French Walrus - painted aluminium?

[neilh]

If I can complete my new Airfix Walrus with decent enough joints, I'm sorely tempted by Xtradecals "Walrus part 2" X48176 to build the French or maybe Argentinian example ( I'd then of course " have" to buy another to build in Wartime camouflage).  Given the contact with salt water I assume these were painted with an aluminium paint?  Were the interiors the same as UK ones in interior green?

[wyverns4]

Hi!

 

That's what I am going to do, but the other way around, ASR followed by FAA, (Argentine!, Wot is there another FAA?)

 

Yes, painted with aluminium lacquer - to prevent corrosion, sea water can do some crazy electro-chemical corrosion to aluminium. Internals - Interior Green.

 

Christian, exiled to africa

[neilh]

Thanks Christian - Hannants here I come...

[Graham Boak]

Flying boats, implying also amphibians(?), are likely to have some kind of lanolin based paint for areas below the waterline.   From a quick google (ending in a dead link) this was initially a light grey but later white (for the maritime patrol scheme with white sides and undersurfaces - not applicable to the Walrus although wouldn't it be great to find one!  Later in the war the camouflage on a Walrus came all the way down the sides, with no sign of any grey (or white) on the fuselage.  Possibly they relied upon a wash-down after every flight, not possible on flying boats which were often moored out in the harbour.