I’m working on the Trumpeter 1/32 scale Corsair and was wondering what color the bombs should be? I’m building this for my LHS to hang in the window and the owner wants everything on it and gear down. I want the colors to be correct and they aren’t called out in the instructions unless I missed it. Are they olive drab green or black or what color exactly?
I think the bombs should be Olive Drab. There may have been a yellow stripe in the area where the taper to the front is. The fuses are probably silver or grey. Of course I might be all wet also. Wait for more replies. Bob
Thanks Bob, I will wait for more input. I suppose I should have said the F4U Corsair as opposed to the A-7! I’m doing the scheme for VMF 323 the Death Rattlers I believe they were called.
Which Corsair does help! I got lucky and assumed correctly. 
Bob
VMF 323 operated F4U during WW2. Never operated A-7. [proplr]
- F4U Corsair 1943 to 1953
- F9F Panther 1953 to 1954
- F9F Cougar 1954 to 1956
- FJ-4 Fury 1956 to 1959
- F-8 Crusader 1959 to 1964
- F-4B Phantom II 1964 to 1975
- F-4N Phantom II 1975 to 1982
- F/A-18A Hornet 1982 to 1993
- F/A-18C Hornet 1993 to Present
[8-|]
Bombs should be Olive Drab by the time that F4Us carried them. Black stenciling for the particular model/weight, and yellow striping to indicate HE filler. Fuses are bare metal, sort of anodized brass is color. Fins are also OD, but often a different shade due to those being manufactured and stored separately, and not mated to the bomb until shortly before arming of the aircraft.
Thank you. This is interesting…I’ll have to remember this for my Dauntless. Joe
As far as your SBD goes, it depends upon what part of the war you are depicting. In 1942 and into 1943, USN (and presumably USMC as well due to their being part of the Navy and following of Navy Reg.s) painted their bombs Light Gray to match the bottom color of aircraft. If the aircraft is in a “tri color” or overall Sea Blue scheme, OD for the bombs. But if in Blue Gray over Light Gray, Light Gray for the bombs is a good choice.
…or the theater of operation. [;)]
Anyone know where I can get some duck crew members?
I’ve seen some pics of SBDs with black and yellow bombs (seperately, not together on the same ordnance). I believe both were 1942 or earlier.
I believe the black one was a practice bomb. Anyone know anything about the yellow?
Here is a good article on the subject
http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/01/us-navy-bombs-up-through-wwii.html
and here is a good original WWII color shot of some gray bombs on SBDs
That is a good article. Explains the yellow I saw (that actually may be the very picture I saw).
Look at this photo, I am pretty sure it’s from 1942, and USAAF certainly, but Yellow bombs did exist in the early US involvement. From Life mafgazine’s website. And with OD fins to boot… Just the opposite of what I saw and did for my current Marauder build.
Stik, the colors for bombs and shells changed in April 42, from yellow to OD as brought forth by HVH. The US had a large stockpile built up as the 8th AF was still dropping yellow bombs in early 43. And so was the 11th AF as shown in Report From The Aleutians film. And there is a Life photo of an artilleryman in England early 44 eating lunch sitting on a stack of yellow 155 mm shells waiting for D-Day. One question: who had jurisdiction over bombs, the Ordnance Corps or the AC, so would the OD color be the COE color or the AC color OD 41?
Yes, some of the Life photos of Marauders in the UK show yellow bombs in summer 1943. I would presume that bombs fall under ordnance corps, as the AAF still fell under Army HQ. Most likely not OD 41.
Stik is the man. Almost any color after all. Army, navy, theater, etc… OR Ducks… I knew there were better answers out there. Bob
LOL! I spend too much time online looking this sort of thing up…
If you’re doing this paint scheme in Korea with the cowling squadron art, definitely OD bomb & fins with yellow stripes and black stenciling
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