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RCAF Kittyhawk lower colours


k5054nz

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Hi all,

Does anyone know what colour the lower surfaces of RCAF Kittyhawks were painted? Photos of AK803 look to be a very light grey or off-white:

http://www.rcafkittyhawk.com/faraway.htm

78.gif

 

I can't find anything online that doesn't talk about camouflage colours. Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated!

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Hi, k5054nz,

 

All agree in that they were painted in "equivalent" colours, that is, colours from US manufacturers that were to a better or worse degree to the MAP colours in RAF camouflage (that is, Dark Earth, Dark Green over Sky). There is online a copy of the catalog of "Du Pont paints" that show the "chips" that were possibly used by that manufacturer. However, the exact hue of those colours is subject to debate.

 

 Most are of the opinion of a very light greenish blue, much like FS35622 (nº 71-021 in the catalog) It must be noted that in the catalog as seen on internet the look is more towards Sky, while some colour pictures is more bluish;

 while some consider a very light neutral grey (your pick).

 

FErnando

 

 

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Some discussion on DuPont's 71-021 US equivalent Sky here:

It's been damaged by Photobucket but there are now plugins for Google Chrome and another browser (links at in one of the top sections of Britmodeller's forum menus) to make them all view properly.

 

 

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20 hours ago, k5054nz said:

Hi all,

Does anyone know what colour the lower surfaces of RCAF Kittyhawks were painted? Photos of AK803 look to be a very light grey or off-white:

http://www.rcafkittyhawk.com/faraway.htm

78.gif

 

I can't find anything online that doesn't talk about camouflage colours. Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Hi

   Think this maybe a postwar renovated aircraft, there maybe a jet in the corner, behind the yellow block 

    cheers

      jerry

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AFAIK this aircraft is still on display at the Omaka 'Dangerous Skies' exhibit down in Blenheim if you wanted to zip down to 'the mainland' for a looksee.

It is currently for sale. I saw it at this year's Classic Fighters airshow (they brought it out for static display) and it looked rather spectacular.

I'll see if I have any photos that can answer your question but from memory (not to be relied upon) I was under the impression it was in NMF all over.

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According to it's own website the wing were replaced so the underside scheme obviously is not original. I would suggest the light grey was added for anti corrosion reasons by the restorers. Some of the pictures seem to indicate that it was stored outside while in Canada. So a good reason to protect it. All the other references seem to indicate that RCAF P40s were overall NMF.

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The RCAF HWE Kittyhawks wore one of four basic schemes: Dark Earth/Dark Green over Sky, Olive Drab over Neutral Gray, Day Fighter Scheme, or natural metal.  I have learned to never say never, but most extant photos show overall natural metal on the stripped aircraft, so I'd agree with noelh that the light grey/white was added by the Maude family and is not prototypical.

 

Jim

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The N models would be delivered in "scheme A", (entirely NMF except antiglare OD 613) or scheme B, (Neutral gray 43 and Olive drab 41 whith Medium Green 42 blotches)
N models, ac 1-5000 in scheme B and 5001 & up, in scheme A (except lend lease allocated airplanes which will be camouflaged per scheme B when designated by military contracts allocation.

nota read on Curtiss factory drawings Markings & Insignia, date 1943 & 44

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13 hours ago, Gazontipede said:

AFAIK this aircraft is still on display at the Omaka 'Dangerous Skies' exhibit down in Blenheim if you wanted to zip down to 'the mainland' for a looksee.

Unfortunately I can't, but I did get to see it over the fence!
35644183836_db029ea662_b.jpgDAE3D303-C5AB-4CFE-9AE6-49A3553B117C_zpsz3u8jgbo by Zac Yates, on Flickr

 

Thanks all for your help, NMF it is. I guess it's not such a time capsule after all, despite what everyone says.

 

BS_w - thanks, but I should have specified I was looking at Es.

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10 hours ago, k5054nz said:

Unfortunately I can't, but I did get to see it over the fence!
35644183836_db029ea662_b.jpgDAE3D303-C5AB-4CFE-9AE6-49A3553B117C_zpsz3u8jgbo by Zac Yates, on Flickr

 

Thanks all for your help, NMF it is. I guess it's not such a time capsule after all, despite what everyone says.

 

BS_w - thanks, but I should have specified I was looking at Es.

Nice shot! You managed to catch She Who Must Be Obeyed sitting comfortably in her folding chair at the far left of your photo. You almost got me sitting next to her! Well, you got my right shoulder on the edge of the pic! :wink:

 

I believe the 'time capsule' guff that surrounds this plane relates as much to its original equipment and instruments as anything else. I won't even mention what they did to the wings... :D

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13 hours ago, Gazontipede said:

You managed to catch She Who Must Be Obeyed sitting comfortably in her folding chair at the far left of your photo. You almost got me sitting next to her! Well, you got my right shoulder on the edge of the pic! :wink:

You were saying? :D

34874374833_6bc4209981_b.jpg7ABC067D-C11B-41B7-83A3-E5FA8E399F53_zps2njbz3gz by Zac Yates, on Flickr

 

I'd forgotten about the wing swap. I guess all-over NMF is the way to go - a little less interesting, but ah well!

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/12/2017 at 2:01 PM, BS_w said:

The N models would be delivered in "scheme A", (entirely NMF except antiglare OD 613) or scheme B, (Neutral gray 43 and Olive drab 41 whith Medium Green 42 blotches)
N models, ac 1-5000 in scheme B and 5001 & up, in scheme A (except lend lease allocated airplanes which will be camouflaged per scheme B when designated by military contracts allocation.

nota read on Curtiss factory drawings Markings & Insignia, date 1943 & 44

All of the RCAF P-40Ns were delivered in Scheme B.  Some (all) were repainted in Canada and some were stripped in Canada.

 

Jim

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