CAPFlyer wrote:
One thing to note, those colors are 100% accurate on the B-26K when the first batch was delivered to the USAF. It was only after acceptance that they were repainted. OnMark believed that the high gloss scheme would be the best for the kind of work the aircraft was meant for. The gloss white underbelly would be harder to see from the ground and the gloss green top would allow it to blend in more from the air. It actually worked, but as the USAF didn't think that "fighting" aircraft should be shiny (and pilots had the misconception that it didn't work), they repainted them in standard colors and then later OnMark delivered them painted in the more "standard" scheme they wore during Vietnam.
Thanks for the information. I did not realize the colors were correct. Coincidentally I was reading a book on Invaders last night. It had a chapter on the B-26s operated by Brazil. When they sent them to the states for re-sparring in the 1960s they returned in these same colors, leading some observers to believe the Brazilians had the Invaders brought up to B-26K Specifications.
I’ve seen the K models at Pima and Dayton and realize they used a different propeller than the B/Cs, but the one in South Dakota doesn’t look right. Maybe the flat struts and tires make these look different...