I am getting ready to start building Monogram’s 1:48 scale B-29 Bomber (as a WWII subject, not Korea). I am a little confused about the interior colors of the B-29. I have noticed that some modelers have painted the entire interior in “Dark Green”. The directions that Monogram provides instructs you to paint most of the interior in the regular Aluminum color like the outside of the aircraft, and to paint only portions of the interior walls in the dark green color.
After looking online at actual B-29 pictures, it seems that I have seen some bomb-bay areas with a natural aluminum finish, and some bomb-bays painted in dark green. Most wheel wells that I have seen, and nearly all cockpit areas that I have seen, have been painted in dark green.
Does anybody know exactly what the interior color were on this aircraft? More specifically, I am trying to determine what the actual interior colors were for the cockpit area, bomb-bay area, and wheel well areas of this aircraft. Thanks.
I did mine in “interior green” based on info I found on the net. I’m sure that it varied, like the B-17s and other “heavies” during WWII. Someone else may have some more concrete info for you, though.
Same question was asked a couple years ago in this forum. If my memory serves me correctly Interior Green was the default, however it was not uncommon that the interior of some of the B-29s were painted Medium Green or Dark Green due to a shortage of Interior Green.
I had two family members on B-29s. One was a Navigator with the 497th (The same bomb group as Col. Morgan, Memphis Belle fame), 870th Bomb Squadron out of Saipan. He was killed over Tokyo on January 27, 1945. One of the more “black days” for the 73rd Bomb Wing. I’m not sure what his had.
My other uncle was a tail gunner in -29s’ over Korea. Said that he recalled them having a Zinc Chromate, or a dark green for the interior, and a natural metal in the bomb bay.
Sorry, that’s all the info that I have. If you want a specific B-29, you can build one of my uncle that was with the 497th. i have my web site, if you want to refer to it http://www.geocities.com/b29werewolf870/werewolf.html and
Thanks for all the help everyone, and thanks for the great pics and links that several of you provided. I think I will end up painting the compartment interiors in the dark green color, and then paint the bomb bay in the regular metal finish of the plane. I may change my mind before I get to that point, and go ahead and paint everything dark green
hey there, i have a difinitive color for the cockpit &crew areas its called “bronze green” and its available from humbrol in enamel form. to see what it looks like up close check out squadron & signals b-17 walk around or watch the movie “memphis belle” i can only venture a guess on the bomb bay but it probably depended on the production location and run (production block, i.e. b-29a-15-bo) hope this helps! dave
