P-38 Yippee Color Question

[Jesse C.]

I originally posted this on the model builders area

O.k., here we go, what is the true color that Yippee was painted in? I have heard Fire Engine Red, Cayenne Red, Chevy engine orange, hot pink, crimson red, etc. etc. etc....

It seems that it was every type of conceivable red short of metal flake or candy, which I think would look really cool but totally wrong.

So, hit me with your best guesses or knowledge!

[jet1]

It was a red/orange color and really stood out. but then he is pretty old now and the memory seems to fade with...uh....um....now what was the question?

[tom d. friedman]

good question......the confusion comes from the old early color kodachrome camera film, poor quality.

[gilt]

Best guess would be what was readily available, either Fire Engine or Insignia Red.

Tom-

[airtanker]

Hi all,
I've seen it mentioned as being Vermilon several times.
Here's a Vermilion site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermilion

Best regards,
Don

[Jesse C.]

Thanks for all the replys, I think I am going with the Vermillion type color.

It just does not look like Fire Engine red

Thanks again!

[Swiss Mustangs]

Vermillion looks about right



Martin

[warbird1]

Speaking of Yippee, I remember seeing parts of that aircraft that were at the Santa Monica MOF in about '92 or so. It was a collection of fragments from the crash site which had been recovered. Does anyone know where those parts went? Where are they now?

From what I remember, even though the paint was faded, the color was more reddish. It definitely was not the orangish tint it has sometimes been portrayed as. How close this was to the original finish, I don't know, as time, weather and the elements undoubtedly had changed the color a little.

[airnutz]

Speaking of Yippee, I remember seeing parts of that aircraft that were at the Santa Monica MOF in about '92 or so. It was a collection of fragments from the crash site which had been recovered. Does anyone know where those parts went?

How close this was to the original finish, I don't know, as time, weather and the elements undoubtedly had changed the color a little.

If you have original fragments, you have the DNA of the paint...so to speak..

[T J Johansen]

Vermillion looks about right



Martin

Given that Darrel Greenamyer used the same shades of red as Lockheed originally did...

T J

[HELLDIVERS]

Last time I saw the fragments they were at Tom Riellys in a box out back by the TBM most likely scrapped shortly after

[warbird1]

Last time I saw the fragments they were at Tom Riellys in a box out back by the TBM most likely scrapped shortly after

OH, NO, say it isn't so! I would have paid money to have some of those fragments!

[T J Johansen]

I think the red painted remains at MoF that went to Tom Reilly's was off of N57496 which crashed in California and not Yippee. They were sold to a new owner later I believe.

T J

[warbird1]

I think the red painted remains at MoF that went to Tom Reilly's was off of N57496 which crashed in California and not Yippee. They were sold to a new owner later I believe.

T J

Oh, perhaps I was mistaken then. I thought it was Yippee. Who was the new owner?

[T J Johansen]

I think the red painted remains at MoF that went to Tom Reilly's was off of N57496 which crashed in California and not Yippee. They were sold to a new owner later I believe.

T J

Oh, perhaps I was mistaken then. I thought it was Yippee. Who was the new owner?

Not sure about the owner.

Just in case people are confused about the a/c mentioned in this thread it ought to be said that we are talking about 3 different planes. Jesse C. appears to be interested in the colors of the original "Yippee", the 5000th P-38 built by Lockheed. Martin has supplied us with a photo of Darrel Greenamyer's N138X which he had painted in the same colors, and since he worked for Lockheed he might have gotten the paint specs. right. The last a/c warbird1 mentions is an F-5G that raced in Cleveland, which was later used as a weather modification plane. It crashed in the 1960s.

P.S. Jesse C., you know that Superscale issued "Yippee" as decals some years ago?

T J