N3Njeff wrote:
I think she should still stay diamond lil, she has been that way for many years. There are toomany changes in life, something has got to stay the same! I would do it without the nose art and if she is OD, than the name be yellow, if she is silver,,,,,,,,,then black. Got to admit, the brit sub scheme is pretty neat..........though I like the white........would suck to keep clean but the black would be just too hot in that texas sun.
You see that's the beauty of the whole thing. AM927 has two identities if you will. "Diamond Lil" which she has been for so many years and the British bomber/Sub-Hunter that she more than likely would have been had fate not stepped in and had her return to Consolidated's plant for repairs.
I think you could beautifully combine the two. AM927 could get dressed up and outfitted at a British Mk. I Sub-Hunter and still wear the "Diamond Lil" Nose art. The Brits were just as fanciful about nose art as we were. I think it would be a nice blending of what she would of been with what she is today.
Anybody good at making up aircraft profiles could come up with a concept of a "Diamond Lil" Mk.I Sub-Hunter Scheme. Personally I like the White scheme and if it gets dirty then it looks more authentic.
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As far as "change" is concered, change is good. Everytime a warbird sheds it's skin for new paint, I get a little bummed inside. But I usually grow to like the new scheme. When the Collings foundation changed their B-24 from "A Dragon and his Tail" to "Witchcraft" I was beside myself. I really like the Dragon and his Tail scheme, but I got over it and now enjoy the Witchcraft scheme. There will always be pictures of these aircraft's past identities to look at and enjoy. Without changing schemes every now and again things become stagnant. I find it refreshing, before CF repainted their B-24, for some reason I had never heard of Witchcraft before. So the paint did it's job and opened my eyes to a peice of history I had not prevously known about. I love "Diamond Lil", she and "FiFi" believe it or not saw me off to my induction in to the U.S. Navy. I was leaving for bootcamp the weekend of the Dayton Air Show back in July of 1997. My buddy wanted to do something for me before I left so he took me to see the two bombers the day before. It was a real nice treat getting to go inside the aircraft and talk with the crews. So generally my outlook on life is to embrace change. But hey that's me.
As I stated before I look forward to AM927's reemergence and Gary please keep up posted, this is awesome.
Shay
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Semper Fortis