Half painted Fw 190 wing undersides - the purpose?

[John Beaman]

Hi Oliver:

IIRC, the US decision to drop painting was based on a significant manpower savings during production combined with the fact they no longer needed the camouflage when on the ground. Also, the P-51 did have painted wings. Most NM aircraft had clear protective coating, so there was some smoothness there. I do not recall the exact amount but the paint on a B-17 weighed in the 300 pound range, so that helped as well. Lastly, some units made the decision to paint their NM machines, notably the 55th, 56th, and 357th Fighter Groups. Some 9th AF units did, but strangely, in view of their nearness to German lines, most kept their NM finishes.