VF-17 National Insignia

F4U-1A (BuNo 17652) Ens. Frederick J. ‘Big Jim’ Streig, November 1943. 

 
As can be found in many photos of VF-17 aircraft (White 5 & 7 are widely published examples), insignia outlines exhibit two tonal values, which red would not do. By late 1943 color photos of PTO fighters clearly show field applied blue overpainting of the red outlines. This was apparently done in some cases with Intermediate Blue on the upper areas that would overlay the non-specular Sea Blue top camo, and the reverse, non-specular Sea Blue for the outline areas that overlap Intermediate Blue and White areas. This is why in photos the top outline appears so light and has a stark contrast to the Insignia Blue disc, but the bars and lower disc outline appear extremely close to the Insignia Blue disc tonally. Several b/w photos of VF-17 aircraft from this period clearly show the two-tone outlines (White 5 & 7 are often published examples).

In other cases (like Strieg’s White 3 appears to be), a uniform blue color was used that was lighter than non-specular Sea Blue but darker than Intermediate Blue which, upon careful inspection of the available color photos, appears to possibly be Azure Blue (unlikely for forward bases with limited paint stocks) or a 50/50 mix of the top two camo colors which any squadron would likely have on hand, thus creating a color that is visible when overpainted on both colors.

 

As for some pilot’s recalling the red surrounds always being on their aircraft, you have to remember that they flew these aircraft for a few months (which did indeed start out with red outlines), but then had fifty years of being saturated with paintings, model kits, and warbirds all depicting red surrounds. I have lost track of how many pilots I have interviewed over my career illustrating military history books (well over 120 books) that told me “I was there so I know what it looked like” only to have photo evidence clearly refute their memories. This is in no way faulting those incredible men. Human memory is faulty in the best of circumstances, ask any police officer what it is like to interview witnesses to an accident or other event that just transpired, they will tell you that they will get as many different stories as their are witnesses. Expecting these guys to recall details of their aircraft (and the dates applicable) flawlessly more than half a century later is simply unrealistic.

 

Authors Jarski and Kolacha’s superb two book series on VF-17 colors and markings (published by AJ Press) also did a deep dive into the available evidence and reached the same conclusion, that by the end of their first tour VF-17’s Corsairs had their red outlines overpainted. Unless clear and decisive proof is presented to the contrary (I hope it is, as red surrounds would make for a much more colorful profile illustration!), I stand by the current photographic evidence shown here that supports the overpainting of the factory-applied red outlines, as it matches what is known to have been done with the majority of aircraft in the theater at that time confirmed by color photos.