Metal components painted with grey paint

Olson · 21 July 2008, 05:17 PM

I know this has been mentioned in several previous posts, but inconsistently. The officially prescribed color of paint used to cover metal parts, struts, panels, etc has been described as a light shade of "green-grey". This has been specifically indicated for Fokker aircraft, but also mentioned in descriptions of Albatross and other manufacturer's products. On the other hand, nearly every color profile, model (both plastic and R/C), or painting of Albatross, Pfalz, Halberstadt or other aircraft is done with a light to medium neutral grey paint on the cowling and other metal parts. Is the neutral grey color an error by the artists and modelers, or were there situations in which the paint color was up to the manufacturer so that the neutral grey is in fact accurate? ...........John

Olson · 3 August 2008, 05:47 AM

I was hoping someone might know the correct color to apply to the cowling and other metal parts of the Alb D-V (Eidelweiss) 1/4 scale model I am currently building. Most specimins are done with neutral grey while others are finished with the green-grey most often noted on Fokker aircraft. I have learned from Dan-San that the color separation of the wing camo colors is a "soft" line due to the use of early spray painting equipment. This contradicts many of the excellent models, both plastic display and R/C flying, seen on this and other sites. I would hope to be just as accurate in the selection of the proper color for the metal components on mine. Anyone?..........John

Romani · 5 August 2008, 04:28 AM

From what I have learned, there was a dark green primer used to paint the engine block and the metal fittings in the cockpit of Albatros fighters. Perhaps it was used on struts as well? Light grey paint for painting struts and engine cowlings was one of the few plentiful pigments, the Pfalz silbergrau cammo was done by making virtue out of necessity and mixing aluminium powder with that grey paint, so grey cowlings and struts sound good to me. As for the Fokker gray green , I suppose maybe is by mixing the anticorrosion dark green primer and light grey paint?

Hope this helps

Olson · 5 August 2008, 05:57 AM

Thanks Romani. I have some photos which demonstrate the grey-green finish on the control column and other internal cockpit components. Your opinion is that the outer surface metal parts were painted in the neutral (unshaded green) grey finish if I interpret your response accurately........John

sheppo · 5 August 2008, 08:38 PM

Its seen some wear but the fittings hidden away are indeed a greyed out green.

chris

Olson · 6 August 2008, 05:01 AM

Yes, this is helpful, thanks. My photos are from a restoration but I don't have the ID of the subject. The control column and pedal assembly, machine gun mounts, and assorted metal cockpit components are the shade of green-grey one would expect the color in your photo to be at a less advanced stage of aging/decomposition.
My question regards the external metal parts. Was this green-grey paint applied externally as well,or were the cowling, struts, access covers, etc. finished in the neutral grey seen on most models, profiles, and artwork?...........John

Flug Werke · 6 August 2008, 11:14 AM

The colour you are chasing is the same for the internal bits as for the external parts (hatch covers, cowls, struts etc). The sections of the rudder assembly on the far left of sheppo's picture are closest to the final finish, much of the remainder of the material in shot being covered in dust, 90 years of grime and some very discoloured yellow shellac.

The top pic in this blog posting gives you a better idea:
Australian War Memorial» Blog Archive » Albatros Fuselage: Cleaning and Repair
There's a bit of pale bloom resulting from the solvent cleaning but it's a work in progress shot. To think that when we started things were so grimy that we didn't even know the interior of the engine bay was green at all!

Hope this helps,

drew

Olson · 6 August 2008, 04:22 PM

Happy to hear from a knowledgeable source, thanks for your comments on the museum example. My photos are copied from the Arizona Model site, I believe they are featured in the cockpit details section. I also have copied some excellent renderings from Albatros D.Va cockpit profiles - Mark Miller (note albatross spelled with a single "s"). I don't know what his original source for his color selection was, but the grey-green is applied to all internal metal parts. Your photo and referenced site also is limited to the coverage of the color of the internal parts. I have not seen any photographs which clearly demonstrate the external metal components painted with the same grey-green.
If the exterior is in fact the same grey-green shade as you describe, then almost every representation, whether flying and/or static models or profile illustrations, is incorrectly finished with neutral grey on the visible external metal components. Is there any photographic evidence of your assertion (which I agree with but can't substantiate)?.....John

davecww1 · 9 August 2008, 07:05 PM

Hi John,
Looking at the book Albatros D.Va by Robert C. Mikesh the interior photos all seem to be the gray green similar to WW2 RLM 02. Also the cabine struts and the control lever for the upper wing radiator shutters were this color. the cowl and V struts were painted a glossy dark green like the stripes on the tail, probably a jasta marking so not sure if the cowl was a different color before the green was applied. So not really answering your question but at least verifies the interior color.
dave

Olson · 10 August 2008, 05:55 AM

Thanks Dave, I am fortunate to have obtained a copy of Makeesh's book from the nice folks at Byrd Aviation Publications.
I also note in a recent post by Koloman Mayrhofer in the thread "Who is building an Albatross" that the wing radiator is not painted aluminum color as has been indicated previously in this forum, primarily due to interference by the layer of paint with heat transfer from the metal surface. Rather the aluminum color is attributed to tin/lead solder overflow onto (and effectively coating) the brass and/or steel components of the radiator during assembly.
Another color/paint theory revised by new information.
Still wondering whether the neutral grey cowling, etc. seen on modern representations is correct, or should instead be the grey-green color of the anti-corrosive coating seen on interior components, Dan-San?