US Navy yellow wings aircraft

I recently completed the old Monogram F4F-4 Wildcat kit backdates to a yellow wings F4F-3 Wildcat.

The paint I used for the wings was Model Master Enamel RAF Trainer Yellow.  I did a side-by-side comparison of that paint against Model Master Enamel Chrome Yellow; the RAF Trainer Yellow seemed more accurate to my eyes but I think either would work just fine.

Thanks Aggieman--

There is a movie called "Dive Bomber" that is all in color showing the navy yellow wings planes. The colors are great and seem really vibrant---I wonder if they were that intense in real life. It was filmed in 1941.

"Dive Bomber" was filmed in Technicolor, a process that would enhance how color appears on a movie screen. Just like "The Wizard of Oz", or "Gone With the Wind". Compare those mental images to the 16mm film in use for documentary films such as "Memphis Belle", or "The Fighting Lady". The reality is somewhere between the two.

Exact Match?

The USN shipped the paint in bags. On base the the paint would be mixed: just add avgas, or automotive gasoline, or diesel fuel. Its unheard of today, but common practice back then.

I have the AM Dauntless to build in the silver/yellow scheme. I assume the fuselages on these aircraft aboard carriers would have the fuselages painted and not bare matal?

Theuns

I use Mr color 58 yellow orange.

stikpusher

"Dive Bomber" was filmed in Technicolor, a process that would enhance how color appears on a movie screen. Just like "The Wizard of Oz", or "Gone With the Wind". Compare those mental images to the 16mm film in use for documentary films such as "Memphis Belle", or "The Fighting Lady". The reality is somewhere between the two.

 

Movie film was not the only thing that changed colors.  No photographic film by itself maintains a really accurate color rendition.  And printed pictures (printed with a printing press, as in books and magazines) is even worse.  The color would very from copy to copy, depending on how and when the press was inked.

Further, in that golden age, the paints were not very stable- the outdoor, sunshine environment was very harsh on them.  So even good color chips would ony represent the color on the day it rolled out of the factory.  So, we just do the best we can.

Hey Seasick--

Thanks for the info on the gasoline paint.

My dad flew Helldivers in 1946. Of the planes he flew (he never was issued the same plane twice), they look repainted from the 3 color WWII paint scheme (blue, light blue, white). In the photos, the top blue color was left intact, but the light blue and white look like they are spray painted out with Dark Sea Blue.

Were you part of a maintenace crew where they still used the gasoline paint? Thanks for the info!  

Thanks Don---

Good reminder about the paint!

Theuns---

I am sure the Navy stuff was all painted silver as bare aluminum would quickly be a corroded mess in salt air!

In 1953-54, when I was a kid at Dallas NAS, they were expeimenting with bare aluminum Navy F7Us---this proved to be a distaster! Boy were they shiny at first!

(Seems in the early 50s lots of crazy things were done to planes----which seemed really stupid----Project Tomtom, F7U, Thunderscreech, X-3, XFY Pogo, etc,etc!!!) 

Theuns

I have the AM Dauntless to build in the silver/yellow scheme. I assume the fuselages on these aircraft aboard carriers would have the fuselages painted and not bare matal?

 

Theuns

 

Yes. Aluminum lacquer was the norm.

Great,thanx

Theuns

Here is a photo from Life magazine of the Northrop BT-1 on the Enterprise.  The BT-1 became the SBD.  The silver lacquer seems very evident.  The framework of the N3N was painted with silver lacquer and was nearly impossible to remove.  Don't know if it was the same formula.

look at these for a good idea

Beatcha, Stick!

jeaton01

Beatcha, Stick!

 

Professional painters in the family. Learned about it when I was a kid. Paint before the 1970s really stank. Paint is a pigment, a sealer, and a medium. At the factory or depot a more conventional medium was used. Paint today grips on to the surface its painted to far better than anything back then. Shipping the dry materials for the paint and mixing with gasoline out in the field was done to save weight. Fly by night painters still used gasoline as paint thinner in the 1970s. Paints today have a different chemistry. I painted my mother's house three years ago and it is still in good shape. The old stuff would be peeling by now.

Then why do the new car paints suck so bad? We have cars at work the look like Japanese aircraft in the South Pacific their paint flakes so bad... 20 years ago you never saw that...

Clear coats are what is giving up, Stik.  I hope they are getting better.  They were really bad in the late 80's early 90's.

No, I'm talking about recent cars, made in the past 5 years or so. The paint is flaking off and leaving patches of primer exposed. Not just those godawful cars that have the peeling clear coats... 

My 1995 Jaguar XJ-6s paint looks as good today as she did new. My wifes 2010 VW Eos looks like junk when they are parked next to each other. Guess the Brits used a better formula than the Germans.

I wash and wax them using the same products so it has to be the paint.

stikpusher

Then why do the new car paints suck so bad? We have cars at work the look like Japanese aircraft in the South Pacific their paint flakes so bad... 20 years ago you never saw that...

 

I have two cars, one made (or at least designed) across the Pacific, the other made in Illinois.  One is from 2005, the other from 2009.  These are the best paints I have ever had on a car.  The clearcoat is holding up marvelously.  I have not polished either.  When I wash them they look like new.

We do keep them in the garage when not on the road.  The UV in sunlight is extremely hard on virtually any material, and paints are no exception.  I suspect today's clearcoats must absorb a fair amount of UV to protect the paint below.  Also, winters are very tough up here, with lots of salt put on the roads, but the rust and other corrosion I have seen in earlier times is largely gone today.

These are Fords. Parked outdoors or driven, 24/7. Washed regularly although the climate here is mild compared to most. Sunshine, clouds, damp  sea air a few miles inland. Within a few years of service the paint started coming off in large patches on numerous of our cars. No clear topcoat deterioration on any of them, just paint flaking off.

The new paints have a label on them that shows they are defective: "Made in China".

I suppose they are being mixed with the cheapest chemicals they can get their hands on and still charge for first quality

And to comply with the latest nanny state regulations... 

modelcrazy

I use Mr color 58 yellow orange.

the Baron

 

 

modelcrazy

I use Mr color 58 yellow orange.

 

 

 

 

I second that.  I got that tip years ago from a Tom Cleaver build, I think it was, on Internet Modeler.  It's a darker color than the yellow used for the tail feathers on the Lexington's air group or that the Army used.

 

The Lexington Air Group used a color called Lemon Yellow, FS# 13655. Which was also the same color used to denote aircraft of the sixth section in USN Squadrons on the cowl, fuselage band, and wing chevrons.

I live in Houston. Have owned a few cars never had any rust away. When I lived on Long Island back in the day they used to put salt on the road to melt the ice.  Sodium chloride is probably the worst substance you could put down on the road. The salt ionizes in water and you get sodium ions and chloride ions. The sodium ions will corrode the steel in your car, and even eat at the road. Down here they use river sand for the rare roadway freezing.  The only real problem is that very few people know how to drive on ice or snow.