B-29 FiFi Paint Color

Isn't Fifi in NMF, like almost all B-29s?

stikpusher

Isn't Fifi in NMF, like almost all B-29s?

 

DOC is polished NMF, FiFi is painted a light gray.

Here she is from a show I went to

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fotofrank

 

stikpusher

Isn't Fifi in NMF, like almost all B-29s?

 

DOC is polished NMF, FiFi is painted a light gray.

Are you sure?  She sure looks like NMF in photos online (eg, )

I'm certainly no expert, but that looks like paint to me.

BK

Edit, I found a CAF facebook post that says they strip and repaint her. They explained why they paint her and not polish her. So, that's that, she's painted.

"Folks always ask why FIFI doesn't go with polished aluminum. At the operational tempo of the Commemorative Air Force B29 B24 Squadron, maintaining that polished finish would be completely impractical, not to mention the amount of sheet metal work it would take to pull off. Paint also protects the skin for the next 25 years!"

BrandonK

I'm certainly no expert, but that looks like paint to me.

BK

Edit, I found a CAF facebook post that says they strip and repaint her. They explained why they paint her and not polish her. So, that's that, she's painted.

"Folks always ask why FIFI doesn't go with polished aluminum. At the operational tempo of the Commemorative Air Force B29 B24 Squadron, maintaining that polished finish would be completely impractical, not to mention the amount of sheet metal work it would take to pull off. Paint also protects the skin for the next 25 years!"

 

Yeah, makes sense, probably an aluminum lacquer, like the Navy used during the yellow wings years.

the Baron

Yeah, makes sense, probably an aluminum lacquer, like the Navy used during the yellow wings years.

 

Like the USAF used as well in the mid 60's to reduce/prevent moisture leaks on their NMF aircraft such as the Century series types prior to camouflage being introduced in Vietnam

Was she painted during the war?

I think what they've done here is paint her a color that "looks" NMF, but is paint for all the reasons they stated. The look of NMF without all the work and upkeep. If I were painting this one, I'd pick grey as close to NMF as I could find and paint it, done.

BK

My local CAF has a P-51B in the red tail livery.  I am intending to build a Revell version of the -B that is in my queue.  It is definitely painted.  Having a good graphics editor I can analyse the color then mix till I get a match.  Don't know if it is the same color as Mimi, but sure looks close.

I intend to start with flat white and gray, and add other colors as required.

Verification:

      FIFI is indeed painted a Very Light Grey. It looks, with it's highly polished finish like NM, but is NOT! I will admit I was very surprised when getting closer to her as a member of the C.A.F., ( the C.M.A.F.) that she Now is and has been for years this light Metallic looking Lt.grey!

ikar01

Was she painted during the war? 

I don't think so.  Apart from the first batch or two of B-29s off the assembly line that got the OD-over-neutral gray, they were natural metal.  The AAF had shifted away from the camo paint, particularly in the ETO, since it was a weight savings, and it had pretty much wrested air superiority from the Germans, so camo wasn't as necessary or useful as it had previously been.

Hi!

 Like Baron, I will most emphatically say NO!.The idea of paint was not on any General's mind after the war's end. Let's face it a visiting Foriegn military person would be floored by the sheer massiveness of a natural Metal Bird.i believe at least one was kept around to impress some folks.The rest were painted to preserve the metal against petroleum and weather wear!

I emailed The Commerative Air Force prior to building my B-29. They told me that FiFi is painted a light grey, almost aluminum,  color.

I've wiped oil of that paint a few times!  It is a gray with a metal sheen to it. Quessing maybe a mix of light gray and an aluminum of some sort. 

Time to experiment.