Blue Skyray

Thank you very much, Dick, for your reply. I tried the URL now but it seems down. I'll try again in the morning ( 1 h 30 AM now here ). I am trying the research with NOTSnik right now. In fact this research is for a friend who is nearly 60 and is mainly (only ?) interested in planes which flew when he was a youngster. As for now, he is making the prototype of Etendard IV A on the base of the 1/48 Heller model, but he has covered the whole plane with aluminium sheets ( not kitchen foil, thin sheets ) . He is currently having trouble with Karman junctions on the wing roots and we still must find how to mold hard white metal landing gears due to the extra weight. I'll send pictures as soon as he finishes it ( one or two years ? ) . So to say that he will be delighted to find colour pictures of the blue Skyray ( we caught a Lindberg a few days ago on ebay ) More on this when achieved.
Thank you again, chap.

Bonjour, Torio
Just found your post. Early production Skyrays, as well as the 2 prototypes, were painted dark blue for some time. A few of these were repainted later in the light gull grey/white pattern, while others remained blue. There is a big picture of one of these at

http://www.nawcwpns.navy.mil/clmf/happyhelmet.html

Try a Google search on "NOTSnik" for other photos of this A/C. At some point this F4D had the underside of the wings painted fluorescent orange.

Regards,
Dick