Jump to content

Q: MB 200 interior colour?


Sten Ekedahl

Recommended Posts

Many many years ago a friend gave me the KP 1/72 Aero MB 200 kit. I wanted to do a French aircraft so I found some nice aftermarket decals for it and also some very good PE details for it. But as I started building and at the same time searching for references, I discovered that the front fuselage and the nose gun turret differed between the French and Czech built aircraft. The KP kit naturally portrays the latter. So the kit ended up on the shelf of doom. Fast forward some fifteen years, and I found and ordered a conversion kit that will solve the problem. So I will now resurrect this project. However one big question remains. Since there are windows all over the fuselage, and a large cockpit canopy, a lot of the interior will be visible. However I have been unable to find out what the interior colour was. KP doesn't say anything in the instructions, and Google has drawn a blank. So my only hope now is that anyone out there can help me with this.

TIA

Edited by Sten Ekedahl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

IIRC French interiors were either chamois, a light buff brown, or blue fonce.

Chamois = Colourcoats ACF 11 / Vallejo 70:917

Blue fonce = Colourcoats ACF 12 / Vallejo 71:091

Other paint manufacturers are available;)

 

Having a look at the very few images available, which appear to be quite dark, I would go with Blue fonce.

 

 

Christian, exiled to africa

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the help. So chamois is the most likely colour. As I use enamels, mostly Humbrol, what would be the closest Humbrol equivalent?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No. 7 Light Buff ??? (A gloss colour...)

 

Possibly No. 74 Linen + No. 26 Khaki ??? (Matt).

 

Is wentzels still going? and Hobbybook Handeling at 23 Pipersgatan, (spelling...)

 

Christian, exiled to africa och 10 ar vid Uppsala universitet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2018-02-20 at 5:49 PM, wyverns4 said:

No. 7 Light Buff ??? (A gloss colour...)

 

Possibly No. 74 Linen + No. 26 Khaki ??? (Matt).

 

Is wentzels still going? and Hobbybook Handeling at 23 Pipersgatan, (spelling...)

 

Christian, exiled to africa och 10 ar vid Uppsala universitet

Thanks, helps a lot. Yes, both Wentzels and Hobbybokhandeln are still going strong. Wentzels relocated from Gallerian to Gamla Brogatan (four or five blocks away) about two years ago. Sadly one of the owners, Jan Wentzel, passed away from leukaemia some eighteen months ago. Much too early, barely fifty years old. But despite this the shop is doing well. Hobbybokhandels has during the last four or five years expanded their second hand kit buisnes a lot.

Edited by Sten Ekedahl
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chamois appear during 1939 and it's a very light color. Until dec 39, the french air ministry stipule(1935 to 1939)

a "flat, dark neutral color" for interior area, included cockpit..

 

before 39, Morane(230,406), Caudron(714) use "light blue grey" and Breguet(691/693), Latecoere(298), Dewoitine(520) "blue grey", interior cowling & wheel wells were same color as underside

 

From dec 39, "Night blue" was applicable to cockpit area of all military airplanes in factory

 

Before 1936, Breguet use "kaki" for interior of his Br XIX, but this "kaki" is light and look like "interior green 611"

 

below, chamois paint on D520 wreckage(rear fuselage, interior)

chamoi10.jpg

Edited by BS_w
  • Like 3
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Think I have found a solution for the chamois colour; Humbrol 94 (Matt brown yellow) + white.

Now two more questions:

1. From what I've been able to deduct from photos on the net, the cabin door on the left side, is hinged on the edge towards the front of the aircraft, and opens inwards. Confirmations?

2. What was the normal colour of French bombs? We're talking around 1939 here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, dogsbody said:

French bombs: http://www.bombfuzecollectorsnet.com/USERIMAGES/OP 1668 Italian & French Explosive Ordnance.PDF

 

 

I would agree on the door situation. Hard to find a good picture, but it definitely opened inwards.

 

 

Chris

Very good information on French bombs! Thank you. But typically this proves the disadvantage with good references. The bombs in the kit, being the Czech Air Force version, are very different from French bombs, apart from the 10 kg flares. The shape of the French bombs are completely different. Hmmm... Time to do some thinking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, dogsbody said:

I know. I have the same kit.

 

 

Chris

Out of curiosity, what's your plan for it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks to me as if the door of which you speak is hinged along the top edge and when opened lays up against the bottom of the wing so it opens outwards. On page 5 of this subject about Oct 3 2017 you will find two photos that will clear up the question, I hope. http://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=310&t=49106&p=1873039&hilit=MB+200#p1873039

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Bobk said:

Looks to me as if the door of which you speak is hinged along the top edge and when opened lays up against the bottom of the wing so it opens outwards. On page 5 of this subject about Oct 3 2017 you will find two photos that will clear up the question, I hope. http://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=310&t=49106&p=1873039&hilit=MB+200#p1873039

Several photos there that I haven't seen before. Although there were some differences between the Czech and the French versions, I don't think the door differed. And looking closely, I think you're right there. There's even a photo on page one that seems to support this. Good thing then I had not yet constructed the door supports inside the fuselage to mount an inward opening door! An up and outwards opening door simplifies building a great deal. Thanks a lot!

Edited by Sten Ekedahl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One more question about an interior colour, this time the instrument panel. The easy solution would be painting it black. But was it really? Considering the fact that this aircraft was built in the early thirties, this was at a time when many aircraft still had instrument panels made of wood. so question is if the MB-200 also had this. Looking at the etched IP I have, it looks like main panel could be wood with smaller sections of it made of (black) metal. Would anyone care to speculate further, or even try to answer? Oh, another thing. I sort of got the suspicion that the internal floor in the aircraft actually might have been made of wood. It would be a logical solution to save weight in an aircraft that was rather underpowered. But this is pure speculation from my side.

Edited by Sten Ekedahl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a photo from ebay that shows either a MB 200 or an MB 210 cockpit that shows the instrument panel as a very dark color. My guess would be black or midnight blue but I would lean heavily towards black.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, dogsbody said:

Some drawings of the interior I got years ago on another long-gone forum. Unfortunately, there isn't one of the cockpit.

 

MB.200a

 

MB.200b

 

 

Chris

Those drawings match exactly the Extratech (now marketed by Bren gun) PE parts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sten, I don't remember exactly when I got these, but it was at least ten years ago. Some had posted something about the MB.200 on that now-gone forum and amongst the replies were these drawings. As I was still fairly new to the Internet thing and hadn't fully learned the ins and outs, I didn't keep track of the original source, if it had even been mentioned.

 

 

 

Chris

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 27/03/2018 at 2:13 AM, Bobk said:

I have a photo from ebay that shows either a MB 200 or an MB 210 cockpit that shows the instrument panel as a very dark color. My guess would be black or midnight blue but I would lean heavily towards black.  

Probably black, midnight blue appears dec 39 and use for cockpit area except the D520 which had panel instrument painted in midnight blue also.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...