Invader Paint and Markings

World War II

All of the first 5 Invaders to come out of the factory (A-26B-1-DL) were painted in all-over Olive Drab Green. Subsequent to that, Invaders were painted differently based on theater of operations, squadron, and mission.

European Invaders

Fuselage Codes

Invaders in Europe were stationed in England and France. Because of their close proximity to RAF aircraft, the squadrons adopted the fuselage squadron code system similar to the British. A 2-digit alpha-numeric code indicates the Squadron, while the third symbol (usually on the other side of the US roundel) indicates the specific plane within that unit.

Tail Patterns

Tail Patterns were painted based on the Bomb Group the squadron was assigned to. Typically, a bomb group contained 4 squadrons.

Colors

At the start of their service life in Europe all invaders were unpainted silver aluminum with black serial numbers and group markings. The group colors were applied to the tails. Many of the Invaders had their inboard engine cowlings and the top of their nose painted in either OD green or flat black to serve as anti-glare surfaces to keep the sun from shining the crew's eyes.

A handful of Invaders assigned to the 47th Bomb Group based in Italy painted their Invaders flat black with White unit numbers and red serial numbers. These invaders were specifically assigned to night time raids and the black served as better camouflage.