BF2C Colors and Tips

[Planeguy88]

I'm building the 1/32 scale kit from Hasegawa and using aftermarket decals.  There are several panels on the underside of the upper wings and I'm wondering if they should be a different color than the doped silver.  Also wondering if the panels that the struts and cabanas fit into should be something other than doped silver.  I suspect those were metal panels/structures and would be the same color used for the metal part of the fuselage.  There's quite a few of these frames/panels and I can't find any references.  Some of the builds here show either they are all painted doped silver or a few but not all are fuselage color.

 

Am also wondering what the fuselage color should be.  I have access to Tamiya, Testors, and Model Masters.  I plan to use MM 1731, Aircraft Gray (FS1643) for the metal portions.  Not sure if that's the right one, or if there's something better.  I used this on the 1/32 F4-B, so if there's something else that would be accurate to be a little different I'd be interested.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Paul

[Dana Bell]

Hi Paul,

 

At the time the BF2C was first operational, the Bureau of Aeronautics was dead set against finishes of pigmented lacquers or dopes -- all finish coats were to be pigmented enamels.  Since aluminum-pigmented enamels adhered poorly to metal primers, BuAer ordered the use of Aircraft Gray enamel on metal surfaces.  (The Orange-Yellow enamels were doing just fine on metal and fabric surfaces.)  So, your answer should be Aircraft Gray on all metal surfaces and aluminum enamel on fabric surfaces.

 

That said, all the 1935 photos of BF2Cs seem to show more of a glow on the metal surfaces than I'm used to for Aircraft Gray.  Digging a bit deeper, I found a January 1933 document allowing Curtiss to apply an experimental aluminum enamel in lieu of Aircraft Gray enamel to the metal surfaces of their F11C-2s.  Since the balance of the F11C-2 contract was subsequently revised to cover F11C-3s (later redesignated BF2C-1s), I'll presume the contract continued to allow Curtiss to apply that metallic enamel on metal surfaces.

 

That's a big assumption on my part, but (not having access to the F11C-3 contract) that's what I think we're seeing here.  You would still need to mask and spray two colors, since the experimental aluminum enamel was clearly different than the aluminum enamel used on the fabric surfaces.

 

Eventually BuAer learned to accept pigmented-dope and -lacquer finishes, but that would begin in late 1936 and 1937, well after the BF2C had been taken out of service.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

[Planeguy88]

Thanks Dana!  Very helpful -- sorry it took so long to respond.  It's been busy and I haven't had time to check up on things.  Looks like I have a choice of either aircraft gray or "experimental" aluminum metallic enamel for the metal parts...hmmmm...probably no exact match for either experimental enamel or the normal aluminum enamel in the hobby paints I have access to....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by Planeguy88