After reading the most recent issue describing the building of an Avenger and having done some reading on various WW2 U.S. aircraft, have a question on interior colors. Specifically wheel wells and cowling of US Navy aircraft. What source is there that notes that they were Yellow Zinc Chromate or interior green? Did the US Navy have a systematic program in painting, specifically wheel wells, landing gear? Or was it more haphazzard at the time?
When you look at the pictures in the recent issue on the Avenger, the author, while not specifically noted, painted the wheel wells white like the aircraft underside. And in reading various reference books and looking at pictures, the wheel well (including struts) colors suggest variations over the war years. Have seen pictures where the aircraft are overall gloss sea blue including the landing gear and maybe the wheel wells and interior doors are also sea blue.
There were indeed variations. Sometimes by manufacturer. This was often with secondary contract builders, like GM or Ford when they built aircraft. I think maybe that would be a good article for FSM if they can find someone able to write it.
USN WWI aircraft usually had the wheel wells and landing gear painted to match the adjacent areas. So light gray on the early war Blue Gray/ Light Gray scheme, White on the mid to late war Tri Color schemes, and Sea Blue on the late war scheme. But… there’s usually a but… due to sub contractors and parts being stocked for long running production, it was not unusual to see previous color scheme parts like wheel hubs on new production aircraft due to overlaps. So white wheel hubs on overall gloss sea blue aircraft, or light gray or blue gray hubs on tri color scheme aircraft. Your best bet is to try and find photos of the aircraft you’re actually modeling.
Also, wing fold areas are usually painted in an exterior color, not interior green or zinc chromate. Period photos prove this is the rule, not the exception.
Thats a dirty white in the photo below, not zinc chrimate or interior green.
A good exception to the adjacent external colors being used in the wing folds and landing gear areas- the SB2C Helldiver. Interior Green in those areas, as well as the bomb bay
JCM, you might find all the good responses to your original question a bit confusing. There were rules; but the manufactures bent the rules, as needed, to get the job done. The real answer is to track down a photo of your plane that shows its colors. Without an original photo you can be creative; or you can stick with the standard which it should be! I is your model.
