1:48 RAAF P39F Bell Airacobra

[Seahawk]

4 hours ago, Dana Bell said:

Untinted (yellow) zinc chromate appears to have been used everywhere outside the cockpit until it was replaced by Interior Green in 1943.

Aiiee!  I don't even get to finish my Kingcobra before discovering it's fatally flawed.  My fault for using photos of a preserved example (Frank Borman's in Detail and Scale 63)  Never mind, I shall do better on the next one!

 

Always good to know the truth, Dana.  Thanks for the enlightenment.

[Dunny]

5 hours ago, Dana Bell said:

Hi Dunny,

 

Sorry that I hadn't logged into this conversation earlier.  I've two contemporary color photos of open P-39 cockpits.  The first clearly shows Bronze Green (recognized by it color and oily sheen) and the second clearly shows the blackish version of Dull Dark Green (similar to German Black Green).  Recovered wrecks and museum unrestored aircraft show Interior Green (black-tinted zinc chromate).  All of this makes sense - Bronze Green and DDG were interchangeable, depending on what was in stock at the time of painting; Interior Green was the replacement mandated in 1943.

 

Untinted (yellow) zinc chromate appears to have been used everywhere outside the cockpit until it was replaced by Interior Green in 1943.

 

Hope this helps...

 

 

Dana

Dana,

 

Many thanks for that - not too late to change!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Dunny]

Hi All,

 

What with an intense couple of weeks with the new job, and a dose of man flu to boot, the old mojo is a little low at the moment. However, I've had an enjoyable couple of hours on the Airacobra. On @Dana Bell's sage advice I decided to respray the cockpit and interior components. The cockpit therefore got a dose of Schwarzgrun, and the remainder was sprayed in Zinc Chromate Yellow. Here's the cockpit:

 

 

 

And the rest (including a photobombing foot 🤣):

 

 

 

 

I thought I was being extra organised by spraying the canopy, until I realised that I'd forgotten to liquid mask a section . So, a little work with a cocktail stick got us here:

 

 

 

I then applied the liquid mask:

 

 

I used a light grey drybrush to pop out the cockpit detail, and fitted the harness:

 

 

The IP is very fragile so I've propped it in place with a blob of blutac:

 

 

Finally I glued the nose weight in place prior to buttoning up tomorrow:

 

 

I'll let that dry overnight. That's all for now,

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Roger

[bigbadbadge]

Good to see you back and on it fella, despite what SWMBO thinks we know that man flu is a serious condition and I hope you make a quick recovery. Great progress and great work 

Chris

[Dunny]

Just now, bigbadbadge said:

Good to see you back and on it fella, despite what SWMBO thinks we know that man flu is a serious condition and I hope you make a quick recovery. Great progress and great work 

Chris

Cheers mate - getting better but it's been a full bore couple of weeks. 

[Magpie22]

On 10/8/2020 at 8:44 AM, Dunny said:

 

I'm going to complete as the machine shown, A53-6 of 82 Sqn RAAF, based at RAAF Bankstown NSW in 1943. This is the only picture I could find of the aircraft, which crashed due to engine failure in August 1943. The aircraft was subsequently repaired and returned to the US 5th Air Force.

 

 

A quick check of the aircraft serial revealed that this was a P39F:

 

 

The scheme as presented by Red Roo shows the aircraft in US Olive Drab and Extra Dark Sea Grey over RAAF Sky Blue. I have no reason to doubt this combination, and it will make for an unusual colour scheme, so I'm going to go with it, dammit!! 

 

 

Roger,

A few more photos of A53-6 after her engine failure and forced landing on 30 August 1943. They may help with you model. I also beg to disagree with Red Roo's interpretation of the colours on that aircraft. in my opinion grey was not used on that aircraft.

Peter Malone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dunny]

2 hours ago, Magpie22 said:

Roger,

A few more photos of A53-6 after her engine failure and forced landing on 30 August 1943. They may help with you model. I also beg to disagree with Red Roo's interpretation of the colours on that aircraft. in my opinion grey was not used on that aircraft.

Peter Malone

Great photos Peter - much appreciated!