RAF Tomahawk Interior Colour Questions

[Dave Fleming]

Primarily cockpit and wheel well colours.

As these were, purchase contracts, in theory the cockpit should be as per British Contract (Presumably the local version of Grey Green, I know Du Pont did a version) - but I know how it goes with theories!! Also, the original Tomahawk Is were from a French order - would the order have been converted before they were built, or would French practice have been used?

Similarly, the wheel wells - would these be underside colour?

pots of various shades stand at the ready!!

[Nick Millman]

Only a clue and FWIW, but in the colour photograph of a desert scheme Tomahawk being serviced, the engine panels are removed and the internal frames can be seen to be painted in what appears to be "yellow green", the zinc chromate mix that preceded interior green. Unfortunately the wheel wells, although visible in the photo, are in deep shadow. For those contemplating a desert scheme the undercarriage legs also appear to be painted in Azure Blue which has been painted over the original duck egg blue factory finish undersides visible through wear in the photo.

The "yellow green" colour, as mixed precisely using the specified pigments and ratio, is about halfway between FS 14255 and FS 14257 in appearance. It is not as dark as the FS 34151 often cited for 'Interior Green'. French Hawk 75's had interiors painted this colour too. The Curtiss sales brochure describes it as "aluminized zinc chromate primer (green color)". I can't seen an obvious Humbrol paint for this but would think yellow and 120 half and half would put you in the ballpark - haven't tried it though! Or go the original route of adding black to zinc chromate yellow. Or, if you are feeling especially cheeky, use WEM ACJ04 Nakajima Interior Grey-Green which is spookily close, perhaps just not quite green enough.

Du Pont's 'Cockpit Light Green' 71-036 is not far off this colour, being lighter and yellower than MAP grey-green. I would hesitate to say it is the same colour but in a model I think the difference would be insignificant.

[gioca]

As for the tail wheel well , area where Airfix reproduced the canvas, also the main wheels wells have canvas for protection.

and having a look here:

www.p40warhawk.com/.../P-40E/p40ephoto4.jpg

Ciao

Giovanni

Edited September 19, 2011 by gioca

[gioca]

Wheel wells Canvas photografic evidence on AVG planes:

From the on line collection of San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

Ciao

Giovanni

[Dave Fleming]

Thanks guys.

The kit seems to show the canvas seals between the upper and lower wings, but the well roof as the exposed metal of the upper wing interior

Edited September 19, 2011 by Dave Fleming

[Mike Starmer]

Thanks guys.

The kit seems to show the canvas seals between the upper and lower wings, but the well roof as the exposed metal of the upper wing interior

Detailed drawings for Tomahawk aircraft in Flight, February 1941 show a canvas liner inside the wheel well. It is press studded onto the metal inner wing skin and zip fastened around the lower edges. Scale and Detail 61 has photographs of this canvas 'bag' in place in the P-36, the same fitting was used in P-40.

[Dave Fleming]

Thanks Mike, that is an interesteing Flight article

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/vie...20-%200505.html

The Tomahawk is interesting - the 'monochrome' upper colour scheme seems common on these early Tomahawks.

Same one here?

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/vie...search=tomahawk

and another

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/vie...search=tomahawk

Edited September 19, 2011 by Dave Fleming