B-24J Liberator

Jim, From what I remember reading alot of aircraft had the deicer boots removed due to fear a damaged boot would tear off the wing or tail surface and jam controls or cause excessive drag. However there are photos of aircraft still with them installed. As towards color I can only tell you what they look like on current general aviation aircraft. When new or coated with a sealer they are black and semi-glossy (unless a sealer is used then very glossy). Over time it becomes are dull dark charcoal gray color, about the same color used as worn tires on aircraft. Hope this helps. Eric

***** Thanks Eric. The photos I have show black de-icer boots, and the coloured drawing shows de-icer boots in just about the exact colour you describe.

Again, thank you. I appreciate the input.

Cheers - Jim.

****** Thanks Hub. From what I'm able to figure out your rule of thumb covers it pretty well. That information on the Pacific aircraft is of interest and I'll keep that one in mind for a future project.

Maybe, just maybe, Buzz Job is one of the few exceptions to the rule. Or it could have had the grey/gray boots. However, photos of other aircraft from that time and bomb group all seem to have black coloured boots, with the exception of the few natural metal aircraft that I was able to locate.

Buzz Job, as far as I can figure out, was flying out of Venosa which is south of Foggia in Italy. Now, was it warm enough down there to remove the de-icing boots? The other aircraft didn't seem to do so. Maybe they were removed due to damage or failure or...... this could go on forever couldn't it? I'll keep digging for awhile, but at the present time I'm tempted to go with the natural metal idea. I think that Floquil Old Silver is just great. Of course as soon as I put the paint on I'll receive the correct information for that particular aircraft.

Many thanks for the information. All good stuff. Cheers - Jim.

Jim wrote in news:eJ7Te.30218$ snipped-for-privacy@weber.videotron.net:

most.

your rule of

Pacific aircraft

project.

exceptions to the

of other

black coloured

that I was

of Venosa

there to remove

so. Maybe

could go on

the present

that

put the paint

aircraft.

Cheers - Jim.

I just finished reading a book about B-24s in Italy in the

44-45 time frame. Most definitely it was subzero on missions. It ain't so much lattitude as altitude.

Frank

****** Bang-on Frank - thanks for the wake up call. I guess I was just generalizing [is that a real word?]and cut it short. I do believe that in order to get icing some moisture must be present at the correct temperature. Like fog, drizzle, freezing rain, clouds, etc. I'd imagine that descending from very cold air into relatively moist air would also do the trick. Motoring along in clear, cold air would be ok if you discount carb icing, I think. However, getting up to or down from that positing through icing conditions would be a whole new ball game entirely.

The one photo I have of Buzz Job is captioned as 'low level over Italy' so maybe this was just a photo-op and not a mission. I don't know. If the de-icing boots were removed in the field would they have the ability to replace them or would a trip to a repair depot be necessary? I guess I'll never know the reason behind the removal of the boots on Buzz Job, but that's life.

Thanks for the input. Cheers - Jim.