B-17 Interior colors

Give me a few minutes....this may not seem like a totally reliable source...but the computer sim B17II- the Mighty 8th is as accurate as they come-- I'll take some screens of the various compartments for you..OK?

OK-- from front to back:

Nose-- does seem to be interior green


Cockpit area-- also green


Bomb Bay-- bare metal


Near top turret-- same


Radio room...bare metal


Waist-- BM for the most part


Tail-- BM...but notice the wooden floors....

Is this really accurate?

Well... yes. The sim's creators- Wayward--are from the UK. They worked very closely with technical manuals, ex-pilots, the RAF museums at Hendon and others.etc. I understand why you would think that they are not accurate as it is technically a "game"-- but I have read many accounts of veterans who claim how realistic this sim models what happened 60 years ago or so....

This sim did get a bad rap-- mainly because it was released ahead of it's time...meaning it ran very crappy on machines because at it's release, the computers weren't powerful enough to run it....match that with the lack of multiplayer and you'll see why people dropped it so quickly. Even the sound of gravel on a tin roof is there when flak is around...

But if you have a decent system and want to see what it was like to navigate, pilot, or play as a bombardier or gunner-- this is something you should think of picking up. You even have to work the Norden as the guys had to do back then....I have never had a sim make me feel like I was there like this one does. You even have to apply first aid to wounded crew, put out fires, fix jammed bomb bay doors, etc...

So whereas I would normally be the first to criticize someone posting images from a computer sim in regards to modeling references....well-- I stand by these 100%. But if someone has better images-- please help me make my point

Thanks, Jeeves,
This is helpful. Wonder why some areas would be painted and others not. Could it be that the three manufacturers did things differently?

Here's a great walkaround w/ picshttp://aircraftwalkaround.hobbyvista.com/b-17_mbelle/b-17_mbelle.htm

It's mostly basic green zinc chromate primer. It varies from aircraft to aircraft, but if you'll let me know what your specifically looking for, I can get you detailed shots of our B-17G "Yankee Lady"
D2Kos@Comcast.net

There was a great article in FSM back in October 1997 about aircraft interior colors during WWII by Dana Bell. According to the article, "bronze green" was specified for prewar bombers, including all B-17Es. The article mentions Humbrol No. 9 as a close approximation. Late in 1940, the army began substituting "dull dark green" for bronze green until 1942/43. It is close to a darkened FS 34092. "Interior green" was formerly known as "tinted zinc chromate"--a primer. In Mr. Bell's article he states that the army was planning to replace "dull dark green" with "interior green," but when specs came out in November, 1943, they had substituted "medium green" instead. By November 1943, the army was specifying medium green 612 for all "interior compartments which are visible to crew members in flight and subject to direct rays of the sun." Black was used for parts that could only be seen when they were reflected in glass. Anyway, it seems that the interior colors for B-17's might depend on when they were built, and what supplies of the paint were on hand in the factory. If you can buy a back issue of that particular FSM (Oct 97), it would be a great investment. The article runs from pp. 38-42. I have about 12 finished Flying Fortresses, and I switch around between the colors named in the article. It sounds confusing, but it makes for a nice variety, rather than having every plane with the same interior color.

Thanks, C-M-K02, I have that issue and will check it out. Your theory makes sense. It's pretty clear that the ships' interiors weren't uniform over time. That's quite a collection of Forts; are they all in the same scale?

Robrob:

I am currently working on a documentary about my Grandpa's experience as a career Airforce officer. He was a pilot of B-17's during '43 until a crash landing sidelined him. After a few months in a hospital he was reassigned to the maintenance depot where they finished assembling the planes (off the ships) and test flying them.
I asked him this very question and it supports the Bell article. He said they mainly painted them med. green/olive for the most part. Some items got(wheel wells, etc.) that got a lot of weather got zinc chromate paint. He also mentioned that paint was often mixed with old/other types to just get the job done (why their is such a variety of tints). But from the factory he said the the G's all had med. green/olive interiors.
Dmod

They were all sprayed green zinc. I think that sim pictures show a overly weathered game programers perspective.

Here's a book you might look at USAAF AIRCRAFT MARKINGS and CAMOUFLAGE 1941-1947 by Archer&
Archer from Schiffer . It's a big book with lots of information
and is high priced . Perhaps by searching several places you could find one on sale.
Almost forgot this book The OFFICIAL MONOGRAM US ARMY AIR SERVICE &AIR CORPS AIRCRAFT
COLOR GUIDE Vol 1 1908 -1941 Robert D. Archer Monogram Aviation Publications. Excellent book with lots of
information too.
Fuzzy

Jeeves, anyway you could fax me the instructions for this game? I found the disc in my sons room but no instructions. Letr me know and I could send you my fax number if it is not too time consuming for you.

Hey nsclcctl...

If you mean the manual-- then not really. The manual is a book of around 150- 200 pages. If you mean the key card, I can probably send you a copy of it?? I don't have a fax...

You also might want to visit the folks here as they are very helpful in regards to the sim:

www.bombs-away.net

Rob:
glad you could find the article; it's one of the most useful I've found in FSM and I refer to it constantly. Yes, all my B-17's are same scale: 1/72--a mix of Hasegawa and Minicraft types. I recounted them last night; actually have 18 Flying Forts (including one B-17B and one B-17E), plus two B-24's that sneaked in there somehow. The "E" is painted in a British pattern, the rest (F's and G's) are in OD or natural metal. Currently, I'm working on a late "F" model that featured "G" style cheek positions. I used the Squadron vacume form set, which doesn't work out exactly accurately, but it's about the closest I could get.