Avro Lancaster Interior Colors

[IBuild1/48]

I am in the planning stages of building a 1/48 scale Lancaster B III Dambuster.

My question for accuracy is, what color was the interior of the cockpit.

I have read Black was the color but I have seen photos of other colors.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,

IBuild1/48

 

[Wurger]

Most interiors of RAF planes were painted with RAF matt interior (cockpit)grey green colour FS34226, Humbrol78, Gunze H70, Model Master 2062.

Lancasters had the nose section for a bombardier painted with matt black.The rest was of the Interior Green.

 

[ian lanc]

I am in the planning stages of building a 1/48 scale Lancaster B III Dambuster.
My question for accuracy is, what color was the interior of the cockpit.
I have read Black was the color but I have seen photos of other colors.
Can anyone help?
Thanks,
IBuild1/48

I'll second that with that with Wurger 8)

I do alot of research into Lancasters and paint the cockpit forward of the nav' seat to the bomb site area in matt black, from the radio room back was cockpit green humbrol 78.

Only very very early lanc's had an all green interior this was due to the fact they where Manchesters coming off the production line !, then being altered near the end of the production into Lancasters

You might want to look at this......

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/modeling/tamiya-1-48th-dambuster-build-wayne-little-13671.html

Hope it helps you out a bit, need help with it give us a shout

Don't forget that the dambuster had 'needle tip' prop's not paddle blades as in the kit and The lanc' also had Smooth tyres.

Oh and welcome to this ace forum 8) 8)

ian.

 

[109ROAMING]

Whats the reason for having the "Needle tip" prop's?

 

[Wurger]

Lancaster was powered by 4x Packard Merlin 28,38 or 224 engine.I'm sure you know that an engine+a proppeler fit is a very important thing for the proficiency of a propulsive system.The bigger power of an engine is the bigger diameter of a prop is needed or wider prop blades if you don't want to build a chopper.Therefore many props with different in shape prop blades have been used ( see the Corsair propulsive system and the one for PZL P-11c for instance). For Lancaster there were used two kinds of metal props - De Havilland type 5000 or Hamilton Hydromatic.It seems that for the early Lancaster version powering, engines were equipped with these "needle tip" ones.

 

[Airframes]

I'll reinforce the colour scheme inside Lancasters. The entire interior, from the rear turret to the rear face of the main spar, was (British) Interior Green. From the top of the main spar, the starboard side of which had a curved metal sheet covering it, port side held the radio ops seat, the colour was semi-matt black, almost dead matt. The frame of the pilot's seat was black also, with the armour plate panel behind being Interior Green. The hand rails into the bomb-aimers compartment were red, later yellow, as were the two vertical stanchions between the front of the nav's compartment, and the rear of same. In some aircraft, the latter were also black, but worn, showing dull, bare metal.
This is born out by the two Lancasters I have been in, and by a former Lanc pilot, and a former Flight Engineer. I asked the question of both of them whilst standing in the cockpit of a Lanc! As Ian said, some photos of early Lancs, particularly on the production line, might show the green colour in these areas, but aircraft in service had the areas painted black.
On your 1/48th scale model, I would suggest using a very dark grey to represent this colour. This will allow the interior to be seen through the canopy, and also allow other 'black' items to be painted black, making them highlighted a little more. It will also give a more 'scale' appearance.
Hope this helps,
Terry.

 

[IBuild1/48]

Ian,
Thank you for the insight, especially on the props and wheels. I hope I can find the AM's for this.
I have seen your work and that is why I pulled out 1 of my Lancs.

IBuild1/48

 

[IBuild1/48]

Airframes,
I am using Tamiya's Acrylics so which XF color number do you suggest for the grey?
Thanks for the color scheme information.
IBuild 1/48

 

[109ROAMING]

Thanks for the info Wojtek ! much appreciated Mate!

 

[Airframes]

Hi, 'I Build'. I'm afraid I don't use acrylics, so I'm not familiar with the Tamiya colour numbers. If you mean the grey I quoted as a 'very dark grey', to simulate the matt-black of the nose area, then I'd suggest just using matt-black, with a spot or two of matt-white, just to 'take the edge' off the black. I don't normally buy paints for a specific colour, apart from known camouflage colours of course, I just mix the required colours to obtain the correct shade.