Brewster Buffalo F2A-3 Wheel Wells

[George]

 Richard Dann and Steve Ginter's book Brewster F2A Buffalo and Export Variants seems to indicate the F2A-3 variant could either have Zinc Chromate Green or Gull Gray wheel wells and struts (except the oleo).  Most of the images are black and white and very few (if any) are color.  I'm asking because I have a Hasegawa 1/72 F2A-2 with a carrier deck I'm going to build.  Thanks. George

[Oldbaldguy]

I think you’d be pretty safe with gray wells and struts.  That’s how I painted mine.  Nobody alive today has seen an operational Buffalo on a carrier deck so there is no one to argue the point.

[George]

Hi OBG.  Thanks. It makes sense and I think only one Buffalo survived the war and it located in an air museum in Finland.

 

 

[Jim Maas]

From the Erection and Maintenance Manual for the F2A-3:

"7.33 General Exterior Finish: The entire exterior surfaces which include the fuselage, wings, tail surfaces, ailerons, flaps, cowling, tail wheel landing gear, the metal section of the canopy, etc. shall receive one coat of zinc chromate primer in detail before assembly.  After assembly these exterior surfaces shall receive two coats of non-specular light gray camouflage lacquer.  Rubber tires or parts of the airplane shall not be painted.  This lacquer shall be applied after assembly of the airplane."  The later addition of non-specular Blue-Gray was done at depot or unit level, although it may have been added at the factory for very late examples.