US-made Soviet P-63 King Cobra

[CheapTricked]

Hello! First post here after much browsing and reading helpful tips.

I've recently gotten back into scale models after many years off and am currently building a P-63A King Cobra with the Soviet markings. My question is: Would the interiors have been painted in the grey typical of a Soviet aircraft or would they have been the interior green of the US where it was built? The instructions say Interior Green, but I find that suspect. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thank you in advance.

[Learstang]

These aircraft were built and painted in the United States for the Soviets. They would have used American paints, including whatever was the typical Bell interior colour. Soviet A-14 Steel Grey would not have been used.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

[modelldoc]

...and here is your target:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21603181@N08/18019426504/in/photolist-tsjgHj-t6KRxS-kJmo3N

 

Model from MPM, very early copy.

 

modelldoc

[spitfire]

I'm with Jason, it would have been a waste of time and resources to repaint Lend Lease aircraft.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Antti_K]

Hello CheapTricked,

 

here is a colour sample from an P-39Q Airacobra showing one observed "Bell Green". I can't tell, whether this same green was used for landing gear legs in Kingcobras but it was used in Airacobras. The airplane is still in its original paint. There are at least few Internet sites where you can convert NCS values to other standards.

 

 

I use Humbrol enamels for my models and I had to mix paints to get a match for this "Bell Green". My starting point was Hu 150 which is too light and too "drab".

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers,

Antti

[CheapTricked]

Thank you to everyone for your responses! They're all very helpful and I'm glad I asked instead of my initial assumption.
And thanks for the picture, comparison and recommended paint for the body, Antti. Hopefully I can find a close approximation too.

[Troy Smith]

11 hours ago, CheapTricked said:

Hopefully I can find a close approximation too.

@Dana Bell may know if/when Bell stopped using 'Bell green' 

 

this is an image of an unrestored P-63 recovered from Russia

https://www.wingsmuseum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DSCF7944-1024x768.jpg

 

from https://www.wingsmuseum.co.uk/our-work/aircraft-restoration/bell-p-63c-kingcobra-43-11137/  

and

http://p63kingcobra.com/63_kingcobra_restoration.html

see wheel well.

http://p63kingcobra.com/p63_images/p-63_project/Bell P-63 kingcobra_wings 2.jpg

 

there is this period color image at the Bell factory

http://www.ram-home.com/ram-old/p-63-fighterp57.jpg

 

20 hours ago, CheapTricked said:

My question is: Would the interiors have been painted in the grey typical of a Soviet aircraft or would they have been the interior green of the US where it was built?

you don't repaint a cockpit unless you really need too. 

 

One interesting detail, both the P-39 and P-63 were in service in the VVS until the ealry 1950's, as trainers,  as their tricycle undercarriages made them very useful for trainee jet pilots to get used to handling tricycle UC planes.

 

HTH

[dogsbody]

Greetings CheapTricked and welcome to the forum! 

 

I'm up in Fort Mac. Where y'at?

 

 

 

Chris

[CheapTricked]

Thanks a lot Troy, those images are super useful. Interesting that the wheel well is closer to interior green there; another image I found had it more of a chromium yellow. I guess different plants used different paint perhaps.

 

Thanks Chris! Happy to be here. I'm from Ontario Canada, roundabouts Toronto

[Antti_K]

Hello guys,

 

the green used for the cockpit looks the same in the photos as that paint used in the Airacobra I was referring to. Possibly the same NCS S7020-G70Y.

 

The Airacobra here in Finland has ZCY landing gear bays. The colour is dull and looks rather "brownish" than "greenish". Landing gear legs and wheel well covers are green.

 

Hopefully the restoration team of this Kingcobra made some colour comparisons before the parts were repainted.

 

Thanks Troy for the interesting photos!

 

Cheers,

Antti