modelfan Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Hi all my next kit is going to be the airfix short Stirling was the cockpit black or green? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 badly worded thread title. Should be "colour of Short Stirling cockpit" also, did you try this, google image search "Short Stirling cockpit" eg this. Lots more if you do the search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 They were cockpit green to begin with, but then later in the war the portion of the interior that is visible through the canopy was ordered to be painted black, I think this was at some time in 1943. Basically all interior areas that were visible from outside were ordered to be painted black on all night bombers, as were any reflective surfaces for example collector rings. So it depends on the time period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 How effectively this order was implemented is debatable, some cockpits are still green that have been untouched since WWII. I think the cockpit section that was / is at Hendon is still green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelfan Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 I did look on the internet for pics but they are black and white that's why I ask on this forum 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M. Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 We are still waiting for an injected 1:48 Sterling! I had high hopes that Trump's 'A' team who did their Wellington I and III would do one, but nooooooo.........my No.75 (NZ) Squadron collection still waits for one to join it (and I'm not interested in the Sanger kit - already have one and it's not worth building!!!!!! Cheers, Pete M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 You probably wouldn't be able to see anything much of the inside if you were to paint it all black. How about going online and checking the new Italeri instructions to see what they recommend? At least that way you can always blame Italeri if you find out later that the cockpit colour is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicarage Vee Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Ask 12Jaguar, if he doesn't know no-one will, he is after all one of the splendid chaps who is actually rebuilding the real thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Even late model Mk IV Stirlings seem to have had, from available photos, a largely green interior. Look here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234965440-italeri-stirling/ +1 for 12jaguar as a very useful source of info about Stirlings PS - in the interest of tidying up Britmodeller I concur with Troy about the title. It will save having an "All the Stirling questions" thread!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 How effectively this order was implemented is debatable, some cockpits are still green that have been untouched since WWII. I think the cockpit section that was / is at Hendon is still green. I don't know how strictly this order was carried out either, but I am aware that at least most of the aircraft originally produced with green interiors were repainted black subsequent to this order. I don't know the exact timing of the order but it was early Lancaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12jaguar Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Sorry, just picked this up. For the most part Stirling cockpits were green (there may have been exceptions!), but I don't think I've come across any photos of a black cockpit. The Bomb Aimers compartment started off green and changed to black very early on, the W/Op/FE area generally had silver sides although I have seen some green ones but I suspect they are later aircraft. All areas rear of the main spar are in silver except for some Mk IVs which were hand painted around the 'Joe Hole' parachute hatch in the rear fuselage (Probably SD aircraft). From what I have seen the interiors of Mk Vs were black throughout. I've noted some minor internal issues with the Italeri kit (and the Eduard detail set), I have issues with posting pics on here but am happy to explain what the issues are especially if someone can post some pics on my behalf John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I think the silver was lacquered aluminium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12jaguar Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I've found some interior parts with silver/aluminium paint on although wouldn't discount that some parts may have just been lacquered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I don't know how strictly this order was carried out either, but I am aware that at least most of the aircraft originally produced with green interiors were repainted black subsequent to this order. I don't know the exact timing of the order but it was early Lancaster. Of note is that the nose of F-Freddie that is or was at the IWM is untouched, and is green. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234942160-lancaster-interior-colour/ also Having researched for a Dam Buster build a study of photographs lead me to believe that all british build Lancaster interiors were interior green while Canadian built front subsection were black. The Lancaster forum had anecdotal evidence that british built Lancasters were some times overpainted black while in service but as to how common was that practice is anyones guess. Mike also http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234959603-lancaster-handrail-colour-the-lancasters-yellow-version-of-the-spitfires-red-crowbar/page-2 regarding Stirlings, which I know little about...i didn't even build the Airfix kit as child http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?27654-Short-Stirling-Replica Stirling LK488 on Mickle Fell before removal by the ATC for the RAFM. I don't know what batch or version LK488 is, inside the tail looks to be grey-green though. 12 jaguar maybe able to shed more light on this. HTH T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12jaguar Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I suspect that the interior of LK488 is oxidised aluminium hence the greyish hue. A couple of our guys are going to Stafford in a couple of weeks to look over the centre section, I can ask them to have a look at the extreme tail while they're there. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders154 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I did look on the internet for pics but they are black and white that's why I ask on this forum I am glad you asked as I was wondering myself for a Halifax I am thinking of building. Please remember there is no such thing as a silly question if you don't know the answer Rodders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) Of note is that the nose of F-Freddie that is or was at the IWM is untouched, and is green. The Hendon Wellington was always black though, I don't know what the post restoration colour is. The only thing we know for sure is that an order was issued to change from green to black. Edited March 12, 2015 by old thumper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 If you think about it there was always a race on to get operational aircraft back into the air while in squadron service, so I assume that ground crews would of had little opportunity to repaint aircraft interiors and that this may have been largely a maintenance unit job. If as Jaguar says that later Stirlings were black inside then perhaps some of these were upgraded converted bombers, I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12jaguar Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 If you think about it there was always a race on to get operational aircraft back into the air while in squadron service, so I assume that ground crews would of had little opportunity to repaint aircraft interiors and that this may have been largely a maintenance unit job. If as Jaguar says that later Stirlings were black inside then perhaps some of these were upgraded converted bombers, I don't know. AFIK MK Vs were new build aircraft and not conversions John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 AFIK MK Vs were new build aircraft and not conversions John I meant the Mk IVs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12jaguar Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Some Mk IVs were converted on the production line from Mk IIIs. To clarify my post above, I believe that only Mk Vs were black throughout, the only areas on mk IV that are black are the BA/Observer compartment and on some aircraft were painted on the line in the area surrounding the paradrop hatch, presumably to prevent any reflection when operating at night when the hatch is open. Hope that helps John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Some Mk IVs were converted on the production line from Mk IIIs. To clarify my post above, I believe that only Mk Vs were black throughout, the only areas on mk IV that are black are the BA/Observer compartment and on some aircraft were painted on the line in the area surrounding the paradrop hatch, presumably to prevent any reflection when operating at night when the hatch is open. Hope that helps John OK cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elger Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 On 11/03/2015 at 8:56 AM, 12jaguar said: Sorry, just picked this up. For the most part Stirling cockpits were green (there may have been exceptions!), but I don't think I've come across any photos of a black cockpit. The Bomb Aimers compartment started off green and changed to black very early on, the W/Op/FE area generally had silver sides although I have seen some green ones but I suspect they are later aircraft. All areas rear of the main spar are in silver except for some Mk IVs which were hand painted around the 'Joe Hole' parachute hatch in the rear fuselage (Probably SD aircraft). From what I have seen the interiors of Mk Vs were black throughout. I've noted some minor internal issues with the Italeri kit (and the Eduard detail set), I have issues with posting pics on here but am happy to explain what the issues are especially if someone can post some pics on my behalf John I have a few follow up questions about this. Does this mean that the cockpit is green under the canopy, and do the sides change colour from green to silver from the first bulkhead behind the canopy on? Do you have any suggestions about the colour of the floor of the aircraft? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12jaguar Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Hi Elger As you say, green in the cockpit area up to and including the Navigators bulkhead, aft of that it's silver. Floor is green and silver respectively in theses areas save for the exceptions on Mk IV and V aircraft John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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