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Chapter 14 - Warplane Color Schemes

It is surprising and somewhat disappointing to witness the astounding number of scale replicas that sport incorrect color schemes. This is not just a matter of small details but of the overall color scheme which ruins an otherwise beautiful model. We shall now endeavor briefly to summarize the outstanding color schemes used by the principal air powers during the past half century in our desire to help the scale modeler choose the proper mantle for his handiwork. Obviously, due to the enormity of the subject, it will not be possible to cover every type of color scheme and camauflage used during the two great wars; therefore it is quite possible that the reader may discover color schemes which are not mentioned herein.

1914-1918 WAR PLANE COLORS

During the early days of the first World War no effort was made by either the Central Powers or the Allied Nations to paint their aircraft. The clear doped fabric, therefore, gave the aircraft a buff appearance. As the use of airplanes increased the belligerants realized that the potential of the airplane in warfare was tremendous and thereupon began to devise ways of concealing this powerful weapon whose major asset was surprise.

Scientific  Photo

The famous "S. E. 5″ biplane of the first world war was one of the fighters which wore the British color scheme of olive drab top and buff bottom. The letter is white and is pilot identification while the fuselage polygon is squadron insignia. Note the gray nose. At times all metal parts were gray or silver.

The French air arm began applying large patches of varying shades of browns and greens to the upper surface of the aircraft in an attempt to conceal the airplane when viewed from above. The under surface remained unpainted and, therefore, appeared buff. This scheme remained unchanged throughout the war. Squadron markings such as storks and dogs appeared on the fuselage.

The United States Air Service, which was composed mainly of French aircraft, followed the French color scheme. Some U.S. aircraft had light gray undersides.

A more simple attempt at camauflage was devised by the British Royal Flying Corps. The upper surfaces and fuselage were painted olive drab and the under surfaces of the wings and tail were unpainted again resulting in the buff color. Like their French and American Allies, the English did not alter this method of concealment for the duration of the war. British squadron markings consisted of white bands around the fuselage rear or white bars and geometric shapes.

Scientific  Photo

The peacetime pre-war blue and yellow color scheme of U.S. Army aircraft is modeled by this replica of the "Fairchild PT-19A Trainer". The identification numbers are yellow and the wing walk is black.

Italian aircraft followed the French scheme or remained unpainted.

The initial German attempt at camauflage followed the French method of large patches on the upper surfaces except that the colors were light purple and green or brown and green. Unlike the French and English the Germans painted the under surfaces sky blue. Many German aircraft of this period, 1915-1916, had fuselages which were covered with wood. These fuselages were normally unpainted at the factory and usually appeared at the front with only a clear varnish protective coating which gave it a straw-like color. The German flyers soon took advantage of this unpainted surface upon which to afix personal emblems, initials or colorful and bizzare markings such as stripes, checkerboards, arrows, hearts and even a premature swastika!

Late in 1917 the Germans developed a printed fabric which reduced the time formerly consumed in painting. Once the fabric was in place on the airplane it only required clear dope. The pattern of the fabric was most unusual in that it consisted of irregular hexagons throughout. This fabric was printed in a variety of colors including; pink, cobalt blue, clay orange, dark red, light purple, gray, blue-green, and dirty yellow. Usually only four or five colors were used in one pattern. The hexagon size was approximately 3" x 6".

Model Airplane News Photo

The pre-war experiments in 1939 with orange, green and white camauflage throughout is graphically illustrated by this model of the Curtiss P-36C "Mohawk". Note the absence of national insignia. Each plane in the squadron used a different pattern for the arrangement of colors. The fuselage stripes designate leaders while the diving hawk insignia belongs to the 27th pursuit squadron.

This scheme was used until the Armistice. Personal markings continued in a more subdued manner.

Many of the leading German Aces received permission to color their entire airplane in a personal manner. Some of the outstanding examples are: all black—Ritter von Schliech; all red—Manfred von Richthofen; all white—Hermann Goer-ing; all silvery-blue—Werner Voss; and blue tail; Ernst Udet.

Twenty Years Of Peace

The years between the two world wars witnessed many changes in the war plane color schemes.

In England the Royal Flying Corps, now called the Royal Air Force, painted all aircraft silver. Squadron insignia, in the form of long rectangular strips of checker board, triangles and stripes in multi-color combinations, adorned the fueslage and wings of the aircraft attached to the crack squadrons.

French aircraft of this period were silver, gray, or retained the wartime camauflage with the addition of light blue bottoms.

Aeromodeller  Photo

This model of the "Hawker Hart" was constructed by the author and is painted in the all silver color scheme prescribed for all British war planes during the period between the world wars.

The United States Army and Navy adopted overall olive drab, and then a silver color scheme during the immediate post-war years, however this was soon changed. Army craft sported an olive drab fuselage and landing gear and chrome yellow wings and tail surfaces while the Navy resorted to the color scheme described in Chapter Nine. The olive drab fuselage of Army craft was soon changed to a medium "peace" blue.

During the years immediately preceding World War II the U.S. Army experimented with a brilliant camauflage consisting of orange, white and green. This was applied on upper and under surfaces alike. The objectives appeared to be to confuse the aim of enemy gunners rather than conceal the airplane.

Italian airplanes and the newly formed German Luftwaffe sported medium gray colors throughout.

1939-1945 WAR PLANE COLORS

The Royal Air Force again turned to camauflage immediately upon the outbreak of hostilities. This time large patches of green and brown covered the upper surfaces and fuselage sides while the underside was very light blue. The model described in Chapter Six displays this color scheme. During the war this scheme was modified and the light blue bottom was changed to light gray and the brown was replaced by a medium gray. This was retained until the end of the war. Some desert fighters used brown and tan on the upper surfaces in order to blend with the sand. British Naval Aircraft began using patches of aqua and sea green on the upper surfaces and finished the war with an overall greenish-blue on the upper surfaces.

American Modeler Photo

The "Grumman F4F Wildcat" was the mainstay of the U.S. Navy fighter force during the early years of the second world war. This model exhibits the medium blue top and light blue-gray bottom used during most of the war. The red and white tail stripes and red spot in the star insignia were discontinued early in the war.

American Modeler Photo

1 his author s replica of the unforgettable "Hawker Hurricane" of battle of Britain fame shows the brown and green camauflage (sand and spinach) with a sky blue bottom. Leading edge of tip is bright yellow.

American Modeler Photo

The hazy brown spots on the tan background of this twin engine "Mes-serschmitt 110" fighter is typical of the aircraft used over the sands of the North African desert by the German Afrika Korps during the second world war. Undersur-faces   are   sky   blue.
 
The United States Army entered the war with the entire plane colored olive drab execpt for the under surfaces which were either light blue or gray. This was discontinued during the closing years of the conflict and all aircraft were then left unpainted resulting in a natural aluminum finish.

U.S. Army Squadron markings and lettering were carried on the nose, fuselage or tail and assumed the form of stripes, checkerboard or solid colors. Some of these were quite outstanding.

The U.S. Navy color scheme at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack was an overall medium gray. Shortly thereafter the scheme was changed to medium blue upper surfaces and light bluish-gray under surfaces. The medium Blue was darkened later to a "Navy" blue. Naval aircraft did not display bizzarre squadron or personal colors or other conspicuous decorations.

American Modeler Photo

The later years of World War II saw British fighters in green and gray camouflage (slime and sewage) with light gray undersides. This "Hawker Typhoon," constructed by the author for American Modeler Magazine, illustrates this scheme. Letters on the fuselage are yellow. Notice that the white ring has been removed from the wing insignia to make the craft  less  conspicuous.

Italian aircraft were camauflaged with relatively small patches of greens, browns, tans, and terra cotta colors which gave them a rather spotted appearance. Certain colors were omitted from the scheme at times depending upon the terrain. The undersides were buff or gray.

Many Japanese war planes were colored light gray throughout the war. On numerous occasions they would sport a two tone green finish consisting of very small jagged patches for use when flying over jungle infested areas.

German fighter aircraft first used large jagged patches of green and brown, and then changed to small patches of light and dark blue, and later two shades of gray, or two shades of green during World War II. The underside of these craft were light blue. Some early fighters used an overall dirty dark green or gray for the upper surfaces. At times the fuselage was spotted while the wings contained large patches of color.

German Aircraft attached to the "Afrika Corps" were colored solid tan, or spotted in tan and brown on all upper surfaces. Under surfaces were light blue.

Night fighter-interceptors of the Luftwaffe were colored in patches of purple and black on upper surfaces with bright yellow under surfaces.

Personal or squadron markings of WW-2 German planes were much more subdued than those used during the first world war. Colored spinners, cowls and rudders limited this form of identification.

Russian war planes were usually colored dark green on all upper surfaces with a light gray bottom.

Many Russian craft were painted white while serving over snow covered areas. A few were left natural aluminum while still others used a brown and green pattern similar to the Royal Air Force.

American Modeler Photo

During the Normandy invasion in France all Allied aircraft were painted with black and white "invasion stripes" in order to improve recognition during the confusion. The Authors twin engine "Douglas C-47 Skytrain clearly displays these markings over the standard olive drab and sky blue.       

POST 1946 WAR PLANE COLORS

The U.S. Army Air Corps, now called the United States Air Force, continued the natural aluminum color scheme for all fighter aircraft except night fighters which is described in Chapter Ten, The black coloring has since been discontinued and now all aircraft are natural aluminum except very heavy bombers. These are light gray on top and glossy white underneath.

By the end of World War II the fighter planes of the United States Navy were colored dark "Navy" blue throughout and all markings were white. This has now been changed to a light gray upper surface and a glossy white underside. It is understood that white undersurfaces are an asset in the event of an atomic blast in view of the fact that the intense heat will be reflected away from the light colored surface. Large Navy patrol planes are left natural aluminum.

American  Modeler Photu

The dark green or black anti-glare panels universally used on natural aluminum aircraft of the U.S. Air Force is clearly shown on this model of the Author's "Lockheed P-38 Lightning" fighter. Notice that the' inboard side of each nacelle is also thusly treated to prevent the glare of the sun from distracting the pilot.

Scientific  Photo

Majority of German "Stuka" dive bombers were colored dark green on upper surfaces and sky blue underneath. This model was built from the Scientific kit of the dreaded "Junkers 87B". Identification letters are white.

Scientific  Photo

This model of the "Republic P-47 Thunderbolt" fighter of the second world was is especially interesting because it utilizes an anti-glare panel which runs the entire length of the fuselage. Notice, also, the rather bright red and yellow wing and tail stripes as well as the lightning streak on the fin.

Model Airplane News  Photo

Plans and building instructions of this post-war experimental "Douglas A2D" U.S. Navy attack plane appeared in Model Airplane News Magazine. The dark blue coloring throughout is brightened by the white instruction lettering for the ground crew. All Navy craft were thusly painted immediately following the second World War.

Polk's   Photo

This all aluminum finished twin engine model of the "Lockheed PV2 Neptune" patrol plane illustrates the finish currently used for the large U.S. Navy aircraft. This huge model is available in kit form at Polk's

Modelcraft Hobbies in New York City.

Scientific  Photo

This unsual fighter is the U.S. Navy "Vought F7U Cutlass jet fighter in model form. The engine powered control liner is painted in the gray top and glossy white bottom of all present U.S. Navy aircraft. Notice that a conventional engine and propeller is used in this jet replica.
 
The Royal Air Force has retained the green and gray upper surfaces, however it is now glossy in lieu of the dull finish used during the war. Under surfaces have been left natural aluminum. The bright squadron markings of the pre-world war two period have been revived. Naval aircraft are colored the same as they were at the end of WW-2.

French aircraft are natural aluminum.

Russian planes are dull green on top and light gray underneath. Identification numbers are yellow. Many of the newer Russian fighters are left natural aluminum.

The new German Air Force follows the U.S. Air Force practice for fighters and the British Naval scheme for German Naval aircraft.

We have included numerous photographs, in this chapter, of model airplanes that graphically illustrate many of the color schemes we have described. These should assist the reader immeasurably in visualizing our descriptions.

Now that you have finished building and flying the leading types of scale model aircraft, do you wonder that this phase of model aeronautics is gaining more and more enthusiasts the world over? With the knowledge of what features cause high speeds, stunting ability, attractive beauty winners, and even models for the novice, you can now intelligently select, from the vast number of model kits at your hobby shop, the exact type that will fill your need, whether it be intricate aerobatics, breathtaking speeds, or just some good, educational fun.

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