Nice Paint Job

The first photo shows a sporty-looking JD-1 Invader (89073) basking in the Hawaiian sunshine at NAS Barbers Point in the early 1950s. The aircraft belonged to VU-1, a utility squadron that flew a variety of props, jets, and helicopters. With that mixed bag of aircraft, the squadron pulled targets, took photos, performed rescue missions, and did pretty much anything else the Navy could think of.  The bird seen here was primarily a target tug. Its white wall tires nicely complemented an overall paint scheme that included blue, red, and yellow. The photo’s caption reads, “This is the crate I work on.” The JD-1(s) in the second photo belong to VU-7.