George Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 Gents: I am not 100% sure about cockpit color. I have seen P-40B color images from Flick-r which may indicate it was "yellow-green." I don't know it is more yellow than green or mix. I was advised it was halfway between FS 34258 and FS 34259. I also was advised it was 10 parts ZYC, 1 part lamp black and .25 aluminum paste which tells me it is more yellow. Also, were the "scallops" (underneath the plexiglass) aft of the cockpit painted the exterior color (Dark Olive Drab 41) or the cockpit color? I ask because I have 1/24 P-40B project. Thanks. I would love to know your thoughts on the matter. Thanks, George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furie Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, George said: Also, were the "scallops" (underneath the plexiglass) aft of the cockpit painted the exterior color (Dark Olive Drab 41) or the cockpit color? The "scallops" were painted the same colour as the exterior of the aircraft, just like camouflage. Asisbiz Curtiss Hawk-81A Tomahawk photo gallery Edited November 21, 2023 by Furie LSP_K2, phasephantomphixer, Uncarina and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted November 21, 2023 Author Share Posted November 21, 2023 Thanks. This is perfect! Happy Thanksgiving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 I looked at a color image of a Curtiss Owl O-52 cockpit from the National Museum of the US Air Force. It's yellow-green in color leaning more towards yellow. I bet dollars to donuts this is probably the same or approximate color standard of the P-40B cockpit. We can learn from other Curtiss early WW2 aircraft. phasephantomphixer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAG Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Hey, George I'm inclined to agree with you, "Curtiss Green" tended towards the yellow with some brownish undertones, I'd almost call it an ocher (depending on the lighting, of course). LIFE Magazine actually did a full-color story on the Curtiss factory back in the summer of '41, so prior to Pearl Harbor, and you can see the full set of photos on Inch High Guy's blog, here's part I, part II, and part III. Meanwhile, here's a few choice samples that showcase the cockpit color in early Warhawks. This is a little overexposed by the glaring flash they used, but shows the yellow-brownish cast of Curtiss Green to good effect. Some more from the LIFE story: Note the color of the cockpit in daylight, as opposed to factory lights and a giant flash. Also cool to see the differences in flying gear, betting these fellas are civilian pilots hired by Curtiss who are all wearing their own personal duds. These hubcaps were painted in the same color as the cockpit, really shows off how much browner Curtiss Green was compared to most other versions of Interior Green. Here's another period color shot that's not from the LIFE series, the armor plate is painted in a darker green (IG possibly?) but the rest of the cockpit is clearly Curtiss Green. As for the scallops, as @Furie mentioned above, they were considered an exterior surface and thus painted in exterior colors. The windows were easily removed, so repaints usually adhered to the same principle. One thing to remember about early P-40's is that scallop on the port side had two filler ports, the forward one (painted red) being for fuel and the rear one (painted black?) for the oil tank, which led to some pretty wild leakage stains. It's a pretty cool weathering detail to add to your early P-40 that most modelers miss. AVG in China, note the giant fuel and oil stains under the rear filler ports, also the back of the prop blades scuffed back to bare metal from the dirt and rocks of their primitive airfields. They even leaked while still at the factory! Good luck with your build, post some photos if you can. Cheers, - Thomaz dennismcc, John1, rafju and 9 others 10 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phasephantomphixer Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Great stuff guys - P-40's weren't top performers, but top in coolness! Always loved them. They just have the fighter look. The old Revell kit is what got me going in 1/32 really. MikeMaben and allthumbs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennismcc Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Great photos, now I am confused about what to build, AVG or Pearl harbour defender both are very attractive looking machines. Cheers Dennis MikeC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 Hi Dennis. I recommend building the P-40B (Pearl Harbor Defender). For inspiration, watch these clip from Tora, Tora, Tora. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohnoNnz8xEE dennismcc and phasephantomphixer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 Gunze's H58 is good approximation for "Curtiss Cockpit Green." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMaben Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 hth rafju, George, TAG and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 On 1/13/2024 at 2:28 AM, phasephantomphixer said: Great stuff guys - P-40's weren't top performers, but top in coolness! Always loved them. They just have the fighter look. The old Revell kit is what got me going in 1/32 really. For me it was the A6M Zero kit, though I eventually ended up with the P-40 and others as well. phasephantomphixer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phasephantomphixer Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 On 1/13/2024 at 2:37 AM, dennismcc said: Great photos, now I am confused about what to build, AVG or Pearl harbour defender both are very attractive looking machines. Cheers Dennis What may help you decide is PH one would've been very clean and new whereas the FT would be sun baked, weathered and worn. thierry laurent 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 The PH Defender is nice! Try it in 1/24 scale! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dpgsbody55 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 One thing to consider with Curtiss aircraft is that their adherence to official colour guides were best described as "loose". If they were low on stock, it wasn't uncommon to source them locally to a rough approximation of the required shade or colour. Cheers, Michael thierry laurent, Uncarina and George 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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