Grumman F8F-2 Firewall Color Question

[NC_Rotorhead]

I'm in the process of building a 1/32 model of a Grumman F8F-2 in Gloss Sea Blue as it was shortly after delivery.

My question is about the color of the 2 firewalls on a bird as delivered by Grumman.

First question, aft fire wall in Accessory Section of Engine:
From B&W photos of early F8Fs, the wheel wells were Gloss Sea Blue and the aft firewall was really a part of the back wall of the wheel well, would that aft forewall indeed be painted at the same time a Gloss Sea Blue, or was it chromate green?

Second question on the forward firewall directly behind the engine exhausts:
This one is just aft of the engine itself. From some Grumman photos I've seen, this one "Appears" to be natural metal as it gets scortched some. Restorations run the gamut on colors so it gets confusing.

I guess the question really boils down to "When" those areas get painted in the build process as they have to be painted prior to adding all the accessories. Once an aircraft goes to a Navy Rework facility all bets are off.

I've added this composit photo to show what I'm looking at:



Anyway, I'm scratching my head here.

Regards
Steve

[51fixer]

I'm in the process of building a 1/32 model of a Grumman F8F-2 in Gloss Sea Blue as it was shortly after delivery.

My question is about the color of the 2 firewalls on a bird as delivered by Grumman.

First question, aft fire wall in Accessory Section of Engine:
From B&W photos of early F8Fs, the wheel wells were Gloss Sea Blue and the aft firewall was really a part of the back wall of the wheel well, would that aft forewall indeed be painted at the same time a Gloss Sea Blue, or was it chromate green?

Second question on the forward firewall directly behind the engine exhausts:
This one is just aft of the engine itself. From some Grumman photos I've seen, this one "Appears" to be natural metal as it gets scortched some. Restorations run the gamut on colors so it gets confusing.

I guess the question really boils down to "When" those areas get painted in the build process as they have to be painted prior to adding all the accessories. Once an aircraft goes to a Navy Rework facility all bets are off.

I've added this composit photo to show what I'm looking at:



Anyway, I'm scratching my head here.

Regards
Steve

Firewall is Stainless Steel instead of Steel.
Wheel Wells were probably blue. I've seen spare NOS MLG legs and actuators for the F8F and they were blue.
Most Alum parts were anodized so if bare they would appear to have a gray finish with streaks of various shades.
Front of fus could be zinc or blue.

[NC_Rotorhead]

Hello Rich,

Great answers! You threw a monkey-wrench with the annodized parts. Would that explain the seemingly light gray parts and walls I've been seeing in a lot of those assembly line photos for the F6F? I really didn't think that the accessory sections were light gray but a yellow..........but your saying that that is possible?

So........natural stainless for the forward firewall, and I "might" get away with a GSB cockpit firewall with gray annodized parts and engine bearer?

That one 1944 F8F wheel well photo above tends to show me a masking tape line, but then that tells me the whole well would be green, not GSB.

I'm kind of assuming that the sub parts were primed and painted at thier point of manufacture and installed on the bare F8F, which is then painted at the end of assembly?

It's been interesting to did and search on this subject. I thank you again.

Regards
Steve

[51fixer]

Hello Rich,

Great answers! You threw a monkey-wrench with the annodized parts. Would that explain the seemingly light gray parts and walls I've been seeing in a lot of those assembly line photos for the F6F? I really didn't think that the accessory sections were light gray but a yellow..........but your saying that that is possible?

So........natural stainless for the forward firewall, and I "might" get away with a GSB cockpit firewall with gray annodized parts and engine bearer?

That one 1944 F8F wheel well photo above tends to show me a masking tape line, but then that tells me the whole well would be green, not GSB.

I'm kind of assuming that the sub parts were primed and painted at thier point of manufacture and installed on the bare F8F, which is then painted at the end of assembly?

It's been interesting to did and search on this subject. I thank you again.

Regards
Steve

The 1944 photo could be a prototype or pre production test unit. Possible that it wouldn't follow the same finish specs as later ones. The mask line forward looks bare metal/anodized on the angle with holes and the face of the spar. The row of holes in the angle at the rear of the wheel well is for a rubber strip to seal the gear door. The strip has stems molded in that secure it using the holes in the alum angle.
Engine bearer is welded from steel tubing and would be painted. Photo looks like yellow zinc primer.

[NC_Rotorhead]

Hello Rich,

I appreciate your time and thoughts.

Would it be "plausible" then to have the stainless steel for the foward Firewall; Chromate Green for the aft Firewall; Chromate yellow for the Engine Bearers and Oil Tanks; and Gloss Sea Blue for everything in the Wheel Well? That would mean a masked line between the green and the GSB.

The rest of the inside of the engine compartment Chromate Green? or Annodized Light Gray?

Certainly would be colorful. But just looking at that B&W F8F photo, I see a lot of "color" there. First "Rework" and it's ALL one color.

Again, I thank you for your experience.

Regards
Steve

[Steve Nelson]

I don't know about Beartcats, but in the case of Hellcats much of the interior structure (besides the cockpit) was painted "Grumman Gray." I don't know the spec on the actual color, other than it was a light gray. You can see it in the rear quarter-windows of F6F-3s, and it shows quite clearly in the famous film clip of the Hellcat breaking in half while landing on a carrier.

SN

[NC_Rotorhead]

I think I am seeing a trend here with "Grumman Gray". That explains a lot of photos I've seen lately, mostly of F6Fs during assembly. I am assuming that Grumman carried on the practice to the F8F.

So my planning has moved to Grumman Gray now.

Thanks Rich and Steve.

Regards
Steve