Brit P-40 color question

Hi Rich

Rato's comments are touched on in the Blog

you posted earlier (see 2009 archive May  P -40) by Nick Millman

(author of Blog)

Regards

Alan

Some more info to muddy the colors:

http://ratomodeling.com/articles/AVG_cammo/

Quote

Those all match what Mr Bell describes in Aircraft Colors. 36622 as the Pastel Blue, 30279 for the "Sandy" Earth, and 34092 (Medium Green42) for Dark Green. Unqoute

Hi Stikpusher

Those colours cited by you above (per Dana Bell), are the DuPont colours spoken about previous  and

on the RNZAF P-40E in the photo (another angle shot of the one posted earlier)

Regards

Alan

Those all match what Mr Bell describes in Aircraft Colors. 36622 as the Pastel Blue, 30279 for the "Sandy" Earth, and 34092 (Medium Green42) for Dark Green.

As a side note, the USAAF P-40 scheme was OD 41 over Neutral Gray 43. Some had a disruptive pattern of Medium Green 42 on the leading and trailing edges of the horizontal surfaces. Not counting camouflaged aircraft that were reclaimed for USAAF use once the war was entered formally.

Image borrowed from the folowing link

It will look something like this one. I know of all the difficulties of WWII era color film for reliable, but this is a good starting point for reference.

As In my earlier post the P-40E's received

by the RNZAF in 1942, were Ministry Of Aircraft Procurement

(MAP) in US Equivalent colours of the RAF Dk Green/Dk Earth/Sky,

delivered from RAF stock held in the USA.

The documents which (survive today at the RNZAF Museum) came

with the aircraft, stated DuPont colours were used.

The colour "Sky" was a Blue Green colour with a tinge of grey (hence Sky Type S-Grey).

A book written by a former RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force)

member who served in WWII aptly named "We Also Served", Wally

Ingham states that RNZAF aircraft were in the same colours as

RAF aircraft being Dk Green/Dk Earth/Duck Egg Blue(or Sky).

(Wally was part of the ground crew who maintained the airframes)

The photo I posted of the RNZAF P-40E in my previous post should

give a good idea of the colours used

I believe the notion of Sky being Grey, has crept in over the years

and unfortunately has been accepted as the norm.

Regards

Alan

Dana Bell did a great article here in FSM on that subject several years back and also covered it in his Air Force Colors books. In those writings he said that early P-40s (B and C) for the RAF were finished in US paints that matched their British equivalents. But from the P-40E on, the colors changed. The Dark Green was nearly the same as USAAF Medium Green 42. The Earth color was lighter and "sandier" than RAF Dark Earth, and the Sky on the lower surface was a "Pastel Blue". However, current research shows that the Sky Gray was a shade nearly identical to modern USAF Aircraft Gray/ADC Gray, but flat in color.

Check here for the color plate that LDS Modeller provided:

http://amair4raf.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

There is a lot of good info here.

Thanks for the answers guys.  The plane will be in Brazilian livery.  The info states it was originally built for th RAF but was 1 of 6 diverted to the FAB in Apr '42.  Painted with US paints a non-standard British Land Temperate Scheme of 42 medium green, sand and sky gray, then lists those DuPont colors.

Alan, that aircraft looks to be a dead on match for the color plate which is of very high quality.\

Thanks again all.

71-021 is actually not Grey (or light Grey) perse

It's proper name is Sky Type S -Grey, and it actually a Blue/Green/Grey colour

The RNZAF received RAF P 40E's from RAF Stocks ex USA in 1942, these were

painted in the same DuPont colours.

This a P-40E at MOTAT Auckland and is painted in the Dupont colours

you cited

Some extra images from MOTAT (Via Kiwi Aircraft Images)

http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/images/main/96_motat/MOTCP401.JPG

http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/images/main/96_motat/MOTCP402.JPG

For Closet match using Tamiya paints

Paint colours, 71-021 Tamiya  XF 23

                          71-013 Tamiya  XF 61

                          71-009 Tamiya  XF 52

Model Master

71-009   MM 1701 (not the best but close)

71-013   MM 1710

71-021   MM  1722 (Duck Egg Blue)

HTH

Alan

I only know of two options for RAF P-40s

European

Dark Earth / Dark Green over Sky (light grey)

or

Desert

Dark Earth / Middlestone over Azure Blue

I figure it would likely be the standard RAF green and dark earth, I have read about P-40s that were painted with non-standard colours do to availability like the P-40s with the RCAF in the Aleutians. What's the markings? sand and green seems strange, that's why I'm assuming dark earth and green....