Does anyone know why many late war American Planes (P-51, P-38, B-29) went with the polished aluminum instead of a fully painted scheme?
I have heard many a tale of pilots who caught sight of an enemy by the 'glint' off a cockpit canopy, or other reflective surface. The near fully reflective surface seems like a disadvantage, and only American planes seem to have used it.
What was the thinking there?