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AZ Model (ex Heller) Potez 540 - Interior Colors?


Roman Schilhart

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Hello dear fellow Britmodellers,

I collected the new AZ Model kit Potez 540 (ex-Heller/Smer plastic) in Bratislava last weekend.

 

AZ Model instructions are sparse.

There's no suggestions for the interior colors; what should they be like?

 

Any comments welcome.

I'm going to build the kit's first option in Grey/Green/Brown camoflage.

 

Thanks in advance

Roman

 

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Hello Roman,

I built this many years ago as the armed version. It was an old kit and suggested Heller ‘Nile Green’ (translated the best I can).

 

I couldn’t get the Heller colour (It may be available again now: “Vert Nil”.

 

I used my No.1 eyeball and went for Airfix duck egg blue with a little white. I think Humbrol Sky Type S with a little white may be fine.

Its frustrating; but I’ve read that eg Dark Blue May be appropriate.

My answer to that is that I have the film of Malraux flying these (as bombers) in Spain.

 

The interior of real aircraft is regularly visible. Yes, it’s black and white film, but the interior looks to be more feasibly ‘vert nil’ than dark blue.

 

This builds into a very nice model Roman; good choice, those contra rotating propellors can be made to do so with minimal effort.

 

All best regards and enjoy this lovely French 1930’s Aircraft.

TonyT

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Many thanks Tony, I will go for "Nile Green" (reminds me on "Danube Blue" - I cross that river every morning on my way to work, and let me tell you, it ain't Blue ...).

An online conversion chart explains this equals Humbrol 90 Beige Green: https://www.modelkitcollecting.com/1970-80s-heller-paints-and-humbrol-equivalents-t2692.html.

With the help of IPMS Stockholm website, this translates to Gunze/Mr.Hobby H31 "White Green": http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_humbrol.htm

Greetings from Vienna,

Roman

 

 

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That’s great information Roman, it gives us many choices for this elusive colour.

 

I’ve spent time researching in Vienna. Also very pleasurable times enjoying good beer, good food, good conversation and superb music. A stunningly invigorating city.

 

Not expected, but to see the result of the Potez in RFI would be wonderful :smile: .

 

All best regards

TonyT

 

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I suspect that the closest English equivalent is "Eau de Nil".  Yes, I know the actual words are French, but it is a specific English colour name.  This does indeed place you in the general area of Sky, if perhaps a little greener.  It was also used for the interior of some British Army office-bodied trucks, specifically signals versions, apparently because it was considered easier on the eyes.

 

Dark Blue and Chamois are other colours that are quoted for the interiors of French aircraft of this period.

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33 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

I suspect that the closest English equivalent is "Eau de Nil".  Yes, I know the actual words are French, but it is a specific English colour name.  This does indeed place you in the general area of Sky, if perhaps a little greener.  It was also used for the interior of some British Army office-bodied trucks, specifically signals versions, apparently because it was considered easier on the eyes.

 

Dark Blue and Chamois are other colours that are quoted for the interiors of French aircraft of this period.

Would that be Sacre Bleu? Wonder what the FS595 equivalent for that is?  (Yes, I know I'm a sick puppy!)

Mike

 

Whatcha working on, Graham?

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1 hour ago, 72modeler said:

Whatcha working on, Graham?

 Aosima USS Wasp  in Operation Calendar, nearly finished; Zvezda 1/200 SB: only these two actually sitting on my workbench.  Lots of others within armsreach. I do have a Potez 540 which I was intending to do as a transport, but a conversion of the original Heller.  So if anyone buys the new one and has spare transfers.....  No rush.

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IIRC, the original Heller kit claimed for something like "chamois", or beige color. Years ago, when I built a series of french bombers used during the spanish civil war, I used Tamiya XF-55, but I was probably wrong back then...

By the way.. wasn't  that british color called "Eau de Nil", a household or domestic kind of Paint..???? Remember the owner of a cosy hotel at Wellington telling me something about that...we were staying there during a trip to the SMW some years ago, and while discussing about the right cockpit colour  for early Spitfires, the "Eau de Nil" term was described that way by him...

Cheers...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Since december 1935 the french goverment create the paint standard for military airplanes.

"l'intérieur sera peint de couleur neutre, foncé et mate"

"interior surfaces will be painted in dark, neutral  and mat color"

Breguet use " Gris Bleu" for his Br 691 693, Latécoère also for the laté 298.

Morane Saulnier, in the MS 406, MS 230, use a "Gris Marin Clair", a light blue grey" as in Caudron 714

 

Since 1939, these specification change

"interiors will be "Chamois", except the cockpit which will be "Bleu de nuit" (Night blue)

 

"Chamois"  was a 2 catégory M2 paint seems appear during 1939 and was specific for priming or coating metal part which was not exposed to corrosion agents.

If it was used on surface exposed, it was necessary to overcoat with another paint 1st category M1. So the area painted in "Chamois" are not

visible without disassembly.

It was not used on wood and textile.

 

For these reason I think that interior of Po 540 built after 35 was paint in one shade of grey or blue grey.

 

Cordiallly

 

Quote

the original Heller kit claimed for something like "chamois", or beige color

Before 1935 the wood could be protected by clear spar varnish, the birch plywood was light beige color

Edited by BS_w
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Eau de Nil was commonly used domestically in the UK, certainly well into the 50s if less so nowadays than the beige that is most common; but then and now it remains a colour, not a "kind of Paint".  Any type of paint can be coloured Eau de Nil.  It was also used  for the upper part of the interiors to British Army WW2 Signals vehicles, as it was thought to be restful for the operators' eyes.

 

You're lucky: I have the SMER boxing of the Heller Potez 540, and it provides no hint at all for the internal colour(s).

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In the mists of antiquity Humbrol used to do an gloss enamel called "Eau de Nil".  Looking at the current colour chart I think it might be colour 36, now called Pastel Green.  In the days before Humbrol Authentics (and before we started getting hung up on MAP shades), the really keen sometimes used it for the interior green of RAF/FAA aircraft.  I have absolutely no idea whether it had anything in common with French Vert Nil.

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