tosouthern66 Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 I have a buddy that wants me to build him a P-47D Bubble top. My question is what Alclad color should I order for a bare mettle bird? I have seen pics of them being a shinny color and then there are the dull looking mettle. What say you? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peter havriluk Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Depends on how the airplanes are stored, how, and how long, they're used, how they are maintained. I will vary. Factory fresh? No idea. Every airplane 's appearance will vary during its life. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
echolmberg Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 There's a wonderful book out there called "Fighter Command: American Fighters in Original WW2 Color". It's my "go to" book for whenever I wonder the same thing. As Peter stated, it all depended on the conditions to which the plane was exposed. I've done many-a-Thunderbolt and Mustang in both shiny and dull metal finishes and everything in between. The best part is that all versions of the finish look really good. I love looking at pictures of B-29s taken on Tinian. It's neat to see how reflective and almost mirror-like those B-29s were. At the same time, in that book I mentioned above, there are pictures of P-51s that are rather dull parked next to Thunderbolts which have a nice shine on them. I think it would be best to check out color photos from back then and decide from there. Just rest assured that you really can't go wrong with whichever route you take. Eric Quote Link to post Share on other sites
seawinder Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 I like Alclad Duraluminum for the base color. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tosouthern66 Posted January 26, 2019 Author Share Posted January 26, 2019 Thanks guys for the input. This project has been shelved for the time being. My buddy's Monte Carlos transmission crapped out on him yesterday. He will be spending all the money he has and then some to repair it and pay for the rental. But when he is ready for me to build it I will keep your input in mind. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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