I have built WWII airplanes a long time and like a lot of people have assumed the yellow tips were front and back. However recently I am finding more color photographs from the WWII era showing only the front of the prop to have yellow tips.
In several photos form AJ Press’ monograph on the F6F Hellcat the backs of the props are clearly not painted.
In my Motorbooks International books on the P-38 and P-40, again all rear shots of Props show no yellow. Yet I always see models painted this way?
Have I been assuming something that was just not done in the field all this time.
The rear faces take frequent touch up in the field and the yellow is not bothered with. In most cases black is the only color on the back. Always a photo is the best, though. Most people don’t walk into a prop from behind.
Exactly, thats why i am thinking without a photo the odds are in combat conditions the odds are black on back. Well time to get the weathered black out.
I have a number of Squadron books on World War II airplanes. Photos in these books show some fighters and bombers with propellors with yellow tips on the front and back and others with just the fronts painted. I think you have to decide which way you want them as either way would be correct from the photos I looked at after seeing this post.
Flicker vertigo can happen when the rpm of the engine is just right (low) and the light is from the front. The problem with a reflective color on the back of a prop is that the disk becomes visible, especially at night with the landing lights on, when it can severely limit visibility. You’ll only want to experience that once.
The props left the factory with the tips painted yellow front & back. What happened in the field is guesswork unless you have a reference pic. But, as noted, many did have the yellow painted out on the backs.
Manfacturers don’t always do ALL their homework… In fact, many don’t do half of it… I’ve many kits call out for stuff that didn’t even exist on the 1/1 scale subject… Others will look over a restored museum piece and call it SOP for everything in that country’'s air-arms…
Other things that factor in is that one or two particular modelers will do something and then everyone follows suit without checking it out for themselves, lol… Check out Shep Paine’s B-25H diorama and look over the main gear doors, lol…