B-17 camouflage (3 Viewers)

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Camouflage Finishes for Aircraft (Specification 24114)
A new Air Corps Spec. 24114 "Camouflage Finishes for Aircraft", was issued as a result of the Air Corps Study No. 42 on camouflage
of combat aircraft. Dated October 24, 1940, it also introduced Air Corps Bulletin No. 41, "Color Card for Camouflage Finishes", (see
Chapter 7) which established the new Air Corps matt colors for permanent camouflage paints. The key requirements of this specification
were:
Application-
One coat of zinc chromate primer, Spec. 14080, shall be applied to all exterior surfaces. This shall be followed by two coats
of camouflage lacquer, Spec. 14105, applied as follows: all upper surfaces except for insignia shall be coated with dark olive
drab, Shade 41 of Bulletin 41, camouflage lacquer. The olive drab coating shall extend downward on the sides of the fuselage
and all other similar surfaces in such manner than none of the neutral gray coating is visible when the airplane is in normal
level flight attitude and is viewed from above from any direction within an angle of approximately thirty degrees from
vertical lines tangent to the airplane. The location of the color boundary line in accordance with the foregoing shall be subject
to the approval of the Procurement Agency. All under surfaces, except for insignia and markings, shall be coated with neutral
gray, Shade 43 of Bulletin 41, camouflage lacquer. Masks shall not be employed to separate the two shades. The lines of
demarcation shall be eliminated as far as possible by blending the colors at the junction line by over-spraying.
Finish of Fabric Covered Surfaces:
Apply at least three brushed coats of yellow or cream semi-pigmented nitrate dope. The dope shall not be thinned for brush
application. Apply at least one spray coat of yellow or cream semi-pigmented nitrate dope, thinned as required for spray
application. Apply at least two spray coats of dark olive drab or neutral gray fully pigmented nitrate camouflage dope as
required.

From the above mentioned book- http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=0764302469 - so it seems that they used the primer?
 
Spec 24114 "Camouflage Finishes For Aircraft", Amendment No.6, December 12, 1941.
This spec. was revised only a few days after the United States entered the war and made the following changes:
Application.- One coat of zinc chromate primer, Specification AN-TT-P-656 was to be applied to all exterior surfaces. This
was to be followed by one of two types of camouflage finishes as follows:
(1). All exterior surfaces, except for insignia and markings, were to be coated with two coats of camouflage
lacquer, Specification No. 14105 or with one coat of camouflage enamel, Specification No. 14109. The lacquer was to be
thinned by mixing approximately two parts of lacquer with one part of lacquer thinner. The enamel was to be thinned with
approximately four parts of enamel to one part of enamel thinner. The enamel was to be so applied that a coating of approximately
1 mil thickness was obtained.
(2). The entire airplane was to be coated with either lacquer or enamel. In no case was lacquer to be used for the
upper surface and enamel for the lower, or enamel for the upper surface and lacquer for the lower.
(3). All upper surfaces except for insignia were to be coated with dark olive drab, Shade 41 of Bulletin 41. The
dark olive drab was to extend downward on the sides of the fuselage and all similar surfaces in such manner that none of the
neutral gray coating was visible when the airplane was in normal level flight attitude and was viewed from above in any
direction within an angle of approximately 30 degrees from vertical lines tangent to the airplane. The location of the color
boundary line was subject to approval by the AAF.
(4). All under surfaces, except for insignia and markings, were to be coated with neutral gray, Shade 43 of Bulletin
41.
(5). Fabric covered surfaces, regardless of whether or not the finish of the metal surfaces was lacquer, or enamel,
camouflage, Specification No. 14109, were to be finished as follows: (see original spec. issue of October 1940 - author).

source : http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=0764302469
 
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During 1943, the results of world-wide combat experience led
to the following major changes in the marking and camouflaging
of USAAF aircraft:
Northwest African Air Forces adopt local theater camouflage,
March.
Value of camouflage questioned by Gen. Arnold, March.
Dark Olive Drab No. 41 replaced by a new shade, March, effective
September.

Markings for walkways and "No Step" markings added, June.
Anti-submarine white camouflage finally adopted, June.
T.O. 07-1-1 issued in full-color printing, June.
Star insignia has white bars and a red outline added, June.
All trainers to be painted aluminum, or be natural metal finish, June.
National insignia outline color changed to insignia blue, September.
Names and numbers ofArmy-Navy aircraft camouflage colors standardized
in ANA Bulletin No. 157, September.
Camouflage no longer required for almost all USAAF aircraft, except
night fighters, September.
High Gloss black paint developed for night use, November.
Standard aircraft gloss colors for aircraft issued as ANA Bulletin
No. 166, December.

source: http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=0764302469
 
Army requests that Dark Olive Drab be superseded as the new standard aircraft camouflage color by a different one, February
18,1943.

On February 18, 1943, the Director of Military Requirements asked the lAC Technical Sub-Committee on Camouflage to consider an
Army request to change the standard Dark Olive Drab to a different one. The recent proposal to standardize the Dark Olive Drab in place
of the British Dark Slate Gray and Dark Green had not yet been approved for release as a new color standard. The Army requested that a
new Lusterless Olive Drab, Class 204, be adopted as the new standard. This request was approved by the lAC on March 2, 1943 (this
change has not been generally known and caused a great deal of confusion in determining the exact shade of the Olive Drab used on
USAAF aircraft from 1943.
See Chapter 7 for the full story).

source: http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=0764302469
 
New ANA BULLETIN No. 157 standardizes names and numbers ofArmy-Navy colors for aircraft camouflage, September 28,
1943.

The results of the lAC standardization of aircraft camouflage colors was finally issued on September 28, 1943, as ANA Bulletin No.157.
This listed the following:
COLOR NO.
601 Insignia White
602 Light Gray
603 Sea Gray
604 Black
605 Insignia Blue
606 Semi-Gloss Sea Blue
607 Non-Specular Sea Blue
608 Intermediate Blue
609 Azure Blue
610 Sky
611 Interior Green
612 Medium Green
613 Olive Drab
614 Orange Yellow
615 Middlestone
616 Sand
617 Dark Earth
618 Dull Red
619 Insignia Red

Note 2a. of the original document stated that:
The Army-Navy Aircraft Camouflage Color Standards supersede Army Air Forces BuJletin No. 41 and any other color standards
for the colors listed herein for Army and Navy aeronautical use.
For many reasons, these new color standards did not take effect for several months. For example, the engineering department at
Douglas Aircraft Co's. Santa Monica plant did not receive their copy until October 30, 1943. However, the main reason was it took
several months before the necessary camouflage paint specifications were revised to meet the requirements (for fuJI details see Chapter
7). Also note that there were no high altitude camouflage colors included, despite the request of August 13, 1943, to the Tech. SubCommittee
on Camouflage.

None of the colors in the Bulletin were changed, except for the major one of color No. 613, Olive Drab. This replaced the previous
Dark Olive Drab No. 41 of Bulletin No. 41, per the Army request of January 22, 1943 (described earlier). There was quite a difference
in the shade of the two colors
, but in the event, the change was not to appear in the combat theaters for many months, and as it so
happened, not on the AAF major combat aircraft. This was because, as a result of Gen. Arnold's inquiries to his theater commanders
(described earlier), far-reaching changes were about to be made in the AAF camouflage requirements.

spource: http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=0764302469
 
Does anyone know what was the purpose of this camo scheme of B-17F, S/N 42-30437? If am I not wrong there were several Forts in a similar RAF scheme for RAF but this particular machine was assigned to 15 USAAF (97 BG). A home made field modification?
 

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Thank you Fubar. To me it looks like OD applied over the faded OD to make this camo but I´m not 100% sure about it. And as I said I'd like to know the reason of this scheme... if someone can bring some light on this...

That's the only side note I've found so far: B-17F, s/n 42-30437. "Ferret" aircraft used for ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) missions mapping German radar warning system.
Source: Lucien Fugere Gallery | The 449th Bomb Group(H)
 
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Hi Seesul,

I don't have any direct knowledge of the colors on the Ferret aircraft, but the photo suggests strongly that the lighter shade is faded Dark Olive Drab 41; the darker shade is probably Medium Green 43. The colors are not US versions of British paints - the pattern is not a British pattern and the colors would have switched to a Coastal Command scheme for any B-17Fs originally intended for the Brits.

Nice photo - I'd love to know more. Something interesting going on around the tail turret, too...

Cheers,



Dana
 
D Dana Bell might have some insight here. I like the scheme
Hi Seesul,

I don't have any direct knowledge of the colors on the Ferret aircraft, but the photo suggests strongly that the lighter shade is faded Dark Olive Drab 41; the darker shade is probably Medium Green 43. The colors are not US versions of British paints - the pattern is not a British pattern and the colors would have switched to a Coastal Command scheme for any B-17Fs originally intended for the Brits.

Nice photo - I'd love to know more. Something interesting going on around the tail turret, too...

Cheers,



Dana

Dana,

I have never heard of "Ferret" aircrafts before so this forced me to look for some information about it and I found also a reply on this camo pattern in the book
Instruments of Darkness: The History of Electronic Warfare, 1939–1945 (Alfred Price)
Those Ferret B-17 flew in the nights only and in the low altitude and that's why they applied this camo pattern. The darker color, they say, was black. See the attached file.
 

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I´m only wondering that the S/N 42-30437 is not equipped by the APA-24 antennas and a special dome instead of the ball turret. Attached is a picture of Ferret B-17F. Maybe the picture of 42-30437 was taken later in Italy when this machine was used as an usual bomber again...

And also, in the history of this machine there's not mentioned that it belonged to the special unit.
B-17F 42-30437 Delivered Cheyenne 31/5/43; Gore 18/6/43; Rapid City 19/6/43; Geiger 22/6/43; Gr Isle 29/6/43; Dow Fd 24/7/43; Assigned 97BG Chateau-du-Rhumel 24/7/43; Pont-du-Fahs 1/8/43; Depienne 15/8/43; Cerignola 20/12/43; Amendola 16/1/44; Returned to the USA 302 BU Hunter 13/11/44; 4100 BU Patterson 22/11/44; 611 BU Eglin 30/4/45; 75 BU Ashville 26/6/45; 123 BU Seymour Johnson 14/8/45; 76 BU Langley 3/9/46.
 

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Does anyone have the following books? They could include other pic of B-17F S/N 42-30437. Thank you in advance.

- Air Warfare: an International Encyclopedia: A-L by Walter J. Boyne, Michael Fopp
- Instruments of Darkness: The History of Electronic Warfare, 1939–1945 by Alfred Price
- Wild Weasel Fighter Attack: The Story of the Suppression of Enemy Air Defences byThomas Withington
 

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