If you’ve ever noticed the aluminum look of some planes from World War II, here’s the reason.
Most people know about camouflage and how important it is in keeping military equipment and personnel safe. Troops wear camoflage, and there are many different types. It’s also important to disguise materiel, which can come in all sorts of patterns and designs. Back in World War I, it wasn’t uncommon for the Navy to use incredibly unusual zazzle patterns, though this is no longer the case. And hiding aircraft was also important, especially during WWII.
It wasn’t uncommon to paint the bottom of an aircraft blue or white to blend in with the sky. Conversely, the tops of planes would often be painted green or brown, depending on the area in which they operated. That all makes sense, but there’s something about American aircraft used during the latter half of WWII that defies logic because many of them were unpainted, shiny, and clearly made of metal. This didn’t disguise the aircraft in any way, and it’s likely the lack of pain had the opposite effect, but the Americans didn’t care.
There are several reasons why the U.S. stopped painting its aircraft during the war, but the primary reason is air superiority. In any conflict, attaining air superiority offers several advantages, including uncontested airspace. Without enemy aircraft to cause problems, it became unnecessary to paint the planes, so many were left shiny. By not painting the military aircraft, they were easier to spot, but they also lacked the additional weight and cost associated with paint.
