Were there very many, if any, P-47 D bubble tops that were OD or another green color. I know most were bare metal, but where there any?
Gabreski’s P-47D was very cool.
Mike
All Thunderbolts before late model D’s were O.D. over grey I believe.
There was definately some bubbletops in the OD over NG scheme.
The paint was removed later in the war when the US pretty much had air superiority in the skies over Europe. They thought that saving weight through not painting the aircraft was more important than camoflaging the aircraft.
Have a look around the www.littlefriends.co.uk site. They have info on all the 8th AF fighter groups and pics of the aircraft of each FG. You might find some pics of OD over NG bubbletops.
hope this helps
Let me sugest this one:
56FG 8th AF Col. David Schilling P-47
Although NMF was more the norm, there were a great many that were painted OD over NG. Also some in Green 42, some with disruptive camo, & some M’s painted in two tone blue over NM. Lots of schemes to choose from.
Regards, Rick
Thanks guys,
The specific planes, such as Gabi’s and Schilling’s are cool, but I was going to do a P-47 crashed in a field, so for historical accuracy, I don’t think that they could be used. But were other planes in their FG painted like that too? Also, with the OD over NG scheme, was the NG just on the underside and the OD on the side and top, or was it like Gabi’s and Schilling’s planes? Thanks for all the help.
Actually, you could use both. Schilling’s plane was pranged while another pilot was flying it, and Gabby crashed when he flew too low on an attack on a German airfield and his prop hit the ground!. Just use your imagination. Firtually the enitire group was painted in schemes similar to that one in early-to-mid 1944. OD was always used over NG. The 56th FG aircraft used stocks of RAF paints to camouflage their aircraft… Ho.pe this is of some help. - Ed
PS- you should take a look at the schemes used by all three squadrons when they converted to the M-model: two shades of blue for one squadron, all black for another, and grey/green for the other. The 56th also had a number of all NMF aircraft.
There are more, but this was the first good bubbletop od green jug I could find.
Well, see if this can be inspiring for your project:
Best chances on your project scubaboy99[
Madda, great photo, but this one is actually one of the all-black P-47M models I mentioned earlier. Red nose band and rudder, red serial numbers and squadron codes with white or natural metal surrounds.
Madda
I’m not sure but I don’t think that Jug is green. Over the years I’ve seen several articles that have indicated there were 1/2 doz Jugs that were painted Black (or an almost black Marroon) over NG or aluminum - Letters were red outlined in white. Take a look at the tone of the paint on the drop tanks (they’re OD) - they match each other but not the aircraft. If you can find a copy, the Greene’s Famous Fighters of WW II Vol 1 has a great inflight picture of an 8th AF P-47-D bubble top painted OD over NG and a black and white checker nose.
Thanks for all the help guys
I’ve seen (and have) books with photos of these birds and have always wanted to build one that way. However, I’ve never seen anyone quote just what color that is. It looks different colors with different films shot in different light. Sometimes almost eggplant color, sometimes navy blue, sometimes black. Like the SR-71 does, though we know it was ironball black, it looks different in every photo. Can anyone enlighten me, and point to any AM markings for these birds?
Hey, scubaboy99
Ya can find a P-47D used by the Brazilian Air force on the link below…
http://www.sentandoapua.com.br/thunderbolt/walk_hist.htm
Hope this helps
Daniel
PS.: portuguese only… sorry
Hmm, It may well be black. After looking at tons of black and white photos they all look pretty similar. I was just scrolling through bubbletop pics and grabbed the first good photo of a painted one I ran across.
For what it’s worth, I think a black jug with red letters would look awesome sitting on my shelf. I may have to do one of those after I do my Robert Johnson jug.
Gentlemen, elsewhere on the forum you will find a discussion on black P-47’s, I was on there the other day, can’t remember which bit it was though. Anyway, the one above is probably from the 61st Fg, 56thFG, based at Boxted, England, late in 1944.
The colour is controversial, as you will see if you find the other discussion. it probably is black, with a shade of, Purple, or maroon, or… Undersides, on the later M models, were left in NM, rudder, codes & nose, in red.
Pete