VF-17 F4u-1 Birdcage Corsair NAVY
VF-17 ‘Jolly Rogerts’ The squadron participates with a small number of F4u-1 Corsairs at Bunker Hill (CV-17) during July 1943. Looking at the plans, from the TAMIYA kit instructions. I noticed a number of omissions and errors in the VF-17 F4u-1 Birdcage Corsair camouflage paint instructions. Some good photos of the VF-17. It revealed a number of different things. It appears that the choice of the navy tricolor was not made off the production line. This was not the navy’s original choice either. Characteristic of that day is that not all F4u-1s had the squadron insignia on the engine cover. The Jolly Rogerts pirate flag. Here the 17-F-25 .pictured above is freshly painted with white numbers on the fuselage and below. The 17-F is two-tone and black – while the 25 has it in white. The Navy took delivery of the first aircraft painted in the two-tone variant, the same color scheme, just as the factory is giving the first F4u-1s to the Marines. Some photos of VF 17 F4U-1 Corsairs have the paint scheme, but I have read that the VF 17 aircraft were refitted and repainted prior to installation on the USS aircraft. Bunker Hill .For transport to the Pacific in July/August 1943.
This is the FS-COLOR tab. Factory Corsair. I’ve never seen a photo of a factory F4U-1A applied in the two-tone gray paint. Whenever I come to the conclusion, that the change to paint .became expensive, in August 1943. From the photos I have, it appears that the change in paint scheme was somewhere around the change to the F4U-1A, from production serial number 759 .This can be seen in the first photos. Another observation was made on the inverted. Aircraft and beyond. The 17-F-24. He is White in all the breadth of his famous folding wings! A Careful eyes we see the white on the upper limits of the tail. Not likely to be the only one with all undersurface White (White can also be light gray FS-36440) Salmon primer on wheel arches, was often a first coat of firewall paint. The converted F4U-2s were among the first F4U-1s off the line with this undercarriage. With another closer look we will see that. Note the F-26, It has only one rudder with FS 35164 INTERMEDIATE BLUE
The rudders on the lower part of the wings are painted Sea Blue (FS 35042) and the upper part of the tread is painted FS 35164 INTERMEDIATE BLUE against the surface of the wing. We should say here, that the wings that fold, on the underside. They are lightened enough to be Intermediate Blue. Looking at the fuselage, I conclude that probably. They left them with the original USN Blue-Gray (FS-35189)! And here we see again, the lack of the pirate flag on two of the four aircraft in the photo and that they all have the one-piece crown, At the top of the engine. The 17-F-22. has the (22) under the wing.
The 17-F-12. It looks like it has like the “Spirit of 76” has the straight three color system looking at the nose back towards the wings. The stars-n-bars are outlined in red. The photo is in the middle of 43. Later at the end of the same year. The red was painted dark blue. Above is a VF-17 F4U-1 landing at Bunker Hill on July 9, 1943. The mast on top of the fuselage behind the canopy was added after Corsair production began. I had thought it was for a VHF radio (which only required a short antenna), but I’m starting to wonder if it was originally added for an alternative to the lead-in. VHF appears to be available in 1943 only for naval fighters such as the AN/ARC-1.
Here the wheel arches reveal the “Indian Red”) applied to the interior of the F4U-1 is the protective color. it is FS 35164 INTERMEDIATE BLUE.
The rudders on the lower part of the wings are painted Sea Blue (FS 35042) and the upper part of the tread is painted FS 35164 INTERMEDIATE BLUE against the surface of the wing. We should say here, that the wings that fold, on the. Our wheel arches reveal the “Indian Red”) applied to the interior of the F4U-1 is the protective color. FS 35164 INTERMEDIATE BLUE underside. They are lightened enough to be Intermediate Blue. Looking at the fuselage, I conclude that probably. They left them with the original USN Blue-Gray (FS-35189)! And here we see again, the lack of the pirate flag on two of the four aircraft in the photo and that they all have the one-piece crown, At the top of the engine