Question about USAAF antiglare panel colors

[oboe]

Apologies if this has been asked before, but is there a definitive color for USAAF antiglare panels?

I see alot of black in artists depictions, but I'm wondering if Olive Drab was the real color used and many artists simpy misinterpreted the B&W photos because flat black makes sense and that is what is used nowadays.

Thanks!

[Bullethead]

There are contemporary color photos that show both black and OD as the anti-glare color.  I think I've also seen some other colors used on occasion, such as dark blue, dark non-OD green, maybe others, but these were often on non-combat planes.  Can't remember the details at present.

I think the most common color in WW2 was OD, however.

[lyric1]

This is from a American built p51 that was supplied to the Australian airforce. The only thing I can say is no one is for sure what it should have been.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by oboe
Apologies if this has been asked before, but is there a definitive color for USAAF antiglare panels?

I see alot of black in artists depictions, but I'm wondering if Olive Drab was the real color used and many artists simpy misinterpreted the B&W photos because flat black makes sense and that is what is used nowadays.

Thanks!

Dull dark green was standard. From the Vultee Vibrator and T-6 Texan through the P-38, P-47 and P-51, this dark green (similar to OD green, but darker) was standard. Many artists have used B&W photos and assumed it was black. However, I have lots of WWII Kodachromes and every fighter has the dark green anti-glare paint.

If you can scare up a copy of Bodie and Ethell's WWII War Eagles, there are many excellent photos showing the correct color.

My regards,

Widewing

[Guppy35]

You can find examples  where the anti-glare was repainted black deliberately.  I know I've seen 4th FG birds where a couple were definately black but it was a repaint.

Standard was the green already mentioned.