45th FS, 15th FG P-40N Camouflage/Distemper

[Le Lapin Mal]

 

Does anyone have any information on what these planes were painted?

I've seen so many different interpretations, but looking at the pictures this is an over-paint or distemper and you can see dark paint under this colour on leading edges etc.

But this paint appears to be lighter that the Khaki pants worn by the crew and there is a credible case to be made that there is no different under colour.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Le Lapin Mal

[dodgem37]

One variation:

http://www.hsgalleries.com/gallery04/p40nlc_1.htm

 

May be of help:

http://modelingmadness.com/scott/allies/previews/has/09088preview.htm

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[Le Lapin Mal]

Thanks Dodgem...Sand...hmmm.

[Kagemusha]

It's a real pity no one has done decals for it

 

[D.B. Andrus]

This is what I have on these P-40's:

 

Upper Surfaces:  Corps of Engineers, Sand No. 3, Supplement B to No. T1213, September, 1942. (my WW II sample is substantially lighter and yellower than ANA Sand 49)

 

Under Surfaces:  Pale blue made by mixing Insignia White with a small amount of Insignia Blue. 

 

IIRC, this information came from Dana Bell.

 

HTH,

 

D.B.

Edited July 25, 2015 by D.B. Andrus

[Le Lapin Mal]

Firstly, my thanks to Dodgem37, Kagemusha - gorgeous artwork and DB.

When I saw the profile, it did jibe with the photo I posted at the beginning, there seems to be absolutely no break in colour at all.

So it looked likely that despite the information to the contrary, these birds were standard OD P-40N's over-painted with a single colour on upper and lower surfaces.

 

But then DB wrote this...

IIRC, this information came from Dana Bell.

 

If Dana Bell is saying the undersides are painted a mixed blue, this isn't evidence that can be ignored...certainly not by a neophyte like me.

So, I went to Photoshop and ran some colour samples of "Sand" or similar colours with from the left under surfaces in Neutral Grey on the left, Insignia Blue mix at 1 in 5 in the middle and 1 in 4 on the right.

Being an idiot, I used Sand 26 in the first and third upper squares...  

The sole aim of being able to lose the colour boundary between upper and lower surface when I converted to Black and White, which is the next row down.

I then remembered that a lot of photographers used yellow filters for B and W film so ran the same exercise with the bottom row using a yellow filter.

 

In the middle row, Sand (Desert Sand), FS 30279 over Neutral Grey, (all highlighted in red) is the only combination of colours that loses that boundary and becomes a common grey shade.

If you use a yellow filter though, QM Sand 26 (Hex Value B77044) fades the same way (again highlighted in red.)  This is my personal favourite option now.

The surprise for me though was using a yellow filter on Earth Yellow FS 30257 over a 1 in 4 Insignia Blue mix (highlighted in red bottom right), if you look at the picture in Kagemushas post, there seems to be a slight variation at the lower panel line.  This could be what the bottom right swatch shows, but the chart in general shows that despite the evidence in the picture at the start, two colours are quite possible.

 

Any thoughts from anyone?

 

Edited July 25, 2015 by Le Lapin Mal

[D.B. Andrus]

LLM

 

Here are a few shots of other a/c in the squadron:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Am inclined to go with Sand & Blue, myself.

 

I'll compare my CoE Sand chip to 595b and see what's close.

 

Cheers,

 

D.B.

 

 

 

 

 

[D.B. Andrus]

Corps of Engineers No. 3 Sand has only slightly more yellow than FS 30475. A very close match. 

 

 

It looks to me the pale blue is a bit darker in value than the sand. Considering the vagaries of monitors your results may vary, of course.

 

D.B.

[dodgem37]

I believe the blue is Azure Blue.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[LSP_K2]

Beautiful profile art, Kag, mind if I ask where it comes from?

[Le Lapin Mal]

Corps of Engineers No. 3 Sand has only slightly more yellow than FS 30475. A very close match. 

 

It looks to me the pale blue is a bit darker in value than the sand. Considering the vagaries of monitors your results may vary, of course.

 

D.B.

Well I think you are right.

I just did the FS colour mentioned by you with an Insignia Blue mix at 1 in 3.

When run through black and white and with a yellow filter, you get this:

Again, almost no difference between the upper and lower surfaces.

It convinces me DB, how about everyone else?

[Kagemusha]

Beautiful profile art, Kag, mind if I ask where it comes from?

 

It's from this book

 

http://www.amazon.com/Profile-Hanger-No-1-Thierry-Dekker/dp/295414050X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437925010&sr=1-2

[LSP_K2]

It's from this book

 

http://www.amazon.com/Profile-Hanger-No-1-Thierry-Dekker/dp/295414050X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437925010&sr=1-2

 

OK, thanks.