• A colorized photo shows six, World War II-era fighter aircraft sitting on a tarmac. The airplanes are reddish-pink with a variety of tail colors, including green, blue, and yellow.
    Download Image

    As part of Operation Crossroads, Grumman F6F Hellcats were converted to drones to gather data from atomic tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946. The tail colors on the brightly painted aircraft indicate different radio guidance frequencies. (Guided by period color photos of the F6Fs, color has been added to this archival black-and-white image.)

  • A colorized photo shows six, World War II-era fighter aircraft sitting on a tarmac. The airplanes are reddish-pink with a variety of tail colors, including green, blue, and yellow.

Created:

March 18, 1946

Credit:

US Navy/Collection of The National Naval Aviation Museum

Source:

U.S. Navy

Rights Usage:

Terms of Use:

Smithsonian Terms of Use