Bronze Green - TBM-3D Avenger

Anonymous · December 21, 2004, 8:05pm

So, I finished my Focke Wulf and decided it’s time for the Accurate Mini’s TBM-3D Avenger. I started research and noted that the instructions call out for the color “bronze green” in the cockpit. Can some one fill me in on bronze green? I haven’t seen this color called out before. (I returned to the hobby 2 years ago and I hardly call my childhood experience a “historic realism pursuit”).

I saw Humbro makes this color specific but since I like the convenience of the MM enamel bottle I like to stick to them. In short what I’m asking:

Why was this used in place on Int. Green?
How can I make this color with Testors or MM enamels?
Anything else I might want to know?

Thanks in advance,

Jamey

pingtang · December 21, 2004, 9:36pm

Here’s an extract I pulled from an article on the ipms stockholm website. Should answer any questions you have. Can’t help you on the testor’s question though.

QUOTE:
Like Zinc Chromate, the term Bronze Green is generic and describes a dark green finish obtained using oxidized bronze as a pigment. Still used today, the term is another example of a name designating a chemical composition becoming the name of a colour. Many people associate the word Bronze with red-brown colour, but this is not the case for Bronze Green. The pigment itself contains mostly Copper Carbonate, a compound responsible for the green patina often seen on old Bronze monuments.

Bronze Green-based colouring has been widely used in ceramics, producing good-looking medium and green glazes such as one shown above.
Dana Bell was the first to unveil the existence and use of these colours in Air Force Colors, Vol 1 almost twenty years ago. Although it is now generally agreed that Bronze Green was widely used for cockpits, we still cannot claim to have the answers to all the questions about Bronze Green and its successor colour - Dark Dull Green.

Bronze Green was specified as standard for U.S. Army cockpits in the late 1930s, but was also used by the Navy. Grumman and Republic seem to have used Bronze Green extensively, possibly more than other manufacturers. This may be attributed to both companies being located in the Long Island area, subcontracting paints form the same sources.

Bronze Green has been confirmed for the seats of North American P-51 Mustangs - which were probably subcontractor-supplied. Pilots’ seats and many of the internal fittings in the Boeing bombers were also painted in this colour.

Bronze Green could have been used also for forward anti-glare panels on silver aircraft. For example, Army maintenance instructions called for its use on B-18s.

hope it helps.

Anonymous · December 21, 2004, 10:01pm

Jamey,

I’m working on the same kit. I bought a bottle…can… of the Humbrol paint via Squadron. However, this link to the AM site has a mixture using Tamiya paints:

http://www.accurate-miniatures.com/builds/avenger/html/avenger001.htm

It’s not MM paints, but hope it helps.

Brian

Anonymous · December 22, 2004, 2:50am

If you can get Vallejo model air paints http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/ colour equiv chart shows 010 is interior green (uk) while 94 is zinc chromate green.
I bought some last week (010) and it looks right.

Anonymous · December 22, 2004, 6:38am

I make Bronze Green as I’ve seen it on such things as interior parts on the GE turret, as well as some of the interior components on P-47s by adding a little sea blue to interior green and it seems to match photos of the original paint. I like this color, and use the Humbrol type when I can find it, because it was quite common on WW II a/c.

mucker · December 22, 2004, 9:23am

Hammer:

I am no expert, but I recall reading that the early TBF-1’s had Bronze GReen cockpit area, but the later TBM/F 3’s had the usual Interior Green cockpit area.

Anywho, I am buidling the George Bush TBF-1 Avenger now and am happy with the Humbrol 75 Bronze Green. It may be a tad too dark, but it’s a beautiful color and contrasts wonderfully with the rest of the interior.

Those are my two cents!

hawgjetfixer · December 27, 2004, 10:59am

hey guy’s
try this website
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/01/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us.htm

Anonymous · January 2, 2005, 1:12am

For those still interested. Over the few extra days I got off of work for the holidays, I picked up the SS Walk Around book for the TBF/TBM, the author was Lou Drendel.

According to the book, the interior for Eastern-made TBM’s was FS34151 (interior green). For Grumman TBF’s FS34058 (bronze green) was used.

So that said, the link Darth Horner provided above recommends using a mix of Tamiya acrylics Blue XF 17- 75%+ Grey XF 54 25% to make bronze green. The color on the site looks pretty darn close to those shown in my newest library addition so I think it will suite most of us just fine. The conversion for these mixing colors to model master is: Sea Blue MM # 1718 & Dark Gull Gray MM # 1740.

I recommend picking up the walk around for reference. There are a lot of good color pictures, scale drawings, & captions.

Jamey