W.I.P. B-17G 100thBG "Our Gal Sal"

[oboe]

WIP, but getting far enough along to show.  This would be an adoption of one of Fencer's skins. Quite a tough bird for me as a lot going on grime and weathering wise, repainted sections, etc.  Unusual looking with bare metal cowl flaps and windshield frame, she also had her original chin turret replaced with a bare metal one. She flew 135 or more missions and she shows the wear and tear.   Artwork of a female dressed in the thinnest of swimsuits to avoid a confrontation with the censors.  The artwork was painted onto canvas which was then glued onto the side of the plane producing one of the largest examples of applique seen in airplane nose art. The name was based on the popular movie ‘My Gal Sal’ starring Rita Hayworth, the top GI pin-up of the era.   Flew her first combat mission 3Feb44, right during 'Big Week'.

Click for full-size images

[Devil 505]

Looks great.

On a semi-related note to this skin, I have reference of a P-39Q from the Pacific also named "My Gal Sal" after the same movie.

[Vraciu]

I like it but I'm gonna say darken the OD some just for grins.

[lyric1]

 

[mechanic]

What resolution did you take the screenshot? Looks fantastic.

[Greebo]

Great work Oboe, look forward to seeing it done.

[oboe]

Thanks guys.  Screenshot resolution is 2560x1440, Mechanic, but I do crop the image to center the aircraft.

The color (colorized?) images I've found of her do seem to present a case for faded OD.   Color profiles or other artwork of 100th BG often show the darker, more intense brownish-olive drab, though. 

 



I can try to bend the drab a bit away from green and toward brown.  Especially the fresh, darker repaints of the cowlings (which oddly, seem to be fully painted, even on the undersides).   

"First Strike on Berlin", by Nicolas Trudgian

[Vraciu]

As you well know,  OD is a tough call on that subject.

The engines and coals in particular look quite dark.    Lighting is a factor here, too.

[lyric1]

Thanks guys.  Screenshot resolution is 2560x1440, Mechanic, but I do crop the image to center the aircraft.

The color (colorized?) images I've found of her do seem to present a case for faded OD.   Color profiles or other artwork of 100th BG often show the darker, more intense brownish-olive drab, though. 

(Image removed from quote.) 

(Image removed from quote.)

I can try to bend the drab a bit away from green and toward brown.  Especially the fresh, darker repaints of the cowlings (which oddly, seem to be fully painted, even on the undersides).   

"First Strike on Berlin", by Nicolas Trudgian
(Image removed from quote.)

https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=aircraft&id=10196&Itemid=326

[oboe]

Wow thanks Lyric!  Seems to be a case for either the faded green or yellowish brown drab?  Both can't be correct - I would try to bend toward the brown-yellow as a nod to Fencer's original, if I can get it to look right. 

First image I've seen with Rita's swimsuit with just a hint of blue, too.

Vraciu, what do you think about the dark, almost sooty appearance of the engine panels?  Would that happen if they ran with a consistently rich mixture?  I don't think I've seen examples of such a dark color on all the engine panel sections before.

There also seems to be dark paint splashed of over the bare metal on the left outer wing where the de-icing rubber boot was removed?  My understanding is B-17s that show bare metal leading edge of wings, tail and stabilizers have had their deicing boots removed, leaving the unpainted metal underneath showing through.  Maybe this caused a glare problem for the pilot, and he had dark paint applied to reduce the glare?

EDIT: Just read the background story of Trudgian's painting, and it turns out "Our Gal Sal" was the only 100thBG B-17 to make it back to her home base after the raid.   In the painting, she is the a/c off Lucky Lee's left wing.

[Vraciu]

I noticed that the cowlings ahead of the cowl flaps are darker than the fuselage (as are the wings)    the nacelles are darker still than that.   I'm going to lean on the majority cause being oil.    Radials are notorious for oil leaks and we've all seen some pretty stark examples of this phenomenon.

The B-17 exhaust system exits out of the lower nacelles via a collector ring (primarily) to drive the turbosupercharger.

[Vraciu]

Quite a variety of color shades here...

[Vraciu]

Slightly different version...

[oboe]

Any idea what the black outlines on the wingtops are?   I thought they were maybe walkway markings, and have seen them often on restored birds, and sometimes late-build '17s - but this is the first OD B-17 I've seen with them.  Fencer had them on his version, and I'ved used them on some of my bare metal Fortresses...

[Vraciu]

Best guess is walkway markings.   The fuel caps are located within that outlined center section.  Their usage dues not seem universal, but I don't know if that is block number related or just random due to various reasons.