Warbirds

[Ridge Runner]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this thought, but here goes.

There are many organisations and private owners who devote a vast amount of time and energy on restoring and then operating beautiful warbirds. They are now a global marvel in terms of the range of types and something that I could only dream of when I was young. All this sucks up a huge amount of money of course. It is great investment.

So, my question: Why it is that after spending unimaginable amounts of money and devoting so much time on getting a particular machine back to a perfect condition do these people then fall down with the final finish? There are countless such aircraft out there, probably the majority, that are not painted accurately. This inaccuracy ranges from wrong colours, wrong IDs, wrong operator markings to poorly researched and applied lettering and decals. It isn't so difficult to get this correct. Modellers do it so why can't aircraft restorers? The information on colour/tone, lettering size etc is all readily available too. I don't understand.

For me it is wonderful to see these machines in the air but it would be so much better to see them as they were, in accurate markings.

RR

[LowNSlow]

Some warbird owners do make every effort to have their pride and joy in it's original paint scheme or one appropriate for the mark/type of aircraft. Others work on the principle that "I've spent gazillions on this, I'll paint it however I like". I can't really argue with that sentiment to be quite honest.

[Ridge Runner]

but a paint job isn't cheap so why not make it accurate? Of course if you want a pimpy racer then that's okay but if you have it for what it is, a piece of heritage, then really it must be worth the little effort in getting it accurate? Maybe its just me, and my strange way of thinking?