USAF aircraft in Olive Drab during Korean War

[tigercat2]

In doing some research for the Korean War USAF aircraft, I have run across a few in what looks like WWII OD and NG.  I have a photo of an RF-80 in OD, as well as a B-26 and C-47 in OD.

I thought that OD was eliminated during WWII for NMF, and the only non-nmf aircraft in Korea were the black B-26s and F-82s.  Apparently there were several aircraft used by the USAF in Korea with left-over OD from WWII.  Is that correct?


Wes W.

[NARSES2]

Must admit I can only recall seeing USAF aircraft in natural metal aircraft in photos/footage of the Korean War. I have a vague memory of some transport types not in NM. However I must add that most photos/footage I've seen has probably been from latter in the war rather then early on when you might expect some older aircraft to be hanging on in Japan ?

[Librarian]

When the K. War kicked off what had become of Kenney's Fifth AF were still banging about. They were equipped with Kenney's specially-built-for-him  A-26/B-26s...eight gun noses and deleted ventral turrets, painted overall o/d. At some point they received a light grey underside but by the time the war started they were already looking shabby. Some aircraft are seen in the process of repaints to black, some with replacement cowlings etc in natural metal. Because the noses were changeable by the end of the war the surviving fleet was somewhat muddled...six gun, eight gun and glass noses mixed with two turret and single turret aircraft .

The glass noses and six gun noses were from other stock and came to the conflict in natural metal.

[TsrJoe]

FT-487 ... A Shooting Star with a fighter prefix even though it's an RF-80 (camera window instead of gun ports). The olive drab paint on the upper surfaces is interesting, A few RF-80's received an experimental olive drab paint job to reduce their visibility to Communist MiG's,  I've seen shots of an F-86 similarly painted as part of some USAF camouflage experiments about this time

http://www.edwards.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/050428-F-1234P-023.jpg

[The Wooksta!]

Hmmn - FJ1 Fury denavalised and painted in OD/NG as a late WWII P86A?  Call it USAAF '46?  Or maybe an RAF one with the odd national markings given in the old Frog Do 335?

A P80 in similar colours or possibly RAF camo would look good too, especially the MSG/PRU Blue high altitude day fighter scheme.  And I have an Airfix F80 sitting in the loft at me Mam's doing nowt - although I had considered it as an RAF recce one in overall PRU Blue.

[KJ_Lesnick]

As I understood it, the reason we switched from camouflage to NMF was because we actually wanted the Germans to see us so they'd engage us -- the idea was to draw them up.

[NARSES2]

I think they knew you were there Kendra, if they didn't the falling bombs would have given you away.

I'm possibly wrong but I've never ever read that before. I'm the other side of the pond to you so that might be a reason why but it sounds a very odd reason and smacks of over confidence if true ?

[Old Wombat]

My own reading generally points to near-total air dominance reducing the need for "hiding" & wringing the last few mph out of the aircraft (&/or reducing fuel consumption) by reducing weight & friction.

[Librarian]

As I understood it, the reason we switched from camouflage to NMF was because we actually wanted the Germans to see us so they'd engage us -- the idea was to draw them up.

Wasn't there a saying amongst German troops when looking at aircraft which went something like:

"If its camouflaged its RAF, if its NMF its USAAF and if its invisible its the Luftwaffe" (Europe 1944-'45).

[Logan Hartke]

I've also read that it was part of an effort to speed up the production of the aircraft that much more. Painting aircraft takes time. Not painting them...doesn't.

Cheers,

Logan

[Captain Canada]

Love that Shooting Star. I think I`ve seen a few USAF birds in overall drab, I`ve got a Korean war book somewhere....as for the other issue I always thought it was weight saving. Time saving would be a by-product