From "The Mighty Eighth"
486th BG:
B-17G in natural metal. Squadron codes as B-24. No uniform positioning but squadron codes commonly aft of national insignia and a/c letter forward. Group markings: W in square. In late 1944 red and blue bands forming cheveron on wing with blue band towards tip. From late January 1945 wing tips and complete tail section painted yellow; three parallel bands of yellow around rear fusalage. Existing tail markings remained but at same date squadron codes abandoned and erased. In place nose bands and a/c letter on fuselage (forward national insignia) in squadron color; 832BS - yellow; 833BS - medium blue, 834BS - red, 835BS - bright green. Yellow letters often edged black.
The profile I have from Osprey Combat Aircraft #36 "B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Eighth Air Force (part 2)" shows the plane in all natural aluminum, no bands on the rear fusalage or yellow tail. It does show the bands of red and blue on the wing, with the red chevron as angeled inward and the blue in chevron angeled astern toward the tip.
The "Eighth Air Force Story" - by Kenn Rust shows the group markings as the afore mentioned chevrons and eventual tail markings, but it also shows the wing tips colored yellow when the tail markings were added with the chevrons remaining. No pic of the ac in that book.
No sign of white wing tips, I think that's from the comparison to the anti-icing boot.
Did you guys click the "next" at the bottom of the page, you get
this, which is evidently the same plane with the colored band on the nose I mentioned above from the Mighty Eighth.
Cheers,
