I had the good fortune to see the B-17 "Aluminum Overcast' this past weekend and only afterwards did I figure out what has always struck me as odd about it. It's painted silver, not unlike the B-29 'Fifi' is painted a silvery grey. My question is simple: Why?
My first thought is for preservation purposes, but there are plenty of bare metal WW2 aircraft still flying. The B-17 I flew in several years ago, 'Yankee Lady', is one such example. If they can do it, why not 'Aluminum Overcast' and Fifi'?
In 'Aluminum Overcast's case, I would think that if you were going to paint it anyway, why not go iconic and pick an olive drab scheme? I know most B-17s were bare metal, but the ones that define our image of the air war over Germany are the ones from '43.
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