I have just watched the Nat Geo channel on Sky where they talk about draining the Bermuda Triangle. They centre on Flight 19 on the 5th December 1945 out of Fort Lauderdale and that the flight of 5 planes disappeared soon afterwards. I’ve found various pictures on the net of the flight/planes and their markings. The problem I have is, as the pictures are in black and white, what is the aircraft colourway, black, dark blue?
From what research I have done this is a depiction of the flight with correct markings?
No it’s pretty much there at say 90%. Little things- the tail number on your drawing and the AM drawing is “stencil”, very typical of the period. And the national insignia on the sides of the fuselage is slanted.
One thing I’d ask the experts- was the Sea Blue all one finish, or are the topsides matte not gloss etc. I’ll see what I can dig up, but I don’t have any books about the Avenger.
Having started this search since seeing the TV programme just yesterday, others tell me it’s a Sea Blue Gloss finish but that looks to be semi gloss or matte finish. But still searching.
One thing I’ve found is that the colour is difficult to get here in the UK. One online supplier has it in a spray can (that is my preferred way to paint) but only in a 16ml can! The standard size for spray cans here is 100ml! Would 16ml be enough do you think?
Here is a link to the Flight 19 page on the NAS Ft Lauderdale Museum website. There is an aircrew group photo with one of the aircraft, which is likely one of the lost aircraft. It shows a well weathered overall Sea Blue. A semi gloss, or better yet satin finish would work. Remember that these were well used trainer aircraft.
Subscribed! Looking foward to your build. The story of Flight 19 was always a favourite of mine… did they have new information on where they ditched? or is it still up in the air (no pun) for sea or swamp?
No Josh they had no further info of where they went or the flying boat that was sent out to look for them! But I don’t know how old the programme was on Nat Geo.
My only question, and it’s splitting hairs but I’m curious:
In the tri-color scheme the Grumman color diagrams show that the top surface of the aircraft fuselage is “non-specular”, i.e. matte Sea Blue as opposed to the rest of the top third, the wings etc. which are semi-gloss sea blue.
I just wondered if that were the case as well in the overall Sea Blue scheme. I can’t find that Grumman diagram.
