Alan Gelo Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Hello, I am a new member to this forum and I would like to thank you all for having me here. Me and my fellow modellers were having a discussion about what colours was the Whitley painted on the inside (since I am building the Airfix Mk.V). Some say cockpits were definitely black, others that airframe inside was left unpainted (other than cockpit). I know from B&W pics that turret insides were most probably Interior Green. Airfix says cockpit should be Interior Green too. And then what about wheel wells? All black? Any help would be very welcome. Thank you. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Hello, Alex Cockpit b/w photos from Profile and Warpaint publications on Whitley show interior painted Interior Green. Even instrument panel, apart from basic six, seems to be in that colour. Photos of fuselage interior in Profile indicate Natural Metal. I have no firm information on undercarriage interior, though. Not much, but someone with more information will soon drop by. Cheers Jure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 The rear appears to be aluminium in photos I've come across although the cockpit is most likely green. I don't think they started painting interiors black until later on. Turrets would be green or aluminium interiors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elger Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 8 minutes ago, woody37 said: The rear appears to be aluminium in photos I've come across although the cockpit is most likely green. I don't think they started painting interiors black until later on. Turrets would be green or aluminium interiors I agree with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicarage Vee Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) Elliott Smock of The Whitley Project may well know. He is most likely contactable via the Key Publishing Flypast forum http://forum.keypublishing.com/forumdisplay.php?4-Historic-Aviation Edited March 14, 2017 by Vicarage Vee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Gelo Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 Many thanks to all of you! You have been very helpful! I think I will go with Interior Green for all interior except rear fuselage. Black for bomb bays and wheel wells (common logic). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 Hi, Resurrecting this thread because someone wrote, "interiors were not painted black until later". I am currently building the Airfix kit as a GR.VII, probably in the kit scheme. So, BD572 which, if the roundels are to be believed, would have been flying in mid-late 1942. Was this an ex-bomber aircraft? And if so, what is your best guess as to cockpit colour: interior green as per Airfix indicate, or black? TIA for your consideration. Regards Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcanicity Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 I personally doubt Whitley interiors were ever Black - For comparison black interiors didn't start appearing on Lancasters until 1943-4 by which time the Whitley was right at the end of even its Coastal Command career. Bomber Whitleys seem to be Interior Green in the cockpit and nose area and unpainted aluminium in the rear fuselage (for my Whitley V in progress at the moment, I have assumed that the change in colour is aft of the bulkhead separating the pilot and radio operator but this is just a hunch). That said there is a famous photo of a BC crew member dropping leaflets through the flare chute which appears to show a contrast between the floor and the fuselage sides in this area - so I speculatively painted the floor green all the way back to the rear turret. Bomb bays and wheel bays on bomber Whitleys do appear to be black, at least on 1940-41 era Whitley V aircraft. Seems unlikely that interiors (or bomb bays/undercarriage bays) were repainted in service, even on the change of role to Coastal operations. In any event I have a photo somewhere of crew climbing into the nose hatch of a Coastal Command Whitley which clearly shows Interior Green in this area. Will try and dig it out tomorrow... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 @Vulcanicity Many thanks, indeed! Just the reassurance I needed. Regards Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 11 hours ago, Vulcanicity said: Bomb bays and wheel bays on bomber Whitleys do appear to be black, at least on 1940-41 era Whitley V aircraft. Seems unlikely that interiors (or bomb bays/undercarriage bays) were repainted in service, even on the change of role to Coastal operations. In any event I have a photo somewhere of crew climbing into the nose hatch of a Coastal Command Whitley which clearly shows Interior Green in this area. Will try and dig it out tomorrow... This photo https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207859 gives you a chioce of silver or black for u/c legs and wheel hubs on CC aircraft. Wells look black on the near aircraft, hard to tell on the other because of the shadows. I think you can use either and no-one can say you are wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 @rossm Many thanks. I think with this and the earlier response, I'm going to follow Airfix's colour suggestions. They appear to have been pretty diligent in their homework. Regards Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcanicity Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) This is the photo I was thinking of which shows the interior colour around and on the hatch - looks like Interior Green to me. Interestingly so do the undercarriage doors/bays! Oh for a time machine and a notebook... https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205218962 I'm also interested by the object just to starboard of the hatch in the circular cutout - a periscope to check on the success of depth charge attacks perhaps? EDIT - scroll down and read the caption! Edited April 14, 2020 by Vulcanicity 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 @Vulcanicity Thanks for posting! Regards Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_RAFBC Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 This image of Mk.V Z6743 shows Interior Grey-Green and Black on the entrance/escape hatch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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