Exactly how shiny was the natural metal in actual combat?
When the ships came off the Factory line the NM finish was dulled from the workers crawling all over it. But to answer your question, w/ the elimates of weather, maintanence crews and flying, they rapidly became dull.
However they still had a little sheen to em…!! Here are a few pix that gives an over idea on how they look.
Flaps up,
Mike
Rangers Lead The Way
I suppose it all boils down to the aircrafts age and environment. Un-painted factory fresh aircraft would be generally rather shiny. However, unprotected aluminum would weather/oxidize fairly quickly. How quickly would depend mostly on the weather, flight conditions, and general maintenence. Therefore most unpainted planes that saw combat probably became dull rapidly. Check your references.
Cheers…Jerry
Whats the best way to replicate this in 1/48 scale?
Well now that’s the million dollar question. A natural metal finish is one of the most talked about subjects in modeling aircraft and arguably the most difficult to acheive. There are many products available for you to try. There are the foils, SNJ powders, Talon acrylics, Floquil silver, Tamiya silvers, and everybody’s favorite Alclad II. I’m sure there are more. All of these will give you a good looking model. I guess it comes down to personal preference. Most guys will agree, the Alclad shades will do just about anything you want.
good luck…Jerry
Mate,
Aluminium corrodes very quickly when exposed to oxygen - creating a dull protective layer of aluminium oxide (which protects the underlying surface from further corrosion) - this layer eventually dulls the alloy sheet to a very light silvery grey, very non-reflective finish.
WWll a/c were nothing more than tools - they weren’t the priceless artifacts we consider them to be today, and as such, there wasn’t often a great deal of effort expended on buffing the heck out of them to make them all pretty and shiny.Besides, it’s easier to see a flash of sunlight off of a mirror finish at 5 miles than it is a dull finish…but they certainly weren’t neglected.
That’s not to say it DIDN’T happen…I’ve seen pics of polished NMF P-51B’s and P-47’s that you could comb your hair in…
As has already been said, photo references are your best bet - not always easy to interpret, but there are lots of photos out there to take a peek at.
Also, be aware that very often, what would be mistaken for a NMF is in fact silver paint, usually lacquer, in particular on large aircraft. The clue to this is an even tone. Again, it’s a good idea to ask around.