Need Color of Inside Main Landing Gear Covers for P-47D

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DarrenW

Staff Sergeant
1,226
814
Dec 24, 2017
Warren, MI USA
I'm about to start my 1/32 Revell bubble top P-47D and I need to determine the correct INSIDE color of the main landing gear covers. Not the wheel well covers but those for the landing gear legs. I've read that both zinc chromate and bare aluminum are options. Anyone know for sure? My model will be overall bare aluminum, if that makes a difference.

Also, what's the most accurate color to use for the landing gear legs themselves? This will be a model depicting a D-25 variant without the dorsal fin.
 
Thanks guys for the assistance it really helps. I think I will go with aluminum gear legs because it will look more uniform, at least to me anyway.
 
DarrenW:

I know exactly how you feel about having a factory-fresh warbird out the door. I built & super-detailed a Guillow's P-51D-25 Mustang. I posted several build threads how I detailed from total scratch: the cockpit, machine gun bay & of course the wheel well interiors.

As my research turned out, there were conflicting data on just about everything including cockpit interiors (about six different seats alone), wheel well interiors, machine gun bays & the all-aluminum finish versus the zinc. I decided to arbitrarily choose an all zinc main landing gear covers but the zinc wheel well covers were left with a wide strip of natural metal.

This model was covered in an aluminum foil system with a peel off sticky backing which resulted a true factory finish but with the caveat that the wings were not puttied with bondo & painted aluminum paint -as they left the factory- but rather the entire set of wings were highly polished as if the plane was lovingly restored by its modern-day owner.

The last two photos shows how the inner wheel well doors were zinced & left with all natural metal - just the opposite of each other. So I just mentally closed my eyes & went with the all natural metal in the center.

I've enclosed a photo to illustrate my model.

Yes, this is a Guillow's model that is usually built up in a skeletal balsa frame wrapped in tissue. I just took it to another level.
Cheers,

Gary
 

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As an anecdote:

The bullets were made from tips of cannibalized ball point pens. Gotta have imagination when there's no other source.
 

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Found this gem at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky back in Sept last when when on tour with CAF B29/B24 Squadron. This Jug is airworthy although hasn't flown since arriving at the Museum about 2 years ago.
She's a beauty !!
 

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