The landing gear bay colour on a gloss sea blue FM-2 would be ...?
The Sword instructions call for white but that seems based on restored examples. F4F's and FM-1's seem to have been a light grey. Would that have continued for FM-2 production? Could it have been interior green? Yellow zinc chromate?
By the way, what do we call USN guys, Swaffins or Naxperten?

At least the lower portion. The upper part appears to be white or light gray.

Going through Detail and Scale it concurs with that combination.

I think you're talking about the landing gear itself. I'm looking for the interior colour of that whole gaping maw between the cockpit and the engine. Thanks.

at least that is what William Reece (a USN aircraft research indicates).

But then again I'm learning that Eastern Aircraft had very different ideas of painting. The tri-color scheme seems to be quite unorthodox.



There is no such thing as an unbuildable kit, just some kits one may consider not worth building.

Eastern aircraft, being a GMC stepchild and originally an automotive undertaking would bring its own habits to the industry. What do we know about their interiors (non-cockpit) in the TBM's they produced? It could give us a clue about their Wildcat production.
All that being said, I will be able to sleep at night if we find out that I got it wrong.

It is good to see that I am not the only one to have this question in mind as I am currently working on the HB FM2 with the magnificent Vector resin set (Sergey, some indications on the notice for painting would be welcome!). Despite three good books on the subject , Aerodetail, Detail and scale, Wildcat walk around; I still have no sure answer! Modeldad to the rescue please!

scheme may have used some graded tone applications, judging by the blotchy effect seen on the cowls and aft fuselages....

There is no such thing as an unbuildable kit, just some kits one may consider not worth building.

I noticed that too.

Also, i'm not 100% authoritative on this, but i'm still convinced that Goodyear had its own ideas about the three-tone scheme on Corsairs.

In any case a paint scheme you can have a lot of fun with, provided you are good with an airbrush.

FWIW,

david, Quasi-Swaffin.

look like a standard intermediate blue application, they are very narrow in height and look kinda hazy...perhaps graded tone???

He say Interior Green for the whole FM-2 airplane.

Joe

Average Modeler and Builder of legacy kits Beyond the Pale

all joking aside. The cockpit was clearly IG. But there is that vast open space and the wheel wells.



There is no such thing as an unbuildable kit, just some kits one may consider not worth building.

If I had, would I ever have seen an unrestored FM-2?

IPMS Stockholm.org

"Interior Colors of US Aircraft, 1941-1945"

Part III US Navy Interior colors
"General Motors-produced FM-1 and FM-2s had a standardized interior finsish of Interior Green from the inside of the cowling all the way back, including the undercarriage struts."

I misspoke the author, who is cited as Martim Waligorski.

Given GM's wholesale replacement of a variety of Grumman interior colors with Interior Green for Avenger as well as the Wildcat, this all-IG scheme seems rational.

Average Modeler and Builder of legacy kits Beyond the Pale

was light gray or white on the fire wall and gear.

It is on an aircraft that is being taken apart pending restoration.



There is no such thing as an unbuildable kit, just some kits one may consider not worth building.

but then, one used to live at my home-town airport. Even sat in the cockpit and stuff.

bob

Wonder where he got the idea of IG in the cowls and gear legs. IG was used from the bulkhead in front of the pilot to the bulkhead behind the seat. Light Gray everywhere else with the upper and lower drag links (aka as MLG legs) being black.



Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock.
Will Rogers

Not sure what repeating the Grumman colors would do for this mfgr if one color would suffice, AND

Please the government inspector.

Joe

Average Modeler and Builder of legacy kits Beyond the Pale

After all they were building aircraft for them. But just for you, here are a couple of pictures I shot yesterday while removing components from the forward bulkhead of a FM-2 currently undergoing restoration. What you are looking at is the bulkhead that forms the aft wall of the wheelbay.
I carefully scraped away the paint with my knife so that each layer would show in this picture. A previous owner had applied a red/brown auto primer over the original light gray and then painted over that with an off white paint.
The layers are as follow;
top layer- off white
2nd layer auto primer
3rd layer original light gray
4th layer- zinc chromate primer over bare metal
[IMG][/IMG]

In this pic the same can be seen from just the removal of an old conduit.

[IMG][/IMG]






Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock.
Will Rogers

Thanks for the input all. As it stands now I'm leaning toward light grey inside the gear bay. This is based on little more than educated guessing and hunches on my part along with consideration of the various opinions. Merci beaucoup tout le monde!

in fact what I have found so far in this restoration is very close to ANA 602



Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock.
Will Rogers

very timely info, thanks

Last night I had a chance to take a quick look at a book I have about Eastern Aircraft (I think it was a wartime one, or for employees?) and it sure looks like the light grey on the firewall. One shot where the access hatch well back on starboard side is open looked like the inside of the fuselage could be green, but I'm not making any promises based on B&W images!

bob