Lothar Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 (edited) I have started reworking the Trumpy 1/32 A-6A cockpit and am wondering if FS36231 would in fact be the correct color for the interior. OK, it's said everywhere that this color is correct, but I've looked over dozens and dozens of pictures of Navy and Marine jet cockpits, but I just can't make friends with FS36231. To me these pics showed a lighter color with a blue hue in variations, not the dark grey that - for example - Gunze provides. What's your opinion? BTW, here's the cockpit (what you see is Mr. Surfacer)- I know there's a lot of guess work with the detail involved, but hey, once the seats are installed not too much can be seen: Edited June 21, 2016 by Lothar Zero77 and allthumbs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggyfoos Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 As far as I know it is right. To my eye, the A-6 cockpit grey looks the same as the F-14 and F/A-18 grey. In the kit cockpit photo, from how it displays on my computer at least, that grey actually looks pretty light rather than "dark" grey. Lothar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lothar Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 You're right, what you see is Mr. Surfacer - I've corrected my post. Lothar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsahling1 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 It's correct, now some people use Light Ghost Grey (FS 36375) d/t the issue you mention about it not looking right. I assume its a combination of scale effect and fading in the sun after years at sea. You can always use a diluted white to add some fading and highlighting effects to the cockpit. Lothar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 (edited) I had exactly the same concern when i had to paint my F-15E cockpit. http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=54789 The Gunze FS36231 looked too dark for me. If i remember correctly, i repainted it 3 times and finally ended with Tamiya XF-19 (not sure, though...) which was my first attempt. XF-19 looks about the same than Gunze's 36231, but a bit lighter. The grey is very changing depending of the lighting, angle, background color, blue or cloudy sky.... That's why i think almost every reference picture show different colors, whereas they are actually the same. Look at this picture, it's my F-15E cockpit. It's all painted with the same color, at the same time. However, the floor and sidewalls obviously look different than the rear bulkhead. yet they are the same color : If you want to check other pictures to compare : http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=47075&page=3 Edited June 22, 2016 by Zero77 David66 and Lothar 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phasephantomphixer Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 And though not a tint, some cockpits are FS 2 series, or satin, not flat. Like the A-10 for instance. allthumbs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Williams Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 FS36231 has been the official US cockpit color for decades. Why it looks different on a model could be due to any number of factors, such as lighting in photos, variations in model paints, or scale effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andromeda673 Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 it's the right color, I had to triple check about three times when I built my 1/72 Tamiya Viper.........like others have mentioned it's been the official cockpit color for decades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEH737 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 To tag onto what Jennings said. It's never all one or another. It's multiple combinations of years of use, repaints, repairs, spills, leaks - on and on. In my 35 years of military / airline flying, I've seen every possible combination from decades old, to being on the line for only a week. One thing that many, many modelers over-do (in my opinion) - is the way too liberal over-use of Christmas tree colors. Here's some pictures of my old T-33 taken in 1986 showing all manner of use and wear. It's not about getting the exact color right - close is certainly good enough. It's about giving it the "lived in look". Not ready to be scrapped - but the work horses they are. One of my first surprises was when I was flying an A-10 that had just come back from full Depot overhaul - and the cockpit looked liked crap - it really surprised me. They fix what's wrong with it - and that's it - they're not concerned about making it pretty. allthumbs, Lothar and Darren Howie 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Howie Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Yep to add to Jennings post and GEH737's in 31 years of flying I have never seen an aeroplane have work done on cockpit painting. A glareshueld may get some heavy scratching touched up "if" the silver reflections get snagged as causing a problem. Otherwise they just get dirtier, more worn and more dusty over time. Lothar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phasephantomphixer Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Although, "Crew Chief pride" can go a long way IF one takes the time (or should say, finds the time). At George AFB. some (either bored out of the barracks, or married and getting a break?) would even polish the Turkey Feathers or paint the tire letters white. They would take time to clean up and touch up both "Crew Stations" Lothar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iaf-man Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 The most worn parts in any cockpit are the floor in front of the pedals, cockpit top wall(where it meets the canopy seal),at the crew entry side and around the most used instruments/equipment,like radios,nav,armament, ej.seat. The most touched up cockpits are of the all black-night vision type. Every scuff on instrument panels,which have lighting is periodically touched up by brush w.black paint,to prevent light escape-blinding the crew Isaac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 It's all just machinery, but there's nothing wrong with the "factory fresh" look either. One if the things that always amazed me was how crappy the F-4 or F-111 looked torn apart during deep overhauls but how utterly smart, by comparison, they looked when everything was back in place. Seat straps and so forth looked new - and often were. But those with OCD cleaning habits should never have gone near them, and seldom did. (Lots of blokes with big boots etc). Mostly what I remember is a kind of "dust" or crud that made black panels look dark grey. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I mostly use 36375 for my cockpits as well - it's a scale thing IMO. 36231 looks too dark, even if it's the correct colour - don't forget there isn't much light in a cockpit, even in a large scale one. Whatever shade you use, it will always appear darker than it really is. Lothar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A340 Pilot Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 IIRC, the P-47N's were initially Dull Dark Green but post-war repainted black. Also, Our (Scandinavian Airlines) MD-80's were initially delivered With the Douglas turquoise from the DC-9. When SAS converted the first 18 that were delivered into glass cockpits, the color was changed to a light brownish gray. So yes, Jennings, it has happened. Stein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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