Interior colors for WWII airplane

[my80malibu]

Building my first Airplane, US Navy F6F-3 Hellcat Fighter instructions call out for Aqueous H 56, or Mr Color C 27. Neither color of which I have access too. I do have some Tamiya HF-71 cockpit green, and Model Master 1734 Green Zinc chromate, which is enamel based. Would either one of these colors closely represent the Intermediate green color I am looking for?

[my80malibu]

Jacen, I did realize this is a predominately Car oriented site. However there is a section here that does refer to Other models. I figured it was safe to ask. If I do not get the response I need, I will check elsewhere. Interestingly enough Gregg once told me that he was interested in military models, and built those as well in the beginning, before becoming interested in automotive subjects.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I was around a lot of WW 2 aircraft as a kid, and my recollection is that most of the interior surfaces, other than the cockpit or crew areas, were in yellow zinc chromate primer as opposed to the darker green favored by a lot of modelers. One thing to remember is that these were combat aircraft, produced as quickly as possible, and there were simply no standards for things like primer color. A fighter produced by one factory may have differed considerably from one built at another, and material on-hand was what color anything came out. Depending on what theater of operations an airplane was destined for, it sometimes didn't get painted or primered at all. Corrosion protection wasn't really an issue on very short-lived combat planes, other than those going to aircraft carriers.

I've been interested in this particular question from another perspective.......I'm building several post-WW2 lakes cars, and many of the real ones were primered and finished in war-surplus materials, so I've been looking into what was most common. Here's a pretty definitive article.

http://www.ipmsstock..._colours_us.htm

Edited November 16, 2012 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

I got to reading your post again, and I see you reference Aqueous H-56, which is a medium BLUE appropriate for EXTERIORS of WW2 Navy fighters.

The Mr. Color C27 you reference is a medium green, and if you're diong interiors, either of the greens you mention should be okay to represent what could conceiveably have been inside a Hellcat.

[Fat Brian]

I agree with Bill, while there were standards of what things were to be painted they didn't let that stop them getting the finished product out the door if they didn't have the correct color for whatever parts. Unless you are replicating a specific plane that is documented as having certain colors here or there there isn't really a "wrong" way to paint it as they just slammed together planes to get them into combat.

[lanesteele240]

excuse me sir but you seam to have taken a wrong turn.

the guys at hyperscale.com should be able to help get you back on the right path.

[my80malibu]

Jacen. I reread my post it comes off a little strong. I apologize for that. I was not upset in any way.

[my80malibu]

Bill I understand better now thanks for the explanation I never thought about production schedules and materials on hand aspect of factory work during wartime

[Art Anderson]

Building my first Airplane, US Navy F6F-3 Hellcat Fighter instructions call out for Aqueous H 56, or Mr Color C 27. Neither color of which I have access too. I do have some Tamiya HF-71 cockpit green, and Model Master 1734 Green Zinc chromate, which is enamel based. Would either one of these colors closely represent the Intermediate green color I am looking for?

Testors #1184 is the correct Zinc Chromate primer color for WW-II US Military aircraft (in fact, correct for metal US aircraft from the early 1930's through the early Century Series era of jet aircraft. It's a rather garish yellow-green flat finish color, and was applied all over aluminum aircraft, inside and out, before any camouflage colors were sprayed on. Standard for US Army Air Corps, US Army Air Forces, and US Navy. Find it in the rack of those little square 1/4 ounce bottles--never was available in spray cans, though!

Art

[Harry P.]

Wow Gil! You are SOoooo asking the wrong crowd!

Actually his name is Gabriel. He's from Gilbert, AZ. Not to be confused with Winslow, Arizona, where girls drive "flatbed Fords" and give you the eye...

[Ace-Garageguy]

This is the color Art refers to, and it's the base color most plane parts got squirted in prior to assembly. Zinc PHOSPHATE primer and zinc chromate are still available in full-size spraycans, and are good matches for wartime zinc chromate primers.

The darker color on Roadkill's cockpit example above would have been the result of dumping black into the yellow zinc chromate. There were ENDLESS variations of zinc chromate based greens. Again, it's all here.....http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/01/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us.htm

Edited November 17, 2012 by Ace-Garageguy

[Harry P.]

Is that Rosie the Riveter?

[george 53]

Nawww it's her sister, Rita!

[Harry P.]

Nawww it's her sister, Rita!

Lovely Rita?

[my80malibu]

Actually his name is Gabriel. He's from Gilbert, AZ. Not to be confused with Winslow, Arizona, where girls drive "flatbed Fords" and give you the eye...

Harry that only happened once, while I was there.