Mr. Color - interiérová zelená

The interior green of American cockpits

This greenish tone with a pronounced cast toward yellow was born in the aircraft factories of the United States during the Second World War. Aluminum structures there were protected by a zinc chromate coat, which on its own glows yellow-green; adding black pigment subdued it enough not to dazzle the pilot with reflections in the cockpit. The result was the green of the inside of a cockpit, a wheel well, the inner face of undercarriage doors and the spars and bulkheads of practically every American machine of the period.

When to reach for it

It suits every time you build an American-built fighter, bomber or carrier aircraft and want an open cockpit to stand up to close inspection. The tone differed between airframe manufacturers and over the course of the war, so a slight departure from the kit instructions is not a mistake. Experienced builders work with two tones at once: they spray the base with this paint and then pull out the edges of instrument panels, levers and seat frames with a lighter mixture on a dry brush. It also comes into play outside aircraft, for example on the inner surfaces of technical shelters or workshop equipment in a diorama.

How to apply the paint

The surface dries to a semi-matte finish that takes subsequent washes and dry pigments well. The range is built on a solvent lacquer base, so it is thinned with the thinner of the same brand and never with water. It is applied mainly with an airbrush in two to three thin coats, so that the rivets and the fine relief detail of a cockpit do not disappear. Small parts can be done with a brush as well, but count on the paint drying very fast, so the strokes have to be confident and made without going back.