Originally posted by Sikboy
But what about the period between April '42 and the end of '43? That's what I was hoping to cover.
-Sik
I understand that part. I'm trying to look at it with the idea we wouldn't get both a glass nose and a turret nose B24, so which makes more sense The 24 didn't even start operating in the Pacific until the end of 42 when the 90th BG flew their first mission in late November. And it was the CO of the 90th, Art Rogers who had his B24D modified with a grafted on B24 tail turret in the nose that essentially led to it being done at the production level.
The bomb load, performance etc of the later 24 was similar to the D model. If you can only have one. And of course AH may get no B24, it would make more sense to do the later turret nose version.
It was operated in more theaters, by more AFs then the D model and had far more paint schemes which would make it more fun for the skin makers.
This thread got me looking and with the D model you would be talking the Ploesti "desert pink" camo, the regular OD and gray, and potentially the early Navy gray and white paint schemes. Of course there were formation assembly ships, but they didn't fly combat.
With the later variants you are talking:
-OD/Gray with the 5th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 13th & 15th AFs as well as RAF 24s in the CBI and US Navy
-Silver-with the same AFs as well as RAF and RAAF
-All black 'Snoopers with the 5th AF and 8th AF
-All blue Photo recon F7 Libs
-All Gray 15th AF Pathfinder B24s
-Blue Gray Navy PB4Ys
-All dark Blue Navy PB4Ys
Throw in the much more colorful later war group markings and it's a skinner's paradise.
Both would be nice, but the 24H/J/M makes the most sense and the better compromise if we're lucky enough to get one.
Dan/Slack
