Heeeelllllppp please

[Guest]

Hi all i have two questions that need to be answered and i hope someone can help, i have taken delivery of a 1/24 scale mustang from airfix only problem is that it doesn't give me a colour for the internal cockpit sections... well actually it does number 158 unfortunately this doesn't corrospond to any humbrol paint no... so my questions are these 1st what its the internal cockpit colour of a p51d mustang and 2nd what colour would you use for the external fuselage colour silver or aluminium? I hope someone can help me before i begin the build.

thanks

scott:scooter:

[stona]

First the cockpit. On the D model it was Interior Green (ANA611). At the time the new orders were given to change the cockpit colour from the earlier darker green, no one bothered to revise the requirements for the seat color, which probably explains why so many Ds had Interior Green cockpits with Dull Dark Green seats. (NASM's aircraft has this combination of colours.)

At the time Interior Green came into existence, it was defined as a mixture of zinc chromate yellow and black; in other words, green zinc chromate. Both Humbrol equivalents appear to be discontinued! Best suggestion is Humbrol 117 for the seat and then lighten it with about 30% yellow to approximate the interior green. That suggestion from a friend and USAAF afficianado (he runs a P-47 special interest group,but has been known to do the odd Mustang, so I think he knows his eggs).

I think you need more than one colour for the fuselage and wings. The fuselage was natural metal and looked quite shiny whereas the wings were more complicated. All the panel lines (except access panels) were puttied and sanded smooth, then the wings were painted with an aluminium laquer giving a slightly duller and greyer finish. I use various shades of Alclad for this but there must be other paint that will do the job.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Hi steve thanks for the reply the kit i have is the p51d big beautiful doll and in the colour art work it shows what to me looks like aluminium it is deffinately brighter than silver, there is a web page on this particular aircraft and it looks aluminum... but that could just be my eyes spent that long looking throw a sniper scope in my youth my eyes are not what they used to be. Steve thanks you have just saved my bacon.

scott

[spanner570]

I can add a little bit to this which might help..Humbrol 158 has gone but I had a look on 'tinternet and Gunze Sangyo do an equivalent colour but I can't find the number.

Might be worth a go Scott, but I reckon Steve's got it covered.............Don't you just think he's wunnnerful!!

Ron

[Guest]

Humbrol Acrylic 226 Interior Green is OK for RAF but for Zinc Chromate, you could lighten it with yellow and a little white. Having said that, given that you will see very little of it one buttoned up, the Humbrol 226 is OK, I used it on my RAF mustang, which would probably have been painted inside in the US style, but having said that, I have seen other Mustang builds using 226. Easy to lighten and darken for all your cockpit needs lol.

If you are spraying then you could do worse than the Tamiya Yellow Green, XF-4 which is close to ZC but not good for brushing in my experience or they do a Cockpit Green XF-71 which is a lighter version of Humbrol 226

[Guest]

Gentlemen you have litteraly saved my bacon i can breath easier now i think i will use one of the tamiya colours for the interior and use my trusty airbrush and iam thinking humbrol acrylic aluminium for the wings and fuselage and i'll go from there.

cheers all

scott

[stona]

Zinc chromate yellow and zinc chromate green are entirely different colours and not to be confused! ZC green was a tinted ZC yellow (see above) and gave a green colour. The only ZC yellow visible on a P-51D would be on the main spar at the back of the wheel well. Interior green was like this restoration. The floor was wood like this,but usually black.

ZC yellow looks like this

Cheers

Steve

Edit: forgot to say that a lot of restorations no longer have the wings puttied and laquered. They just leave them in natural metal for ease of maintenance. The performance deficit is not relevant as they are unlikely to be attacked by the Luftwaffe today!!

[yak face]

hi scott, steve has it all covered, i would echo his advice on the exterior colours though , the wings should be a bit less shiny than the fuselage. Maybe you could use humbrol metalcote for the fuselage and buff it up when dry, and normal aluminium for the wings , just a thought. cheers tony

[Guest]

nice one tony cheers for that. sounds like a plan.

scott

[Ian M]

hi scott, steve has it all covered, i would echo his advice on the exterior colours though , the wings should be a bit less shiny than the fuselage. Maybe you could use humbrol metalcote for the fuselage and buff it up when dry, and normal aluminium for the wings , just a thought. cheers tony

Beat me to it!

Remember also that they do TWO alu metalcote's 27001 and 27002 which is the polished alu. Both Spray rather good. Leave for at least a day before you buff it.....

[Guest]

steve just got the pics they are most helpful a vry big thanks indeed.

scott