[Rush104]

Not that it's likely to happen, but it would be cool to see some of the support aircraft used by the Blues over the years- The TF-9J Cougar, TV-2 Shooting Star, TA-4 and the F7U-1 Cutlass.

[hawkonevoodoo]

Take a look at the 3rd last picture at the bottom and tell me what you think, letters or no letters under the wings?
First Blue Gallery | Hellcat 60th Anniversary Pensacola

[Cruver Collecter]

Originally Posted by hawkonevoodoo

Take a look at the 3rd last picture at the bottom and tell me what you think, letters or no letters under the wings?
First Blue Gallery | Hellcat 60th Anniversary Pensacola

Does not appear to have anything on the lower surface of the wing and that looks like the black and white ramp shot I found earlier.

[Rush104]

I have been trying to find my BA show programs that I bought at different shows in the 70s and 80s. I cannot find them. Those always contained pics of the aircraft used by the Blues thru the years. Does anyone else have any of those programs? If so, those might be able to shed some light on the subject.
In the meantime, I'll keep looking for mine.

[flyXwire]

Originally Posted by Cruver Collecter

Does not appear to have anything on the lower surface of the wing and that looks like the black and white ramp shot I found earlier.

I will second that as well. I've looked again and time again on the ref book that I mentioned below, and I just couldn't see any of the US NAVY letters painted on the under surface of Butch Voris' Hellcat!

Reflections Of Blue: A Pictorial History of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels by Carol Knotts, published in 1979 by Specialty Press

[STARMAN 352ND]

I agree i saw that picture last night while searching the net and it looks like there is no markings on the bottom wing either.
But again thats a repainted Hellcat to look like the 1946 bird..Not the real bird itself.
JP

[Rush104]

Here's a couple of sources that may clarify the matter. Unfortunately, no pictures are attached.
From the book First Blue by Robert Wilcox- pg. 162, paraphrasing the first paragraph, with quotes by Butch Voris-

The name of the paint was "insignia blue". That was just the name and had little to do with modern insignias since it was out-of-date and little used. He didn't want any fancy stripes or emblems on the planes. "The Navy's very conservative" he said. But he had "US Navy" painted on the bottom of the wings and on the side of the fuselage behind the wings, as well as large numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the tails to designate positions in the team.

Also- from the book The Blue Angels-A Fly-By History Sixty years of Aerial Excellence by Nicholas A. Veronico- on pg. 15- (again quoting Butch Voris)

All of the markings were painted in yellow- the 'U.S. Navy' on the side and 'Navy' under the wings, with the large numbers on the tail.

Even though these two accounts differ as to what was actually written under the wings, both agree that there were underwing markings.


Clarification- in the second book, later on pg. 15, it goes on to say this-
Butch Voris- "I got a letter recently from my painter. I had a painter in the organization to clean up nicks and dents. He said, "Boss, I don't know how you did it and got all that gold leaf, but our first airplanes were in gold leaf in 1946'. I looked back on it and I'd forgotten all about that. They had actually gotten gold leaf to put on the airplanes. Everything that was gold was gold leaf- 'U.S. Navy' under the wings and on both sides of the fuselage, the tail number , and the bureau number. Somehow, somewhere within the Navy, somebody said we are going to do it right. I didn't ask for it. I didn't even know what gold leaf was really. Our paint job was very beautiful and it has followed through over the years. Ths shade of blue changes a little bit now and then, but it has followed through, the markings are almost the same as they were the first day."

[Cruver Collecter]

Originally Posted by Rush104

Here's a couple of sources that may clarify the matter. Unfortunately, no pictures are attached.
From the book First Blue by Robert Wilcox- pg. 162, paraphrasing the first paragraph, with quotes by Butch Voris-

The name of the paint was "insignia blue". That was just the name and had little to do with modern insignias since it was out-of-date and little used. He didn't want any fancy stripes or emblems on the planes. "The Navy's very conservative" he said. But he had "US Navy" painted on the bottom of the wings and on the side of the fuselage behind the wings, as well as large numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the tails to designate positions in the team.

Also- from the book The Blue Angels-A Fly-By History Sixty years of Aerial Excellence by Nicholas A. Veronico- on pg. 15- (again quoting Butch Voris)

All of the markings were painted in yellow- the 'U.S. Navy' on the side and 'Navy' under the wings, with the large numbers on the tail.


Even though these two accounts differ as to what was actually written under the wings, both agree that there were underwing markings.

Could this be in reference to when they switched to the Bearcat? Reason I ask is that I read a couple of articles showing that they did not fly a diamond formation (four ship formation) until the Bearcat. Also a couple references indicated that when they were using he F6F they only used three aircraft.

[Rush104]

Originally Posted by Cruver Collecter

Could this be in reference to when they switched to the Bearcat? Reason I ask is that I read a couple of articles showing that they did not fly a diamond formation (four ship formation) until the Bearcat. Also a couple references indicated that when they were using he F6F they only used three aircraft.

Looks like the references I'm using also say the Hellcat shows were conducted with three aircraft. But, according to Veronico's book, these were the bureau numbers of the F6Fs assigned to the team- 79049, 79193, 79914, 80097.
Maybe one was kept as a spare?

[Rush104]

Later on in the same chapter in First Blue, gold leaf is mentioned as the color painted on the Hellcats.

I know the proof will lie in the pictures, but I have two sources quoting Butch Voris as saying that 'U.S. Navy' was written under the wings of the Hellcats.
Insignia Blue was the primary aircraft color, and gold leaf was the trim color.