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Colours for B17-G

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  • Member since
    November 2004
Colours for B17-G
Posted by snapdragonxxx on Monday, November 30, 2015 3:17 PM

Hi chaps,

I am back after having severe heart troubles - again. Medication has been changed and everything is settled once more although the consultant is looking in to a dual pacemaker/defibulator unit for me, but there seems to be nothing on the horizon so I just muddle through on a daily basis.

I have however, managed to get my hands on HK's 1/32 B17-G and intend to throw all Eduards AM stuff at it and do the best job I can.

I have seen lots of bare metal builds of this kit and I would like to have a bit of a change and do an olive drab/grey build.

Not being totally up to speed on American aircraft colours I am hoping that some kind person could kindly help out with the interior colour(s) and also the exterior ones two.

Vallejo model air would be my first choice.

Also if anyone has a line on decals for an olive drab/grey Fortress then I would be grateful

I have still to get Eduards sets and have just got Model Masters MG barrels set for it. I am intending to start building this early next year once I have everything together.

Thanks a bunch for any info/advice

 

James 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Monday, November 30, 2015 3:28 PM

Good to see you back snap, sorry to hear you have not been well, lets hope its all up from here.

I know G's were mainly in NMF, but there were a few in OD, and i think even in half and half. There is some dicussion on colurs in Brandon's ongoing B-17 build.

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/168178.aspx?page=1

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    November 2015
Posted by The Migrant on Monday, November 30, 2015 4:09 PM

Hi James

My posts are still being vetted and therefore delayed, so it's possible you'll already have an answer by the time this is posted. However, there's a great article on the IPMS-Stockholm site about USAF interior colours, and (halfway down the page) B-17s specifically:-

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/02/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us_part2.htm

Mike G

Western Canada

  • Member since
    June 2014
Posted by BrandonK on Monday, November 30, 2015 4:37 PM

This is the IPMS information that I used for my -G. This is taken directly from their site.

"

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Early B-17s had overall Zinc Chromate Yellow interiors, Bronze Green cockpits and navigator's stations, and Aluminium lacquer bomb bays.

For F and G model B-17s, the general rule for "control cabins" is Bronze Green. Instructions identify the "control cabin" as the nose section containing the bombardier and navigator, the cockpit including the pilots and top gunner/engineer, and the radio room. Later official specifications for the B-17F revised in August 1944 called for Dull Dark Green in the same areas. Some Douglas-produced B-17Fs possibly had Interior Green control cabins.

The same 1944 document calls for use of Bronze Green on exterior anti-glare panels of uncamouflaged aircraft. It remains controversial if this instruction was ever followed in B-17 production, most colour photos of the B-17s showing Olive Drab anti-glare.

Inner fuselage sides in the nose, cockpit and radio room were covered with green canvas padding. The cabin floor was made of varnished plywood. In high-traffic areas, floors were covered with black rubber mats anti-skid purposes - in the waist, the radio room and the top turret area. The floor in the pilot/navigator cabin was left in natural metal. Pilot and navigator seats were most probably Bronze Green.

Aft of the radio room, the fuselage interiors of many early-production B-17s were painted Zinc Chromate Yellow. Later versions of the aircraft, camouflaged as well as natural metal were often left in bare metal with Zinc Chromate Yellow or Zinc Chromate Green bulkheads and longerons. Note that the waist-gun areas were also left in bare metal, presumably because there were no glare problems for the gunners there.

Rear fuselage of the B-17F at the Long Beach assembly line showing the area near waist gun stations. This photo provides a prime example of bare metal interior with Zinc Chromate Green  longerons. Some of the bulkheads further aft are also green, while those closer to the photographer are left in natural metal.

The prevailing colour inside gun turrets seems to have been Dull Dark Green, on later models also flat black.

Among the areas left unpainted were also bomb bays and bomb bay doors, although some sources state Neutral Grey for camouflaged aircraft.

Wheel wells are believed to be usually painted Interior Green.



Another photo of a tail of a camouflaged B-17F Flying Fortress at the Douglas factory in Long Beach. The fuselage construction illuminated by flash behind the workes' heads shows that there were at least two different colours of primer used. Another mystery.

"

You can find more information here:

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/01/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us.htm

 

I mixed my own color for the interior of my -G using Model Masters Acrylics. Green zinc chromate and gloss black in a 12:1 ratio. It yeilds a nice green that very closely represents many of the photos of both restored and unrestored -G's that I could find. I hope this helps.

BK

On the bench:

A lot !! And I mean A LOT!!

2024 Kits on deck / in process / completed   

                         14 / 5 / 2  

                              Tongue Tied

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Piscataway, NJ!
Posted by wing_nut on Monday, November 30, 2015 4:50 PM
Sorry to hear about the health issues.  Just keep waking up on this side of the grass.  After that, everything else is gravy.

Marc  

  • Member since
    November 2004
Posted by snapdragonxxx on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 5:08 AM

Thanks for the welcome back folks and the information. I will be ordering the first bits of PE this week and have a good line on reasonable prices.

Now I have been using Alclad but with a mixture of success and for some reason I have worked out that Alclad metals don't like me as despite sticking to the instuctions etc it has failed to cure or dry properly and when touched despite leaving the part for a week left a ruudy great fingerprint!

Recently I have been able to experiment with AK's Xtreme metal and Vallejo's Metal colour. Neither are hot products and I have had some fantastic results and many plastic spoons have been sacrificed to the paint gods. So for dull unpolished metals Vallejo Metal color is my choice and for polished metals AK's Xtreme Metal is in. Out goes the notorious Alclad for me! Both paint ranges provide thge same look as alclad (in my opinion) without the possibility of melting something and ruining your health I look forwards to showcasing both products during the fortress build - which may take off sooner than you think!

 

for the olive drab upper surface I think that Vallejo's 71043 RLM 81/Olive Drab is the right colour to go with as it is the right shade and some RLM colours did mimic Allied colours.

I will be going with 71.094 zinc Green Chromate or 71.010 interior green depending on colour test for the interior along with Vallejo/AK metal paints.

Lower surfaces could be 71.047 US Grey. Again that is a colour test but it does look about the right shade for lowerr surface.

I have sourced some nice decals and just need to decide on which one. I think that Nose Art may decide for me!

Once again, thanks for the welcome back and the information. Is it too late ro join in with the Boeing group build?

 

James

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Medina, Ohio
Posted by wayne baker on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 2:21 PM

 I may get so drunk, I have to crawl home. But dammit, I'll crawl like a Marine.

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Central Florida
Posted by plasticjunkie on Wednesday, December 2, 2015 9:23 AM

James

Sorry to hear about your health issues. Hopefully the meds will help to normalize things.

Since you are undertaking a heck of a model build,  why not go for something unusual as in "Little Miss Mischief"?  She was half OD/NMF and a great nose art to go with it.

Here is some info on her:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234921332-172-revell-b-17g-little-miss-mischief-finished/

 GIFMaker.org_jy_Ayj_O

 

 

Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: 29° 58' N 95° 21' W
Posted by seasick on Wednesday, December 2, 2015 10:33 PM

There was yellow zinc chromate, and the green stuff was green zinc chromate.

Chasing the ultimate build.

  • Member since
    March 2003
Posted by rangerj on Thursday, December 3, 2015 10:23 PM

Are you anywhere near Boxted? If I remember correctly there is a B-17G on display there. I know there are several B-17s in the UK and a few are still flying. Best wishes for you return to health. Follow the doctors orders and build models as a source of relaxation.

My favorite place in the UK, besides Stonehendge, is Bath. Cheers.  

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