P-40 Tomahawk Underside Colour

Roy Sutherland
DuPont light grey P-40 Tomahawk underside colour
April 20 18:13 2010
I know that the Lend Lease P-40B/Cs destined for the RAF (including the ones diverted to the AVG) were painted in equivalent Dark Earth and Dark Green uppersurfaces with Light Grey undersides.
Looking for a FS number on this undersurface colour, and a match to existing paint ranges. I realize this is a contentious colour, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dave Fleming
Straggler has a different viewpoint
April 20 19:55 2010
that it was much closer to Sky than usually credited. No doubt he will be along shortly.
Check the following topic at www.britmodeller.com

Roy Sutherland
There is a surviving wing section of AVG P-40B
April 20 21:18 2010
that is un-restored, with the original colours intact. From the photos I have seen of it, there is no way that the underside colour was British Sky. Seems a very pale cool grey colour. As these aircraft were diverted from the British order, I’d say it was a good representation of how the British P-40Bs looked upon delivery.

Graham Boak
Straggler does not say that it was Sky
April 21 03:00 2010
Earlier postings did identify a reference to DuPont Sky Type S Grey on Curtiss drawings. The DuPont Sky Type S Grey chip is not identical to Sky but greyer. Colour photos of US aircraft with this colour will confirm this.

Rato Marczak
Roy, maybe this will be of some help…
April 20 21:29 2010
… a researched this a while ago, mostly for modeling purposes.
Check it out at my site: http://ratomodeling.com

Roy Sutherland
Very impressive work
April 20 22:35 2010
I agree with your conclusions about the Green 71-013, which is listed on the RAF equivalent chip chart as Dark Green. I also agree with your conclusions regarding 71-021 Sky Type S Grey.
I was a bit surprised to not see any mention of DuPont Dark Earth 71-053. Dupont had a mix for this colour. Why wouldn’t they use it, instead of going with other colours not specified by the British?
That colour chip chart is interesting. DuPont had pretty good matches for all British colours, even the more obscure ones. I don’t see why it would have been so difficult for US manufacturers to use the proper colours. I am sure there were mixing instructions for all these colours readily available.

Graham Boak
Fascinating stuff
April 21 03:05 2010
Nick Millman has since identified DuPont 70-021 Sky Type S Grey, and it is not identical to Sky but greyer, so this will require some changes to your work. Whether this makes the matter clearer or more confusing seems to depend on the reader.

Fernando Rolandelli
Very well presented…
April 21 12:09 2010
…though it follows Dana Bell pamphlet on export colours to the letter, reaching the same conclusions anyone would from just reading that, it provides good visual proof…
Surprised about Du Pont Sky matching [FS 595] 36622, though… it is the colour in USAF SEAC scheme undersides… from seeing it painted on models, it looks much more yellowish than you acknowledge it.

Hume B. Bates
Roy, best surviving Tomakawk (RAF, AVG) undersurface colour I know is wing at NEAM
April 20 21:40 2010
Photos I got from the NEAM site and some colour section from each photo on colour “chips” for a ball park comparison.