P-61 colour

[hayaman]

Hallo-since lots of people has built it i wonder if any1 has found the exact interior colour-mind you it is NOT the usual int. green,it was called Northrop Interior Green and it was darker and duller than the normal int.green-any help apreciated,cheers

[Derek B]

Yiorgos,

 

This ma help (extract taken from the 'Widow's web' site):

"Here is some information about the colors used for the P-61.


The interior of the P-61 was NOT zinc chromate. the following is from the book "DARKLY DANGEROUS" by Frederick A. Johnsen. The author's father, Carl M. Johnson, worked in lofting for Northrop. "All exposed interior surfaces of the gunner's, pilot's and radio operator's compartments shall be finished with Northrop Cockpit Green (12 oz. of black camouflage enamel AAF 14109 to one gallon of zinc chromate primer Spec.No. AN-TT-P-656). this includes the seats and all other interior parts and surfaces except the instrument panels which will be dull black. Interior surfaces visible from the exterior shall be finished with one coat of dull enamel, AAF Spec.No. 14109 to match exterior surfaces. All unexposed interior surfaces of the gunner's, pilot's and radio operator's compartments, as between the flooring and the crew nacelle bottom, shall be coated with zinc chromate primer only, Spec.No. AN-TT-P-656. All exposed interior surfaces and parts of the turret compartment shall be finished with two coats of darkened (yellow-green) primer, Spec.No. 3-100-I. Unexposed interior surfaces of the turret compartment shall be finished with zinc chromate primer, Spec.No. AN-TT-P-656. All interior surfaces of the cannon compartment shall be finished with two coats of darkened primer (yellow-green), Spec.No.3-100-I." Your best bet for the interior color is Testor's Model Master Interior Green. See the next paragraph below for the ENTIRE airplane painting instructions.


And here is some more.


PAINTING THE P-61A The archetypal Black Widow was gloss black overall, with red numbering and lettering, and blue and white national insignia. But other paint schemes were tried. Prototypes flown for stateside tests often were natural metal, sometimes with yellow cowlings. Early night camouflage attempts included dull black paint, but the high-gloss paint was found, in tests, to reflect rather than disperse searchlight beams, making it difficult for ground observers to detect when the beam was on the glossy plane. Early P-61As were finished in olive drab upper surfaces with gray undersides before the characteristic gloss black was mandated. From July to September 1943, the national insignia was outlined in red. This scheme showed up on some of the camouflaged olive and gray P-61As being built during that time period. After that time, the insignia was surrounded in the same dark blue as the field around the star. The Erection and Maintenance tech order-- the "Dash Two" manual-- for early P-61A aircraft specifies the following painting requirements for olive and gray P-61s: "All aluminum and aluminum alloy surfaces shall be coated with two coats of zinc chromate primer, Spec.No. AN-TT-P-656, before receiving final paint finish, except when darkened zinc chromate primer is final finish, in which case darkened prime may be applied as a preliminary coat. no touch-up of primer is required prior to painting exterior finish." "Insignias, numerals and markings shall conform to customer's requirements and engineering drawings. Diameter of all cocarde circles shall be 25 inches. Decalsomanias or rubber (insoluble ink) stamps may be used for markings. All lettering shall be in insignia dull red, including radio call letters, shade No. 45 AAF bulletin No.41-A." "Fabric covered surfaces shall be doped with clear nitrate dope and camouflage dope until desired tautness is obtained. the following doping procedure shall be followed for all fabric surfaces: Three or more coats of clear nitrate dope by hand brush, Spec.No. AN-TT-D-514, and three or more coats by spray. One or more coats of pigmented dope, AAF Spec.No. 14106, No. 41 or 43 camouflaged dope to match surfaces as per AAF bulletin No. 41-A." "All upper surfaces shall be camouflaged with one coat of dark olive enamel, AAF Spec.No. 14109 and all under surfaces shall be camouflaged with one coat of neutral gray, shade 43 (AAF 14109)." "Insignia colors shall be dull finish and equivalent to the following shades: Insignia White AAF 14109-A No. 46; Insignia Blue AAF 14109-A No. 47." "Landing gear assemblies shall be left unpainted. No camouflage finish is required on the interior surfaces of the wheel wells."

I have tried this mixing this Northrop 'cockpit green' colour, to the same proportions, using Humbrol authentic zinc chromate yellow and matt black enamal paints...it comes out quite dark, almost a bronze green in colour. The above information is a useful guide to how most US manufacturers applied their interior colours (or, at least, their own interperation of it!).

HTH (or maybe not!)

Derek

Edited January 28, 2015 by Derek B

[hayaman]

Thanks mate,from pics of the now restored Guinea found 1,the colour is dark indeed,i ll try the mix