr Subtle. Like, sheesh man!

Actually I've got my little container of pre-plucked bristles ready to go on the Tommy MS. Looking forward to trying it out. Do I have to pay you royalties or anything for using your idea?