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Early P-51D Wheel Well Color

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  • Member since
    February 2013
Early P-51D Wheel Well Color
Posted by tomwatkins45 on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 2:56 PM

I'm building the Tamiya 1/32 Mustang as a P-51D-5. I think, based on the research I've done, that the main gear wells "should" be unpainted aluminum with a yellow zinc chromate main spar. At some point, due to corrosion problems, they would have started painting the wheel wells green zinc chromate, but I think this was after the D-5's were built. Does this sound reasonable? I'd like to get it as accurate as I can.

Thanks,

Tom

  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 5:55 PM

It would be safe to say they were overall either/both (depending on the aircraft) yellow and/or green zinc chromate. Either one is suffice and I wouldn't worry too much about spot on accuracy.

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Posted by jeaton01 on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 12:24 AM

Here are some photos of the wheel well on a very authentic restoration, later than a D-5.  Not Kimmberly Kaye at the top, Daddy's girl lower down.

http://www.yolo.net/%7Ejeaton/Propplanes/p51/p51.htm

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

  • Member since
    February 2013
Posted by tomwatkins45 on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 7:45 AM

Thank you both for your responses. With the changes that were made during the production runs and the field repairs and repainting it's hard to pin down. "Nobody knows for sure" is a pretty good answer. I think I'll go with overall yellow zinc chromate with green zinc castings.

Thanks,

Tom

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Sunday, April 1, 2018 4:23 AM
My research showed that they all came from the factory in aluminum and the rear spar was the only part in ZC.

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2013
Posted by tomwatkins45 on Sunday, April 1, 2018 6:18 AM

That's what my research showed also. Dana Bell says "At some point" in the P-51D/K production runs they started painting them due to reports of corrosion problems, but exactly when is undeterminable.

Thanks,

Tom

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Thursday, April 5, 2018 11:40 PM
Indeed.....I'm considering painting the whole bay ZC on my F-51 for the same reason.

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    January 2017
Posted by damouav on Friday, April 6, 2018 4:40 AM

lawdog114
Indeed.....I'm considering painting the whole bay ZC on my F-51 for the same reason.
 

Mate, do you have a specfic colour your going to use for the ZC. I'm  building a P-51D/K for the Comenwealth GB and will also need the exact same paint.

Thanks

Damian

In Progress
1/48 Tamiya P47-D Bubbletop
1/48 Hobby Boss TBF-1C Avenger (on hold)
Pending
1/48 Roden S.E.5a
1/48 Airfix Walrus
  • Member since
    February 2013
Posted by tomwatkins45 on Friday, April 6, 2018 5:16 PM

Since I'm kind of a dinosaur, I still spray lacquers and enamels. I use Model Master green zinc chromate and Testors 1/4 oz. small bottle yellow zinc chromate. I add just a little green to the yellow zinc to make it a bit less yellow.

Tom

  • Member since
    January 2017
Posted by damouav on Friday, April 6, 2018 8:16 PM

tomwatkins45

Since I'm kind of a dinosaur, I still spray lacquers and enamels. I use Model Master green zinc chromate and Testors 1/4 oz. small bottle yellow zinc chromate. I add just a little green to the yellow zinc to make it a bit less yellow.

Tom

 

I prefer acrylic or lacquer based paint, due to ease of cleanup. The variety I have found for the two types of Zinc Chromate are:

Yellow ZC

Tamiya XF-4

Mr. Paint MRP-129

Model Master ?

Mission Models MMP-067

 

Green ZC

Tamiya XF-3:2  XF-5:1

Mr. Paint ?

Model Master 4852

Mission Models MMP-068

In Progress
1/48 Tamiya P47-D Bubbletop
1/48 Hobby Boss TBF-1C Avenger (on hold)
Pending
1/48 Roden S.E.5a
1/48 Airfix Walrus
  • Member since
    February 2012
  • From: Olmsted Township, Ohio
Posted by lawdog114 on Saturday, April 7, 2018 11:52 PM

damouav

 

 
lawdog114
Indeed.....I'm considering painting the whole bay ZC on my F-51 for the same reason.
 

 

 

Mate, do you have a specfic colour your going to use for the ZC. I'm  building a P-51D/K for the Comenwealth GB and will also need the exact same paint.

Thanks

Damian

 

 

Yep...Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green is the perfect ZC shade to my eye. 

 "Can you fly this plane and land it?...Surely you can't be serious....I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"

 

 

 

 

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