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Hazard a guess about this B-17

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  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: State of Mississippi. State motto: Virtute et armis (By valor and arms)
Hazard a guess about this B-17
Posted by mississippivol on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 8:25 PM

This is a picture of some late model B-17F's operating out of Dyersburg, TN. I don't have a date, and the one thing I can't quite figure out is the outline of the national insignia. Do you think it's red, or blue? Your guess is as good as mine, and you may have a better reason for it. Thanks in advance for your help.

  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 9:34 PM

I'm gonna say blue. Too dark to be red.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 9:38 PM

It's really hard to say definitively. The red outlined national insignia were only used for a brief period in the summer of 43. But in Europe the could be seen into the Fall. And in a stateside training unit tasked with churning out large numbers of aircrew I can easily see their use potentially into early 1944. Now with all that being said, I would hazard a guess that the red outlines are repainted into Insignia Blue, primarily due to the very faded look of the original IB areas. An Insignia Red outline should have weathered in a similar manner. It would still contrasts, depending upon the film type used markedly or minimally, but show the fading of a similar manner. So there is my 2 cents and why...

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    June 2013
Posted by bvallot on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 11:46 PM

I gotta agree with Stik.  It was a relatively brief time, and the other one is almost certainly blue.  The faded field in the plane in the foreground is possibly a repaint updating it.  I say blue. =]

On the bench:  

Tamiya F4U-1  Kenneth Walsh

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Thursday, July 16, 2015 3:20 AM

Ok, here we go with some more info for you...

This site

http://www.armyairforces.com/Dyersburg-TN-B17-with-quotDYquot-or-quotYquot-marking-m224550.aspx

lists your photo as being taken after Spring 1944 due to the codes...

now looking at these photos and the contrast of the red border to the blue star background


so I am gonna say yeah, certainly a blue repaint over the original red outline

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: State of Mississippi. State motto: Virtute et armis (By valor and arms)
Posted by mississippivol on Thursday, July 16, 2015 5:58 AM
Thanks, y'all! I missed reading that date on the link Stick posted. Blue it is.
  • Member since
    February 2011
  • From: St louis
Posted by Raualduke on Thursday, July 16, 2015 8:09 AM

I've often wondered when they colorize a movie, how does the software decide what's what ?

  • Member since
    June 2013
  • From: Jax, FL
Posted by Viejo on Thursday, July 16, 2015 12:01 PM
My wife iis a civil war reenactor. There iis a color chart that decodes colors based upon the shades of grey.

  • Member since
    February 2014
  • From: N. MS
Posted by CN Spots on Thursday, July 16, 2015 12:37 PM

Viejo
My wife iis a civil war reenactor. There iis a color chart that decodes colors based upon the shades of grey.

That would be useful around here... Can you give any more info on it?

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: North Pole, Alaska
Posted by richs26 on Thursday, July 16, 2015 1:19 PM

Stik, the P-38 shot is of the 54th FS in the Aleutians and so is the pilot.  It is of a series of LIFE shots some of which are in color.  If IIRC, they are from spring 1944.

WIP:  Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 73rd BS B-26, 40-1408, torpedo bomber attempt on Ryujo

Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 22nd BG B-26, 7-Mile Drome, New Guinea

Minicraft 1/72 B-24D as LB-30, AL-613, "Tough Boy", 28th Composite Group

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Thursday, July 16, 2015 4:21 PM

Viejo
My wife iis a civil war reenactor. There iis a color chart that decodes colors based upon the shades of grey.

considering the variables in lighting and film types, that chart sounds way over optimistic. Add in things like lens filters used by professional photographers and you really mess up the equation. Then of course you have environmental additions like dust or wetness...

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

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