Warbird Information Exchange

What is the purpose of the white lines on the leading edge of the wing near the guns?

(Source: Preflight Study Manual for Civil Air Patrol Cadets (Headquarters AAF, Office of Flying Safety, n.d.) 3-7.)

The explanations I have come up with or heard so far is that they are either for boresighting the guns, measuring wind drift angle, or bomb aiming.

I know that the Ju 87 has dive lines painted on the pilot's canopy...

(Source: War Thunder)

...the Il-2 has level bombing lines painted on the engine cowling...

(Source: IL2Sturmovik.com)

...and the B5N has similar lines on the tail as well as the nose.

(Source: War Thunder Wiki)

Some P-47s apparently also had flap angle lines painted on the trailing edge of the wing, so maybe that's where the idea came from.

(Source: RCUniverse.com)

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

In a perfect world we would be flying only replicas. (Or at least only non-combat veterans.)

Means of Imperialistic Air Attacks

these lines are for guns identification, they were on P47B number 7 up to 47 only. colors were white, yellow, red & green in add







"no step" on trailing edge and "no push" on trim tab are only on warbird, not on WW2 airplane

Wow, that was a quick answer! Thanks!

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

In a perfect world we would be flying only replicas. (Or at least only non-combat veterans.)

Means of Imperialistic Air Attacks

I have a T-6 aileron tab that is stenciled with the Spanish equivalent of "No Push." While it may not have come from the North American Aviation (NAA) factory that way, it was clearly applied for military service. Or, it could have been stenciled in Spanish by NAA under a spare parts order.

Just thought I'd include a couple of pictures from Mark's recent thread that show both flap and sighting lines painted on a D3A recovered after the attack on Pearl Harbor:

(Source: Flickr)

(Source: Flickr)

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

In a perfect world we would be flying only replicas. (Or at least only non-combat veterans.)

Means of Imperialistic Air Attacks