GSB Wildcat VIs

[Seahawk]

17 hours ago, 72modeler said:

 - there is a color profile of an 882 Sq Mk VI  in the scheme/markings that you want, but there was no photo to go with it. (You know what Troy Smith always says...)

Mike

 

http://ww2fighters.e-monsite.com/pages/Grumman-f4f-wildcat.html

And is a classic demonstration of the truth of @Troy Smith's maxim: it's a toxic combination of a little knowledge and a graphics package.  882 Sq in Searcher seems to have embarked Wildcat VIs from January 1945, while still in Europe (source: Sturtivant FAA Aircraft p.247: plenty of serial code correlations and embarkation dates).  They wore ship code S (large) to the left of the roundel and individual letter (small) to the right: a very murky photo of the starboard side of JV759 S-u appears on p.364 of Sturtivant FAA Squadrons 1st Ed.  Unfortunately the designer of the profile has chosen to illustrate the port side of an 882 Sq aircraft and appears to have made some erroneous extrapolations: he was apparently unaware that, as I said, the code read identically on both sides of the aircraft (ie large S to the left and small individual letter to the right).  Later 882 Sq adopted squadron code B1 split either side of the roundel. The profile looks like an attempt to illustrate 882 Sq's C, JV884, while in EIF service but before adoption of the B1 code.  I would like to see the photo, if any, on which it was based but I very seriously doubt we are ever going to see one showing that portside code presentation.  The pale blue surround to the fuselage roundel recognises that the EIF fuselage roundel was smaller in diameter than the normal 36" Type C1 roundel and that some evidence of the repaint might be expected.  However the large pale blue surround, while pretty, is unlikely: the photos I have of JV884 in its later career as B-Ic suggest nothing of the kind: just a blue/white EIF roundel with a white border. 

 

Sorry to be hard on a guy presumably doing his best but it's hard enough to work out what colours and markings were worn all those years ago without the Internet being flooded with erroneous and even completely fictitious "profiles".  My post, kindly quoted by Troy at post 18, shows how interpretational errors made 50 years ago, in that case in completely good faith on the basis of more limited information than we now have, were slavishly regurgitated for the next 40 years with anyone bothering to look at some photos.  What is it they say?  "A lie is halfway round the world before Truth has got his boots on".

 

17 hours ago, 72modeler said:

 

 

Edited March 31, 2019 by Seahawk

[Seahawk]

On ‎3‎/‎30‎/‎2019 at 11:30 AM, Pat C said:

 I have Sturtivants Squadrons of the FAA book which has a nice pic of a mangled Eglinton based aircraft but that's about it. 

And because photos of GSB Wildcat VIs are so rare, JV851 J3V of 796 Sq has been a popular subject for transfer manufacturers.  I can think of at least 3 attempts.  If tempted by this option, ignore all renditions that don't have the codes in yellow and note the size of the codes relative to the 36" fuselage roundel: some show them too small.  From memory Xtradecal get closest in their "Yanks In British Service" series.

 

Another thank you to @Grey Beemafor finally providing an identity for B-1s. 

[Pat C]

Seahawk - in the pic of B1S going overboard would you say the roundel outlines are white ? Does it appear that the upper wing roundel also has a white surround?

 

Pat

[Seahawk]

59 minutes ago, Pat C said:

Seahawk - in the pic of B1S going overboard would you say the roundel outlines are white ? Does it appear that the upper wing roundel also has a white surround?

 

Pat

Yes, I would say all outlines were in white: that's what the rules called for.  I can't deny a very slight apparent tonal variation between the fuselage roundel and the codes but am inclined to attribute that to different ages of white paint.  But I admit to possibly being guilty of making the facts fit the theory (rules).

 

Yes, I would definitely say that the upper wing roundel has a white outline.  It appears to follow standard EIF rules ie outer diameter as per original Type B roundel (54") with 2" white outline.  The interesting question is what size was the white centre?  The EIF fuselage and underwing roundels on 882 Sq are non-standard in both size and the size of the white centre: did the upper wings roundels follow likewise?  I'm inclined to think not: to me there's no sign of a white centre in the photograph, arguing for a smaller, standard  (9") centre.  My photos from the FAAM of the B-1C crash don't help, I'm afraid.

 

@Graham Boakmentioned earlier the possibility of GSB Wildcat VIs being repainted into TSS.  I can't see why the FAA would repaint brand new aircraft that late in the war.  From my records, the last Wildcat VI I can find in TSS is JV720 Q-Y of 853 Sq (Sturtivant FAA Squadrons 1st Ed, p. 345 plus FAAM photo collection WILDCAT 106).  I suspect JV742 (Sturtivant FAA Squadrons 1st Ed, p. 347) is in GSB but ruling out a low contrast camouflage scheme in small grainy B+W photos is a risky business.