I've always thought that many WWII photos that seem to show faded US OD 41 painted aircraft or aircraft of a lighter color were likely taken of aircraft that were just dusty or otherwise dirty.
Here are a few shots of my L-4. I've dusted/cleaned the right side of the aircraft, but the left side is still dusty. The dirt gets into the flat paint and the weave of the fabric and is never completely removed in flight. It just builds up over time, as you can see.
In the top photo, you can see the outline of a dust cover around the aileron pulley cover on the top of the left wing.
Here are a few shots of my L-4. I've dusted/cleaned the right side of the aircraft, but the left side is still dusty. The dirt gets into the flat paint and the weave of the fabric and is never completely removed in flight. It just builds up over time, as you can see.
In the top photo, you can see the outline of a dust cover around the aileron pulley cover on the top of the left wing.
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