Does anyone know why some planes have different color rudder than the rest of the stab? For example all the P-51's in this picture but one are painted a different color. Does this serve some purpose like the anti glare panel?

http://www.gml2007.com/media-DL/GML003.jpg

Hi Mike.
The different colours you see are individual Fighter Group or Suadron markings.
They dont serve a purpose in the same way as the anti glare panels.These colours were used for identification.
It certainly makes for some interesting colour schemes for us kit bashers though!
Hope this helps.
Nige

Thank you for the reply Nigel. The variation between schemes does make for a lot of fun paint schemes.

Hi Mike!

You probably know that, but if someone wonders why all these P-51Ds are all aligned like that it's because the planes on the picture are "warbirds" (vintage planes still in flight condition) which probably participated to the same air show. It is unlikely that so many planes from different squadrons met at the same place during WW2 and then were parked side by side like that!

Jean-Luc

Another reason that some aircraft have different coloured control surfaces is aerodynamic balance. Too much paint gets in the way, so they leave it out. For instance, QF-106 drones had bright red tails, but the rudders were left in the original colours, even if that meant leaving traces of the squadron markings. It must not have occurred to them to strip the paint - either that or they were too cheap to do it ...

... though I suspect this may not explain what you were looking at.

seán