Dick J wrote:Please correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't the upper surfaces of the wings and horizontal stabilizers on the TBF/TBM's and SB2C's be the darker blue, with the undersides of the folding parts of the wings the medium blue?
True for Tricolor. The airplane camouflage on carriers was done as much to blend in with the carrier as it was to camouflage the aircraft in the air. So the medium blue on the underside of the folding wings was to prevent that part from showing up on a darker deck and making the carrier easier to see. But even the TBFs operated in the two-color scheme.
Below is an extracted history of camouflage taken from the "
Naval Aviation Chronology in World War II on NHC's website.
1941
October 13th -The Bureau of Aeronautics directed that all fleet aircraft be painted non-specular light gray except for surfaces seen above which were to be blue-gray. In late December, this color scheme was extended to shore based airplanes except trainers.
1942
April 24 -A new specification for color of naval aircraft went into effect. The color of service aircraft remained non-specular light gray with non-specular blue-gray on surfaces visible from above. Advanced trainers were to be finished in glossy aircraft gray with glossy orange yellow on wing and aileron surfaces visible from above while primary trainers were to be finished glossy orange-yellow with gray landing gear.
1943
FEBRUARY 1 - A new specification prescribing color and marking of naval aircraft became effective. A basic camouflage color scheme was provided for use on fleet aircraft which consisted of semigloss sea blue on surfaces viewed from above and non-specular insignia white on surfaces viewed from below. The terminology "basic non-camouflage" and "maximum visibility" were introduced for the color schemes described in April 1942, and used on intermediate and primary trainers.
1944
MARCH 6 - A new specification for color of naval aircraft went into effect. The basic camouflage scheme, used with fleet aircraft, was modified slightly to provide for use of non-specular sea blue on upper fuselage surfaces; airfoil surfaces visible from above remained semigloss sea blue and other surfaces visible from below, semigloss insignia white. A new basic non-camouflage color scheme, all aluminum, was specified for general use on aircraft not in the combat theater. The maximum visibility color scheme used on primary trainers became glossy orange yellow overall.
MARCH 22 - A new specification for color of fighter aircraft went into effect. It directed that fighters be painted glossy sea blue on all exposed surfaces.
OCTOBER 7 - A new Bureau of Aeronautics color specification went into effect which provided seven different color schemes for aircraft depending upon design and use. The most basic change was the use of glossy sea blue all over on carrier based aircraft and on seaplane transports, trainers and utility aircraft. The basic non-specular camouflage color scheme, semigloss blue above and nonspecular white below, was to be applied to patrol and patrol bombing types and to helicopters. For antisubmarine warfare, two special camouflage schemes--gray on top and sides and white on bottom, or white all over--were prescribed with the selection dependent upon prevailing weather conditions (this had been used by COMNAVAIRLANT since 19 July 1943). All aluminum was to be used on landplane transports and trainers and landplane and amphibian utility aircraft. Orange-yellow was to be used upon target-towing aircraft and primary trainers. Another new scheme, glossy red, was specified for target drones.
Another good link is
this NHC FAQ on Markings.
jgrease wrote:-those pesky AA galleries were still mounted on the aft end of the ship under the flight deck
:snip:
The only other outward issue for me is the cat on the flight deck. I know it's wrong, but if I fill it in and mess it up, it be more obvious than just leaving it there.
I believe those aft 20mm galleries were removed in April... once again I don't have my notes with me and will have to check when I get home... but I'm on the road until tomorrow afternoon and won't be able to see until I get home then.
The single starboard cat WAS there on Essex; it was just not the same model all the other ships received. Due to the shortage of H4 cats when she was fitting out, she left with a H2 catapult installed (same model as on the Yorktown class and Saratoga). The track was present when she was commissioned. Two H4s were held for her at Puget Sound, but she never made it there during the war and never received them. The visual difference between the two was just length, so you "only" have to fill and and rescribe some of the cat track if you want to fix this particularity.
The track has a long stretch of track fore, larger rectangle at the end of that (essentially equal with the middle of the elevator); anything after that rectangle can be filled and removed. Let me know if that wasn't clear enough....
when I saw this advertised this morning :
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