Anyone know (for sure) what color the leading edges are?

According to the Squadron/ Signal publication 99 on the F-8F the leading edges of the wingsand tail surfaces were polished aluminum with the Blue Angels done in gold script. This was for the 1948 season.

For my money the classiest of their Bearcats was the solo performer Beetle Bomb which was painted overall glossy Orange-yellow. The kept it in the show even after they had gone to Panthers for the formation aerobatics.

I dont know if this helps any....but take a look

I have three different books on the Bearcat. As I recall from memory, my documentation shows that the leading edges were reported both as yellow and as polished aluminum. Unless they were done both ways (unlikely) one book is wrong. I can check my books when I get home from work and report what books say what. Also, the "Blue Angels" script which appeared only on the late Angels Cats was done in 'Gold Leaf' which is a metalic like gold. The other numbers and marks are in the usual Navy Yellow.

From several photos that I looked at the leading edges of the Hellcat and Bearcat were painted blue. The leading edge as polished aluminum did not come until later.

I think you missed the point Hal. He has the photos showing the strip on the leading edges. They are published photos. The Blue Angels Bearcats came in several paint trim schemes during it's short career. He is using the ones with the leadings edges and the Gold Script on the cowl. Now, were the leading edges polished aluminum or painted yellow? Or, were they done both ways?

Here's a pic from the "Pictorial History of the Blue Angels". Also one from the squadron book.

The edge is polished aluminum.

None of the pics I have seen have ever shown a yellow leading edge on any Blue Angel airplane. Even Beetle Bomb the all yellow Bearcar is shown with the polished metal leading edge.

BTW, if they gold leafed the script it was real gold. I gold leafed a few things in my past life as a sign painter.

This pic may confirm that it was polished aluminum.

Doesn't look polished to me, silver paint possibly or just natural aluminum. I've never seen the leading edges called out as yellow either and all the early jets had silver so why not the Bearcats as well?

I don't know how polished the skins were but I will bet that they were done to the best of the ground crew's ability.
I often thought that when my current Bearcat is gone that I might do the Beetle Bomb finish. For now I will stick with the Orange and white Gulfhawk IV color scheme.
If you look at the flight picture on my gallery page the benefits of a high contrast paint scheme show quite well.

OK, I did my research in my books... This will be somewhat confusing due to the fact that the US Navy considers it's yellow to be "Gold" as in Blue & Gold.

The first Blue Angels airplane, the Hellcat, had metalic gold lettering on the side painted by the Angels crew. That is to say that the large block lettering "US NAVY" was done in gold leaf as well as the fin numbers.

Afterwards, Grumman delivered Blue Angels F8F Bearcat's with a new blue color known as "Angels Blue". It's decribed as lighter than the Sea Blue used at the time and darker than the current Blue Angels paint. Grumman also painted the "US NAVY" in large block letters. This was described as done in gold. I suspect very likely they are speaking of Navy gold meaning the yellow paint. Then afterwards at some point in time the gold script letters "Blue Angels" was added to the scheme on the cowl sides. I suspect this was also done in gold (yellow) and not the gold leaf as I mentioned in an earlier post.

My other book calls the leading edge trim, "unique leading edge stripes" which lead me to think that maybe they were painted on. Close examination proves that while not wrong it is misleading to say stripes as they are poished aluminum and lack any paint although they look like stripes.

Thats all I have for now. Good luck.

Thank you everyone for the feedback!!!! I was not expecting this level of enthusiasm to help me figure this out.
What a great bunch of people on this forum.

OK, now for the fun part...
Since the consensus is that the leading edges are aluminum (polished - maybe). How do I re-create this on my model with paint?

Do you have or know of a good color photo of 'Bettle Bomb". I have just finished a 1/5th version of it, and the two photos I have are not the same. Thanx in advance...Al

Here is the photo I have.

One more time...

What size model are we talking about here? The larger the model the more options you have for creating the polished aluminum leading edges.

The one in Galveston has no color on the leading edge other than the base blue.

The Top Flite .60 size (60" Wingspan 1/7~ scale)

Hey Ram-bro,
GREAT BLUE ANGELS PHOTO! Where'd you get it.... I need to know so I can jump them for [i]leaving out the F7U Cutlass!!![/i]

A 1/7th scale would be a prime candidate to use actual polished aluminum for the leading edges. It could be as simple as using heavy aluminum foil or the adhesive backed polished aluminum available from several sources.
The leading edges would be one of the easier areas to put down a good looking job on the first try.

not a great photo
but hope it helps
vinny

Thanx,here's the one I have.

I have to disagree with the polished aluminum advocates. In the photo on the right of your first post, the leading edge is obviously non-specular (I have a book with an 8.5x11 of that photo). The color density seems to match that of the "NAVY" on the under side of the wing. Note the reflectivity of the C-54 in the background vs. the lack of same on the Bearcat leading edge. The caption of the photo that 'drifter' posted claiming polished aluminum also dates the photo to 1948. 1949 was the only year the "Blue Angels" name appeared on the cowl and the leading edges were non-blue. If you look at the team photos for 1949 at http://www.blueangels.org/Years/1949/Year1949.html, the color density appears too dark to be either white or polished aluminum. I believe the leading edges were painted the same yellow/gold that was used on the "U.S. NAVY" markings. I'm not willing to bet the house on being correct, though. To get a definitive answer, I would suggest contacting the public relations officer via http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/index.htm and see if they can help.

[link=http://www.firstblueangel.com/galleries/gallery.php?dir=12_Lone_Star_Flight_Museum]First Blue Link[/link]

If you just model this variant you do not have to worry about the leading edge :-)
The A-4 and Panther both had aluminum leading edges....how the Bearcat had this i'm not sure, but one could presume that it was done out of tradition because of the old birds....

[link=http://www.inpayne.com/models/angels_bearcats.html]A 1/72 Bearcat in blues dress[/link]