Photo Help - P-38J "Miss Ann"

[Vraciu]

The black on the vertical stab looks to go only part way up and stops at the stab/rudder gap.  Am I wrong?

[lyric1]

(Image removed from quote.)


The black on the vertical stab looks to go only part way up and stops at the stab/rudder gap.  Am I wrong?

No your not wrong the black its only on partially on the two sides we can see.

[Greebo]

Although the lower stab could just be in shadow on the photo I think it would have been painted black. That area would have been Neutral Gray originally so it would almost certainly have been covered in black for a night scheme.

[Vraciu]

The rudder looks to be black on bottom curving up toward the horizontal stab.   I agree the lower vertical stab is black.   But now the upper vertical stab only looks black part way up.   

Is that right, guys?

[Devil 505]

The darkness on the upper vertical stab might be exhaust staining.

[Vraciu]

True.   But it is quite dark and the demarcation line at the rudder is stark.     

[lyric1]

True.   But it is quite dark and the demarcation line at the rudder is stark.     

I agree with Devil heavy exhaust stains.

[Devil 505]

I agree with Devil heavy exhaust stains.

I'm not 100% certain on it, though. There are no dark stains on the booms. I'd let Greebo weight in on it as he's far more familiar with how those stains build up than I am.

[Greebo]

The tops of the stabs did get stained by exhaust gasses on P-38s but that looks too regular a division on the top edge and hinge line to be staining to me. Not sure why they'd paint just that area of the stab black though and not the top and rudder as well, perhaps some sort of group ID paint on the top of the stabs or the rudders?

[Vraciu]

The tops of the stabs did get stained by exhaust gasses on P-38s but that looks too regular a division on the top edge and hinge line to be staining to me. Not sure why they'd paint just that area of the stab black though and not the top and rudder as well, perhaps some sort of group ID paint on the top of the stabs or the rudders?

Maybe there are white group markings or numbers under that paint.   That makes sense that these got painted over.

Good thinking.