F2A-2 Buffalo, VF-3, Color Stripes Black Trim and "Exellence" badge

[cema_ga]

Hi comrades!

 

My F2A-2 build arrived the painting stage.

 

The color chevrons on the wings are black trimmed (At least white, yellow, red, green), fuselage band is without black border, cowling is without border. My Prototype shall be VF-3, 3-F-1, No 1405 with full red cowling. Any comment on this?

 

The Yellow-wings decals provided the white "E" for this aircraft, but I can't find the references for any use of white "E" on VF-3 planes, only on VF-2. Any info on this?

 

Here is example, Green striped "13" from Saratoga, VF-3

[Toryu]

You mean 1-F-3. Fuselage band might have black trim, too.

‘E‘ stands for excellence in shooting, bombing etc. usually indicated by a small letter on the right lower end of the E, e.g. M for machine gun. This was awarded to individual pilots and their aircraft, so not every plane sported it.

[Greenshirt]

1 hour ago, Toryu said:

You mean 1-F-3. Fuselage band might have black trim, too.

‘E‘ stands for excellence in shooting, bombing etc. usually indicated by a small letter on the right lower end of the E, e.g. M for machine gun. This was awarded to individual pilots and their aircraft, so not every plane sported it.

VF-3 would sport 3-F-# where # is the plane-in-squadron number.  1 means first aircraft (CO) Of first section and would have full red cowl ring, red chevron, and red fuselage stripe. 
 

Battle Efficiency E is/was unit wide. If Black it was usually specific to a sub area of the evaluation Like maintenance, red Usually being engineering (na for squadrons). If White outlined in black it was an overall measure of excellence in weapons delivery (guns & bombs), flight operations (formation flying plus ops at the boat — landing grades), and later included safety (mishaps) and maintenance (availability). Marking was usually on both sides. Individuality on USN aircraft was limited to the pilot’s name, if at all, until wartime when this was relaxed for kills and some other markings. 
 

Did Vf-3 earn the E while flying the F2A?  I cannot answer. 
 

Tim

[Toryu]

59 minutes ago, Greenshirt said:

VF-3 would sport 3-F-# where # is the plane-in-squadron number.  1 means first aircraft (CO) Of first section and would have full red cowl ring, red chevron, and red fuselage stripe. 

Yes, you're right, I mixed it up.

 

1 hour ago, Greenshirt said:

Battle Efficiency E is/was unit wide. If Black it was usually specific to a sub area of the evaluation Like maintenance, red Usually being engineering (na for squadrons). If White outlined in black it was an overall measure of excellence in weapons delivery (guns & bombs), flight operations (formation flying plus ops at the boat — landing grades), and later included safety (mishaps) and maintenance (availability). Marking was usually on both sides. Individuality on USN aircraft was limited to the pilot’s name, if at all, until wartime when this was relaxed for kills and some other markings. 

Not quite. The 'E' merit was "awarded to individual aircraft attaining a merit for individual battle practice..." (from John Elliott, The Official Monogram US Navy & Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide 1911-1939" p.176. On aircraft, there were no different colors according to this source, just white outlined black, and no merits for "Safety", "Formation Flying" etc., during this period. There was a red pennant for a while for unit efficiency. I guess what you refer to is later (after WWII) Navy practice. I also haven't seen a pilot name on any 'Golden Age' Navy Aircraft picture, but who knows?

 

Cheers, Michael

 

[jimmaas]

The 'E' could have sub scripts, small letters denoting excellence in 'c' for communications, etc.  It was given on a unit basis in some categories.  I'll check references and get back.  As far as pinstriping, F2A's did NOT have pinstriping around the fuselage bands, with a single exception, BuNo 1386 when displayed at the NY World's Fair. 

[jimmaas]

Per "The Chiefs of Fighting Two", William Riley, American Aviation Historical Society Journal Vol 14 No. 3, "Late in 1940, ....the Grumman F2F's were flown to Pensacola and turned over for training duties.  At that time all eighteen airplanes in the Squadron carried the Navy "E" - the first time in naval aviation history that all eighteen of a squadron's pilots had qualified for the award in the same year." So Toryu is correct in that E's were given to individual pilots but in 1940, all the VF-2's aircraft carried them.  I am not aware of the 'E' being carried by VF-3 aircraft.

 

Both VF-2 and VF-3 carried (assigned) pilot's names during the 'yellow wing' period.  VF-2 carried them under the sliding canopy; VF-3 carried them on the bottom frame of the sliding canopy.  I wish I could insert photos here but alas....

Edited September 18, 2020 by jimmaas
end quote

[cema_ga]

3 hours ago, jimmaas said:

Both VF-2 and VF-3 carried (assigned) pilot's names during the 'yellow wing' period.  VF-2 carried them under the sliding canopy; VF-3 carried them on the bottom frame of the sliding canopy.  I wish I could insert photos here but alas....

Thank You!

 

Anyway, I haven't decals for the pilot names((.

 

No black trim for fuselage band.

 

...and, probably, I will not use the "E"-symbol decals for VF-3 plane.

Edited September 18, 2020 by cema_ga