B-24 repaints

[elliott]

Originally Posted by 3turner

And then, I bet this book would come in handy for what you want to do on the repaints for assembly ships....though at $50 price tag....ouch
http://www.kecay.com/product_info.php?products_id=28

Go to your local library and ask for an Inter-Library Loan.

[hawkman67]

Robert, Elliott; Thanks Guys for the info and the leads there are very helpful. here is page one of Freddy and of the PB4Y1.

[3Turner]

Library? What's that? LOL! I haven't been to the library since graduating college.

Those two sheets look Jeff. I bet they are going to look great. Building up a squadron of them would look awesome!

[airdave]

Hey I like whacky and wild paintjobs...but some of these B-24s are just plain ridiculous!
Are these for real? or just conceptual designs?
Bubbles? Polka Dots? Checkers?
And the colour choices are pretty ....well...awful, if you ask me. lol
These can't be wartime paintjobs?

[RyanShort1]

They are wartime paint jobs. They were War Weary aircraft painted in bright colors for visibility and the large formations would "form up" on them before heading out for Germany.
Then they would head for home while the rest of the formation winged it's way into combat.

Ryan

[3Turner]

They are real....they were the assembly ships for the bomb groups. For instance, Fearless Freddie was the assembly ship for the 446th BG.

And what Ryan wrote also.

[airdave]

Originally Posted by RyanShort1

They are wartime paint jobs. They were War Weary aircraft painted in bright colors for visibility and the large formations would "form up" on them before heading out for Germany.
Then they would head for home while the rest of the formation winged it's way into combat.

Ryan

so, they were like "bait" ?? easily seen to draw away the attacks??


and what is an "assembly" ship?

[hawkman67]

AirDave;
These are real actual B-24's most of them war-weary. They were stripped of all weapons. and painted in very wild, crazy and some very ugly schemes. They also had neon lights, and other kinds of lights to help aid the other bombers form up into the proper group formation before heading to the target. they were also know as "judas goats" as they helped lead the others to the slaughter. From what I have read, and others correct me if I am wrong, the B-24's were clumsy handfuls to fly and hard to keep in formation. so the formation ships were used to help out and make getting into formation easier.
Jeff

[Texman]

Nope, not bait. But highly visible so that all of the aircraft of any specific squadron, could form up in formation. So, if 1st squadron were to form up on a polka dot aircraft, they knew that was where they would all meet up. 2nd squadron, would form "meet up" and get in formation on, lets say, the striped aircraft. This way, all aircraft of all squadrons flying the mission would be in the proper assigned position of the attack formation.

[3Turner]

And after the squadrons formed up on the assembly ship like explained above, it then turned back to base since it was unarmed.