UK - based B-26 Marauder colours 1944

[MigModeller]

Hi all

 

Just wondering If I can follow the same painting instructions as for the Mitchell:

 

Notably Humbrol 226 for the interior and Humbrol 128 for the underside and Humbrol 155 for the bombs?

 

Thanks in anticipation of any tweaks I need to take 

[fightersweep]

Certainly won't need interior green for the B-26. Some areas, such as the cockpit insulation were a dark dull green colour, and most of the interior was coated aluminium. We had a rear fuselage section of a 323rd Bomb Group B-26 in our museum, and there was no trace of paint anywhere in the interior, except for the rear gunner's armour plate bulkhead. Borrowed from Hyperscale, here is a very detailed overview by Dana Bell....

 

"You're right about Marauders being a zinc-chromate-free zone. I've got only a few pieces of the story, and there's much more to find, but Martin B-26s were produced with a unique painting system. From the little I've found in documents, Martin was allowed to use some form of anodic coating with no primers. If your aircraft was camouflaged at the factory (as most/all short-wings were), chances are good that no primer came between the paint and the skin - all part of the waiver granted to Martin.

Interiors weren't supposed to be painted - cockpits carried insulation that was died either (probably) Dull Dark Green or (possibly) Olive Drab. Bomb bays were often painted Neutral Gray, but I can only guess that this was because the area took added abuse and needed additional protection (?).

The Neutral Gray interior raises many questions - it could be a gray anodic coating, probably aluminum oxide, though that would be lighter than Neutral Gray. It would seen very odd to go to the trouble of applying Neutral Gray to the interior after getting a waiver to not paint the interior, but I just can't explain some of the stuff that happened during the war.

The blue you found is almost certainly Lionoil, as the other posters noted. I've seen a few fixtures inside "Flak Bait" that retain their original Lionoil. It was applied as a shop coat to protect the metal from staining during production. In theory, it was to be removed before primers or paint were applied - since it came off quickly and relatively easily, there was little sense in putting a permanent coating on top of Lionoil, though that certainly happened on more than one occassion. And of course, there was no reason to remove the shop coat if nothing was going over it on interior surfaces. (If Pima does a chemical analysis of the stuff, they should find ferrous ferrocyanide, aka Prussian Blue.)

Only 250 days before I hope to retire (though that's not yet a sure thing); then I hope to be able to spend 2 or 3 days a week looking for answers to questions like this!

Cheers,

Dana

More From Dana:

"I got curatorial permission to look into "Flak Bait" today - the question of cockpit colors was too interesting not to try for a definitive answer, at least for one surviving airframe. Unfortunately, it's not that easy.

"The National Air and Space Museum has the forward fuselage on display the rest of the aircraft is in storage until it will be assembled at the Dulles Center in about five years. What is now downtown is mostly an unpainted interior with fabric sound-proofing padding. The padding is very faded, with no proof of the original color. Most of it is now brown or magenta an indication that it may have once been Olive Drab. But the metal snaps that hold the padding in place were painted green - perhaps Dull Dark Green, perhaps Medium Green, but definitely NOT Bronze Green, OD, or Interior Green.

"In the cockpit, everything above the lower canopy edge is flat black paint, as are the floor, the armor plating, and the seats. The control columns and instrument panels are Instrument Black (which is a semi-gloss finish, not a "crinkle" finish as sometimes published). Seat cushions are yellow. Cockpit sides are the fabric mentioned above. The bulkhead aft of the seats is unpainted aluminum, without padding. The bulkhead forward of the co-pilot's seat actually is metallic blue - probably blue tinted Lionoil which hadn't been removed in production. (I wish I could prove that this was where the Japanese learned to make Aotake!)

"In the radio room, the forward bulkhead is unpainted/unpadded, but the fuselage is the same faded padding all around. The desk tops are varnished wood, and the flooring is black.

"The bombardier's position is well-padded, with black flooring.

"The nose wheel well is lacquered aluminum, with a few fixtures in Zinc Chromate (yellow).

"I guess everyone can still choose their own cockpit color, but my opinion is that Dull Dark Green is the most likely color for the cockpit padding. I hope this helps!"

 

Also, try Googling images of Flak Bait. She's pretty much still as she left service

 

Regards;

Steve

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by fightersweep

[MigModeller]

That's a great reply.  Thanks Steve and Dana

[fightersweep]

I used to be the trustee of a museum dedicated to the 9th Air Force Marauder Bomb Groups. Is there a specific aircraft you want to portray? I might be able to help with more details.

 

Best regards;

Steve

[MigModeller]

On 5/22/2019 at 8:14 PM, fightersweep said:

I used to be the trustee of a museum dedicated to the 9th Air Force Marauder Bomb Groups. Is there a specific aircraft you want to portray? I might be able to help with more details.

 

Best regards;

Steve

A  Boxted machine.  I'll make life simple and purchase a Kits-World decal sheet

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KW72075

 

 

Hope to visit their museum soon

[fightersweep]

We have similar timing as I have the 1/48 Monogram Marauder next up on the bench. I have been looking at the Kits World decals, but our museum was based at Andrewsfield and Earls Colne, and Kits World ignored both the 322nd and 323rd Bomb Groups for some reason. That seems a little odd as those two groups were the oldest Marauder groups in the ETO.

 

Yankee Guerrilla is a popular choice. Interesting that the instructions show Yankee with invasion stripes and being based at Boxted in August 43! Of course, the aircraft wouldn't have had invasion stripes at that date. Secondly, the 386th Bomb Group were only based at Boxted for a short while. The group moved to Great Dunmow on the 24th September 1943, and stayed there until 2nd October 1944 when they moved to the continent, being based at Beaumont - Sur - Oise. Boxted is more associated with the 354th and 56th Fighter Groups. 

 

I'll have a dig through some of my records, but I think colours etc will be fairy standard for the B-26B/C and there are a few photos online of Yankee for reference. Of course, like most Marauders, she would be quite weathered, depending on which time frame you use.

 

Edit. If you visit the Boxted museum, you'll see what used to be our Marauder tail exhibit. Largest chunk of B-26 in the UK. It's now on loan to Boxted. Here is a photo of "our" old tail section. She's the camouflaged aircraft at the rear. It was rescued out of a scrap yard in Warrington in the 1970s.

 

323d_Bombardment_Group_B-26_Marauders_in_Formation

 

 

Also, there is some nice footage on Youtube of Eisenhower's visit to Great Dunmow in April 1944. Well worth a look!

 

 

yankee guerrilla

 

Steve

Edited May 24, 2019 by fightersweep

[Greybird]

I’m also planning to use that same Kits World sheet, but for Rationed Passion.

 

However, it seems only the nose art is correct, as the squadron codes and FY numbers don’t  match photos or other references I found for Rationed Passion (O8-J, 42-95843)
 

USAAF-42-95843-B-26B-Marauder-391BG575BS-O8J-Rashioned-Passion-landing-1944-01

American Air Museum

www.391bombgroup.org.uk

 

Rationed Passion also makes an appearance in the following Youtube period film:
Dexter Goodwin in 391st Bomb Group Training Film, 1944

at 6min 14s.  It seems like that Air Museum photo is actually a still from the video, as some others from 9th Airforce in Colour

 

Back to the subject of colours, for an OD/NG aircraft, would the interior of the cowling be aluminum or neutral grey?

 

Still on the subject cowlings, that is the correct dimension for the cowl front opening?

I have both the Loon Model and Ace109 replacement cowlings for the Revell kit, and there is quite a difference in size. 

 

Best regards

 

Paddy

[fightersweep]

Regarding Rationed Passion. Both are correct. 42-95843 crash landed after being hit by flak on 9/3/43. 42-95812 survived the war. The reason behind the same name and nose art on two different aircraft serving in separate squadrons eludes me at the moment, but I'll have a dig around and see what I can find. However, both aircraft are recorded as having carried the same name.

 

Regarding the engine cowling. We had a partial piece of cowling in our museum from a OD/NG aircraft. The inside of that was treated aluminium.

 

Is it the Monogram 1/48 kit you are building?

 

Steve

[Greybird]

Steve,

 

Thanks for the confirmation on the cowling interior colour.

 

I believe the Rationed Passion crash landing date was 9 March 1945, not 1943.  Joe Baugher’s  doesn’t list the fate of 812, but lists 843 crash landing after AAA fire on 9 March 1945.

 

Regarding 42-812, I have not found any photos to show the Rationed Passion nose-art on it. 

Have you seen/got any? 

Originally, I bought these decals as it has “family friendly” nose art and the P2-D code is similar to my initials.

 

The 391st Bomb Group website linked above lists 812 as “The Green Hornet”, but the associated photo is just of nose art…..nothing showing code/FY number.  

The taxi/formation sheets extend into March 1945, with record of disposal in 1946.

 

I have both Revell 1/48 and Hasegawa 1/72 kits in the stash. 

I plan to use a 1/48 kit for 843. 

If there is more information/photos of 812, I would be grateful see/hear about it as I would still like to do that aircraft as well using the P2-D coding.

 

The 1/48 Revell and Loon cowlings visually look a bit on the small side.  Do you know if this is the case?

 

Best regards,

 

Paddy

[fightersweep]

Yes! You are correct! I meant 1945, but my fingers typed 1943 for some reason. Must check before hitting save!!

 

Regarding the two Rationed Passions. I'll have a look and see what I can find for you. Admittedly it does seem strange. It wasn't unknown for aircraft to switch between squadrons, but this is apparently two different aircraft in two different squadrons with the same name and nose art. I'll contact a few people I know who probably will have the answers.

 

I haven't had a close look at the 1/48 Revell/Monogram cowlings yet. I have seen a resin replacement cowling set out there, which suggests a problem. I look into that today as well.

 

Steve

Edited May 25, 2019 by fightersweep

[Greybird]

Thanks Steve.

 

I have both the Loon and Ace109 replacement cowlings.

The details on the Loon set are nicer, but they are a lot smaller than the Ace109 ones - with Revell in between - hence the question on sizing.

 

Best regards,

[fightersweep]

To be honest, I'm quite happy with the shape and look of the Revell cowling. I think the biggest problem with the kit parts is the way they fit together and the filling and sanding that will be required to make them acceptable. I'm rescribing the parts anyway, so that doesn't bother me too much. The one thing I will be getting are the Quickboost R-2800s for this kit. For the money, they look great.