I was just saying, if I had to prepare for instance a quality walkaround for a book on the B-25, it would be very hard to find one aircraft which would really look like a WWII one, relating to the accuracy of its markings and its colors. On the contrary to British warbirds, whoses finishes are almost always spot on concerning paintings and markings.

P.S. I would too dream to see one day a Buchon fly in its marvellous silver or blue Spanish airforce finishes !

“….with people preserving paint and interior that really should be replacedc. “

For me, the very best way of preserving/restoring aircrafts is what the Fleet Air Arm Museum did with its Corsair and its Martlet.

It’s simple, I’ve no pleasure to look at an authentic aircraft, which nevertheless looks like some kind of fiberglass replica.

About these three arguments, classical in this kind of discussions.

1: And if you owned a aircraft, you’d probably paint it in glossy paint too to protect its finish…

2: But unless you have a warbird, don’t complain about it…

3: Simple… Their money, their choice…
Your money, your choice…

1: Usually, if one has the money to buy a 1-2 millions dollars aircraft, one has also to money to let it hangared and not stay in the open air.
Also, I remember the guy who recently painted a Yak-3 in a very classy matte grey finish telling that a matte paint is not really more fragile than a glossy one.

2: I don’t agree with this argument: something that is shown to the public is, by nature, offered to the critics.

3: this is right, but if I were a very rich man, I could also buy the Joconde and paint big moustaches on her face. Good taste is unhappily something that cannot be bought.

You probably noticed I was polite enough not to mention examples of bad taste 😉

So, to stay in a positive mind, I will mention some examples of very good taste about old aircraft I’m just thinking about.

– Paul Allen’s collection.
– The flyable Seafire 17.
– The newly restored Hurribomber.

I don’t get it, this passion on US aircrafts for über-polishing, making in the end the aircrafts look no more like mean war machines but like funny big toys.

Just gorgeous this way!

http://www.inpayne.com/models/ha1112.html

Isn’t it much better to see so rare and beautiful aircrafts, on their wheels, on the ground and able to be towed outside for special events?