Hurricane Interior Colors?

[ChrisS]

Anyone?

 

TIA~

[Dave Wadman]

Hi Chris,

 

The Hurricane cockpit interior for all Marks was RAF Interior Green including the seat.

However, the tubular fuselage framework on either side of the cockpit and the angled tubes extending down and rearwards from under the cross-brace beneath the instrument panel was often left in its original doped aluminium colour (a dull aluminium colour). Similarly, the pilot's head armour was usually painted interior green also. Any of the interior of the fuselage fabric seen from inside the cockpit aft of the pilot seat would be a colour that varied from a dull reddish brown to a red oxide colour.

 

A good match for this interior green can be found in Gunze acrylic H312.

 

HTH

 

Dave

[ChrisS]

Thanks Dave!

 

Will be using Polyscale, but my local shop has both, so I'll be able to match no problem.

 

Cheers~

[R Hunt]

Chris, poloy scale has a color, Br. int. gray green #505270 that looks right on the money,

Bob

[MikeMaben]

Also, the combing over the instrument panel and the

interior canopy framing were flat black. There shouldn't

be any fabric visible inside the cockpit in that the area

from the firewall back to where the fabric portion of the

fuselage began, was made of wood. Probably doped

and primed on the inside as well, but painted British

interior green.

Mike

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...the wooden cockpit housing was often called "the doghouse".

[Dave Wadman]

Sorry Mike I don't agree.

 

The narrow coaming over the top of the instrument panel was usually left in the same colour as the external camouflage colour on the adjacent fuselage panel immediately aft of the armoured panel over the top fuselage fuel tank. The interior framing of the canopy was usually painted in RAF interior green. However, some official sources suggest that on navalised Hurricanes black may have replaced the interior green on the coaming, canopy framing and interior windscreen frame but I have yet to see any official Naval orders or painting instructions for this although some currently restored examples have these areas so painted.

 

I have here also a colour photo circa 1946 of PZ 865, the last Hurri built and the frame interior is green. Canadian produced Hurricanes may have had black applied to the interior of the framework and windscreen framing but I can't comment on these one way or another as I do not have copies of the relevant painting instructions.

 

FWIW, Amongst my Hurricane memorabilia I have surviving sections of canopy and windscreen framework from four crashed Hurri's from the B of B - none have any trace of black on the interior of the framework - all are Interior Green.

 

The removable panels on either side of the radio bay (those immediately aft of the removable duralium panels beneath the canopy rails) were fabric over wood framing (the one on the left usually having a dotted box stencilled there containing the words 'Break Here for First Aid kit'). As such and when looking down and aft behind either side of the pilot's seat of a real Hurri, the dull reddish-brown oxide colour of the interior of these panels is just visible.

 

Sources for Hurricane painting procedures noted here and in my earlier reply are taken from the relevant Hawker and Gloster painting instruction documents for the type dated 1940.

 

Regards

 

Dave

[MikeMaben]

Hi Dave, obviously you have researched this more extensively than

I have. I based my comment regarding the use of black on the interior

framing after reading that this was done for anti glare purposes. Also,

I have seen pics of cockpits where the interior framing is visible, that

definitely look black not B.I.G.

As for the combing over the instrument panel, the pics I find where

that is visible, appear to be B.I.G. not black (as I had suggested) or

the exterior camo color.

I think you would agree that there was some degree of variation of

application, what with different manufacturers, changing DTD orders

and numerous field applications, such that one could 'accurately'

model a Hurricane interior by painting the majority of the interior

B.I.G. with aluminium framing optional, B.I.G. interior canopy framing

with flat black optional. I'd paint the combing B.I.G. as well.

Mike

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...but that's just my opinion

[Dave Wadman]

Hi Mike,

 

Undoubtedly there may have been some minor variations between Hurricanes built by Hawkers & Gloster and those built in Canada. It is also possible that some Middle East Hurris may have had the interior framing to the canopy and windscreen painted black at squadron level for anti-glare purposes. It is also entirely possible that some night-fighting Hurris had the inside surfaces of the windscreen and canopy framing painted black so as not to distract the pilot's vision at night. Unfortunately I only have two good shots of the cockpit area of one of 85 Sqn's all black Hurris but the framing is clearly green although for the reasons above, some may have been black. I just don't know for certain.

 

In my collection I have numerous photos of cockpi photos taken of Hurrican Mks 1 - IV where the framing is visible (usually pilot in cockpit types of photos) and all are light suggesting green rather than black. But, as stated above - the use of black in these areas is certainly within the realms of possibility. As for the fuselage frame tubing, I have photos showing these finished in both green and dull aluminium so really for that area the choice for a particular model is up to the builder who has a 50/50 chance of being right!

 

 

Regards

 

Dave