colors of P51D landing gears bay?

[aurelien wolff]

Hello, what are the colors for them? I ask because I've seen multiple possibilities looking for it online and it is a bit confusing to me, some go for zynnc chromate green while other for amore yellowish color.

some of my eduard and my raf heller will be in flight but other won't, hence I'm asking, thanks for your answers!

 

[fubar57]

I had.....had a bookmark that explained the time-line of the wheel well colours; originally just silver colour with spar in YZC, then they added YZC to the stringers and finally everything got coated. This had to do with finding out the aircraft were lasting longer and corrosion was starting to take hold. I think the stringers started to get coated with the P-51D-5. I'll see if I can find it again

 

[fubar57]

A bit of reading here with Dana Bell.... HyperScale Forums-P-51 wheel well color question.

 

[Wurger]

The wheel bay colours have been discussed so may times that it is difficult to say.

But being serous ... according to the TO No. 30 -1-2-H ...

"Primer, Zinc Chromate - A semi-transparent, greenish-yellow liquid of zinc chromate base, thinned with toluol, very generally used as a primer on aircraft metal surfaces. Because it dries quickly, coats of lacquer, enamel, etc., can be applied on top of it within a few minutes, though it is best to allow the primer to set for a few hours."

The "tinted" means the mixture with a black colour.
Zinc Chromate Primer type 1 ( untinted ) - Yellow FS 33481
Zinc Chromate Primer type 2 ( tinted ) - Green FS 34258

the pic source: the net.

 

[Crimea_River]

I have 4 pages of notes on wheel well finishes taken from various websites. Basically, it's as Geo described above so it depends on the model of Mustang you are depicting and when and where it was made. Here's another link with a good description, though the picture links are dead. Missouri Armada P-51D Mustang: documents and partial scratch from the Tamiya 1/48 kit. Scroll to the John Terrel post dated March 5 2018

 

[Weizenbrot]

I believe some of today's restored aircraft were repainted with current paintings based on current aerospace standards, for example, the more bright zinc chromate color in the pictures you post. They may show different tunes with historical pictures. I agree with others' ideas of referring to war time manuals and pictures for accurate historic details.

 

[special ed]

If I may throw out a comment - back when I was an avid plastic builder as well as control line balsa flying scale, I was in USAF Reserve. One drill in 1965 just before a major inspection, it was announced that supply had too many spray cans of Zinc Chromate. Those of you ex military know too much inventory will gig you same as a shortage. I was among those rushing to supply to help Sgt. M.... and was able to get six cans. They have sprayed interiors of plastic & balsa models.
See below the three remaining cans, one of which sprayed the color card today.

The amazing thing is that all three cans still spray. Although the color card was done in the bright sun, to my eyes, the actual shade may be very slightly more greenish.
The company supplying was:
LHB Industries, Berkeley, Mo. 63134
description: Primer Coating, Zinc Chromate, Type II (aerosol)
Y-Yellow
My notations on the cans showed working 1996, 2024,2025 as well as today. When those at my old scale club would object to my interior color, I would produce the actual cans used by the 926th Troop Carrier Sq.
I have also mentioned in another thread, when we painted the C-119, the blue stripe between the white top and natural metal sides on at least two aircraft had blue mixed with underside gray because we ran out of blue. I would have defied anyone to find which planes they were on the ramp. The fascination with the exact color is a waste of time unless the model depicts the full scale bird as it rolled out of the factory.
rant over
ed

 

[Micetro]

It is probably a bit of an open book this subject because as you find with all US machines built during that time it depended on which sub-contractor made each component and which tint of Zinc Chromate they used at the time. I've seen all kinds of shades on New Old Stock parts from that time so you couldn't really say what is 100% accurate.

Tom