Gloria is saved

[Greg Law]

Big news today here in New Zealand. The P-40N  Gloria Lyons has been saved from the rusty shed it has been in for many years. They are taking her to the Blenheim Museum which is in the South Island.

I made a model of her last year.

 

 

[JohnT]

Now that really is good news. Not aware of that airframe before but a P40 saved, or any warbird for that matter, is always welcome. 

[stevehnz]

Watching 7 Sharp were you Greg? I had to come to work but have it recorded. Alistair who is in charge of some of the work on this collection is my wife's 1st cousin. There might need to be a trip or two over the hill.

Steve

[LDSModeller]

Actually, Gloria is in reasonably good nick too considering, and wearing

the colours she was re-painted in upon arrival back into New Zealand 1944

 

I have the Trumpy1/32 P40N to build in her last/current scheme.

This is her on a War bond s drive in Christchurch circa 1944

Copyright RNZAF Museum used with Permissions

 

Before anyone asks, No there are no current decals for this scheme, and colours are

Uppers NZ Foliage Green (best match Humbrol 30)

Lower NZ Sky Grey - No current off the shelf match, this is the colour I mixed

to match the Colour I have seen

 

Regards

 

Alan

 

 

[Paul J]

I have been following the news of this hidden stash here in UK with interest. Its made me want to make another trip to NZ even more desirable but for the lurgy thats hit the world, it isn't likely for me or anyone to be able to make the journey south possible any time soon.

 But I hope they will stay and be put on display in NZ for visitors to enjoy for many years to come.

[LDSModeller]

11 minutes ago, Paul J said:

But I hope they will stay and be put on display

I believe that's the plan, and leave her in current colours

[Silver Fox]

It is great news, I hope to get back to NZ one day but until the madness stops and my youngest is at University/work/ earning enough to support himself/ can live for six weeks on corn flakes/ gets a girlfriend who will look after him, it is just a dream.  

[Bandsaw Steve]

Kudos to the ‘eccentric’ farmer who stuck her (and a bunch of other unwanted airframes) in a rusty shed seventy-odd years ago. A shame so few others - and practically no governments-  had the same foresight.

[spitfire]

Great news, I read about this collection a while ago and found it fascinating, hopefully there are more stashes like this around the world.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Bandsaw Steve]

1 hour ago, spitfire said:

hopefully there are more stashes like this around the world.
 

 

[Bandsaw Steve]

Wouldn’t that be nice. Unfortunately it seems very unlikely.

 

 

[Gazontipede]

Sorry to sound more dense than usual, but when you refer to the Blenheim museum, I assume you are referring to the Omaka AHC?

[Pete M.]

Yes, Omaka at this time. The wings from 'Gloria' are presently up here in Auckland at Avspecs at Ardmore (the Mossie guys) for corrosion control and various other treatments.

I have received some photos taken over the past couple of days by one of my fellow IPMS Auckland club members and will be posting some of them in the next day or so.

 

Some VERY interesting paint colours are showing on them, both internally and externally (teaser)!!!! 😲

 

Cheers,

Pete M.

[Silver Fox]

ooh you little tease Pete😁

[Pete M.]

And here we go...All photos were taken over the past couple of days by my mate and fellow IPMS Auckland member Damon Edwards who retains copyright to them.

 

 

Wings from NZ3220 at Avspecs, Ardmore September 2020. Very faded original factory finish of OD and Medium Green 42 blotches but no traces left of the Foliage Green overpainting when NZ3220 arrived back in NZ.

 

 

Underside of starboard wing. Note the size , colour and position of the RNZAF roundel. Most of the (NZ) Sky Grey paint has flaked off back to the original Neutral Gray.

 

 

The interior of the flap bay..note original coating of tinted zinc chromate under the Curtiss interior green paint.

 

 

Port wing ammunition bays. Note the Curtiss interior green paint again.

 

 

Port wing gun bay and gun mount locking mechanisims. Note also the heating tubes. Most of the area has been coated with what appears to be a 'mulched' cardboard insulating material!

 

 

Port wing lower undercarriage retracting links. Some (NZ) Sea Grey remains over the Neutral Gray.

 

 

Port wing forward fuel tank bay..more tinted zinc chromate and dark green in wing interior.

 

 

Starbord wing undercarriage bay with remains of canvas liners. Note: the fresh rivetted panels are remedial work carried out by Avspecs and are not original.

 

 

Port wing showing cockpit floor and the forward wing fuel tank intake that sits under the fuselage to wing fillet.

 

 

Port upper wing showing little trace now left of the RNZAF roundel and bars. Of note are the Medium Green 42 blotches on the leading and trailing edges.

 

 

Port wing cockpit floor area with juntion box and some cabling remains.

 

 

The port wing underside roundel with a plated over landing lamp position.

 

Remember, these have been sitting exposed to the weather for over 75 years! Initially up in the operational area, then back here in NZ and sitting in the dump at Rukuhia for several years until purchased by John Smith. They were stored outside by John.

My take is the wings had an initial factory coating of yellow zinc chromate (Dupont 63-038), then the OD on the uppers and Neutral Gray on the underside. The interiors of the wings, gun bays and undercarriage bays received a coating of the yellow zinc chromate, then the Curtiss factory version of interior green (Dupont 71-047?) that looks to be close to Dull Dark Green.

 

Cheers,

Pete M.

Edited September 19, 2020 by Pete M.
Missing word!!

[LDSModeller]

39 minutes ago, Pete M. said:

Curtiss factory version of interior green (Dupont 71-047?) that looks to be close to Dull Dark Green.

Hi Pete,

 

Awesome, thanks for posting these.

I obtained from the RNZAF Museum, a copy of the Curtiss Paint mixing ratios for Painting

P40 M and N's

The darker colour below, is what I mixed using the ratios to get similar to Dark Greens that you are

referring to.

 

What's also good, is the photo showing that even when close to 75 years on, the RNZAF Roundels

are still a Darkish Blue (even when faded), and not those Asinine Light Blue colours colours supposed

Experts/Modellers keep harping on about

 

Thanks again for posting these

 

Regards

 

Alan

[stevehnz]

Those are brilliant Peter, really good to have. I'm assuming that in the second photo, the underside of the wing,  the (NZ) Sky Grey colour is the colour showing a largish patch on the farthest bar of the roundel & bar marking?

Steve.

[Pete M.]

1 hour ago, stevehnz said:

Those are brilliant Peter, really good to have. I'm assuming that in the second photo, the underside of the wing,  the (NZ) Sky Grey colour is the colour showing a largish patch on the farthest bar of the roundel & bar marking?

Steve.

Hi Steve. Yes, that is the remains of the (NZ) Sky Grey and as you will note, it's not actually a grey colour! It appears that when they repainted them in the Foliage Green and Sky Grey scheme, they overpainted all of the white bars, just leaving the roundel.

 

Cheers,

Pete M.

[Pete M.]

5 hours ago, LDSModeller said:

Hi Pete,

 

Awesome, thanks for posting these.

I obtained from the RNZAF Museum, a copy of the Curtiss Paint mixing ratios for Painting

P40 M and N's

The darker colour below, is what I mixed using the ratios to get similar to Dark Greens that you are

referring to.

 

What's also good, is the photo showing that even when close to 75 years on, the RNZAF Roundels

are still a Darkish Blue (even when faded), and not those Asinine Light Blue colours colours supposed

Experts/Modellers keep harping on about

 

Thanks again for posting these

 

Regards

 

Alan

Hi Alan. Looks very close to my old mk.1 eyeball. I have a few more to process and will post tomorrow. My thanks go to Damon for taking these shots while the parts are up here in Auckland.

 

When and if I manage to get into my site to update it, I'm going to have to re-do a lot of my drawings and colour notes for the P-40's..including the green 42 blotching on the wing surfaces of the original paint scheme..these have not shown up on any photo I've seen of 'Gloria' before!

 

The true colour of the operational RNZAF roundels has always been a pet hobbyhorse of mine after seeing a sample many years ago and has led to an exchange of messages between Malcolm Laird of Ventura and myself over the years.

 

Cheers,

Pete M.