All of the F4U-1
Corsairs in these four photos are the early version that have the full cowl
flaps and flat top front canopy glass.
The color photos
have two color chips added, QMS #12 Blue Gray and ANA 603 Sea Gray, for
comparison with the color of the aircraft.
The B&W photos
have four color chips added, QMS #12 Blue Gray and ANA 603 Sea Gray. Two of the
chips are at their full color saturation and two are at zero color saturation.
The zero saturation
color chips have all of the color hue removed to make it easier to compare the
brightness of the color chips with the black and white photos.
I believe these
comparisons demonstrate that the F4U-1 Corsairs were painted ANA 603 Sea Gray
from the factories.
Eventually the ANA
603 Sea Gray faded to a close match to the lighter colors of QMS #12 Blue Gray
and in some cases US M-485 Blue Gray.
Click on
images below to see larger images
Quote from Air Force Colors Vol.2 By Dana Bell
"In May of 1942 the Joint Aircraft Committee's Subcommittee on
Standardization agreed to eliminate redundant paints needed for camouflaging AAF,
US Navy, and British aircraft produced in the US.
Under this plan, AAF Neutral Gray, and Navy Blue Gray were supersede by RAF
Extra Dark Sea Gray, which became known simply as Sea Gray."
"Sea Gray No. 603."
Quote from Navy Air Colors Vol.1, 1911-1945, By Doll/Jackson/Riley.
"Sea Gray * Non-specular 603,
*Also known as Non-specular Blue Gray."
I can't find any information,
either BuNo or date, about when the factories producing the F4U-1 Birdcage
Corsair changed from the Sea Gray/Light Gray to the Tri-color paint scheme.
From the photos I have, it seems
the change in paint scheme was somewhere around the change to the F4U-1A, from
the 759th aircraft onward.
I have never seen a photo of a
F4U-1A in a factory applied two tone gray paint scheme.
Some photos of VF 17's F4U-1
Corsairs have the Tri-color paint scheme, but I read that VF 17's aircraft were
repainted before deployment on the USS Bunker Hill for carrier qualifications in
July/August of 1943.
All of VF 17's F4U-1 aircraft
have the old style insignias, and some of their aircraft have non-standard
Tri-color schemes with the lower outer wing panels painted white.
Any information on when the color
change took place would be appreciated.
David Rapasi
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