Hi guys! I’m working on the Revellogram P-39 with the grey bottom and the dark earth and green topside. The instructions call for the gear struts to be white. Can this be correct? I’m not even sure if it should be left in a natural metal state or if it should match the shade of the underside.
Help! and thanks in advance,
Eric
According to the In Detail and Scale volume on the P-39, the struts should be Bell green or steel. Good luck!
Thanks Wolf! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a p-39 with green gear struts so I think I’ll go with the steel color.
Eric
edit: Of course now that I’ve asked the question, I’m just now finding pics of the green landing gear. I just earned my “a-DERRRR!” patch.
Is that the venerable 1/48 Monogram P-400/P-39D? Are you going do a P-400; or a 20mm or 37mm D model? The landing gear is the Bell bronze (very dark) green, as is the turtle deck. The Pioneer Air Museum here in Fairbanks has a couple of Russian Lend Lease carcasses on display, as the Russians pranged quite a few P-39/63’s all over Alaska.
Richs26,
Yep! That’s the one! I just can’t get enough of those Monogram kits. Gotta love 'em. The one I’m doing in particular is the one as shown on the box art: Hell’s Bells. My knowledge of the P-39 is very limited at best but I believe this is supposed to be the P-400 variant.
Speaking of which, since this is a P-400 which was supposed to go to England, does anyone think the camoflage demarcations should be sharp or feathered?
Thanks!
Eric
The demarcations seem to be sharp from photos of the Airacobra I’s shipped to England. Wiki used to have a color photo of a Cobra I, but don’t anymore. Use Google Images to find them. Here is a photo of 67th FS P-400’s being assembled in New Caledonia circa Apr/May 42:
For a good story of the 67th FS, read Martin Caidin’s “The Ragged, Rugged Warriors”.
richs26, can you give me permission to view the photo in your BlogSpot?
My understanding was that undercarriage struts were painted Bell green, however repaints did occur. I have a photo of one of the Australian ones, which, when it’s underside was repainted sky, also had its undercarriage repainted the same colour. Myself, I would try to find a suitable photo of the specific aircraft you are trying to model, and failing that, assume Bell green as the default
Regardless of the color of the strut itself, if you want to detail it well, the oleo area (next to the scissors (acute triangle thing) should be a polished metal. A gloss silver or chrome paint works well here. I have not tried my new chrome pen (just got it in mail) yet for this, but I will be trying that on next plane kit.
Just for reference Bell Green is almost a dead match with Tamiya’s NATO Green.
Its not a perfect match but looks great on a model.
Sorry, I don’t have access to it any more. Contact Nick Millman at his blogspot to get an invitation for access.