I am trying to build a P-51B that has an unpainted fabric control surface. I am not sure what color the raw fabric would be. My guess is that the fabric has been coated with clear dope. Would anyone know what color the fabric would be before painted with tinted dope?
Thank you for any info you may offer!
I recently finished a GB of WW1 aircraft. The fabric was linen, and a lot of the guys got good results with MM “Radome Tan” or Humbrol “Linen”. Preshading the inner structure looked good as well.
What kinf of fabric was the rudder and elevators? I don’t know, cotton or linen?
Originally most aircraft fabric was linen. However, in the US there was some use of cotton for fabric. I think a B Mustang is too early for Ceconite and most synthetic fabrics. I am under impression these were developed during the war but not sure if any were actually used during the war.
Linen is an off-white. I find Testors Sand color does a fair job representing linen. I remember when my Dad re-covered a plane in cotton. It was PURE white!
Looking at a couple period color photos, they appear to be some sort of yellow zinc chromate primer even if the surrounding airframe areas are bare metal. I dont know if they were delivered from a sub contractorin that condition or made at the main factory.
Here are a couple great examples. Perhaps there was some Army Air Force manufacturing specification about this?
Most likely mercerized cotton. I am surprised to see the yellowish color on the P-40’s. Silver dope would be a more common finish for the parts to be in when they leave the doping shop. A layer of aluminum dope is always applied over the initial clear dope to prevent UV rays from causing rapid deterioration of the fabric, and would bet dollars to donuts that there is silver under the yellow on those P-40’s. When I was in A & E school in the mid sixties we never heard the word ceconite, but shortly after a lot of synthetics were coming into use, my favorite name was Razorback, but it was not around long.
And on this P-51 also… two different aircraft manufacturing plants/companies on opposite sides of the country. North American Aviation in Inglewood California, and Curtiss Aircraft in Buffalo New York. Which one would surmise that both companies are not using the same local sub contractor to produce fabric control surfaces, and are instead following some AAF specification. Since we have two different companies involved.
