I have the Tristar kit which has the full interior and engine. Which is my desire in this case because I am trying to depict a unit off the the side of the road, having broken down.
Inside the Chieftain’s Hatch, Panzer 1 Pt 2. - YouTube
This video shows the inside of the fighting compartment, but what about the engine area? I know the paint directions are wrong; should engine transmission and running gear be gunmetal gray?
Here are a couple of shots of the interior lower hull that I was able to take through the vision slots. This is the newly restored Pz1 at the American Heritage Museum (the former Littlefield Collection) in Hudson Mass.
Enjoy!
Rick
It looks like they did their homework with this guy-colors look to be tight.
Is this the ex-littlefield tank?
Thanks folks!
BTW I note that only the upper half of the interior is Elfbein. Is the lower half supposed to be the same color as the tank exterior?
Yes it is. It has now been added to the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, MA in fully restored and operating condition.
Bill
They did a great job
The gray in the lower portion of the hull is not RAL 7021 Dunkelgrau, rather the much lighter RAL 7009 Grüngrau or possibly RAL 7031 Blaugrau. This color tends to appear more bluish than green in examples I’ve seen. According to David Byrden, the old Humbrol 115 is the closest match. Failing availability of that brand, AK makes a RAL 7009, listed as “Hellgrau”;
https://www.hobbyworld-usa.com/Store/index.php?id_product=7098&controller=product
This color was a commonly used paint for not only the lower hull interiors of early panzers, but for many of the separate components as well, i.e., transmissions, etc. There seems to be a considerable amount of variation and/or confusion concerning the use of this color, or substitutes used in it’s place. Here is a photo of a Panzer III transmission I took at Munster;
I have read statements that this color is actually RAL7031, which it more closely resembles.
This is Bovington’s Tiger 131;
Sure looks a lot bluer than RAL 7009.
I’m having a hard time trying to find any definitive references on this subject. I’m at a loss for further information.
Yipes! I’d best dawdle a bit before I start my Pzkpfw I kit!
Bovington’s Tiger in that photo has been completely repainted with modern paints.
When I got access to the Tiger in the 1990s, I matched up some Humbrol paints to original Tiger paint on the protected undersides of items. Humbrol 115 was a very good match.
It was Hilary Doyle who told me I was looking at RAL 7009.
David
Thank you for the reply David. I’m aware that Tiger 131 is a recent repaint, my assumption being that between Jentz, Doyle and the rest of the restoration team, the colors chosen would have been the most accurate possible. Given the overall poor quality of most museum repaints and the efforts put forth with this project, I would have expected 131 to spot on. Am I being overly optimistic?
Here is a Panzer II F engine compartment, while the tank’s exterior appears to have been repainted, the engine compartment seems to be in original paint. Note the parts painted in RAL 7009, with the distinctive greenish tint, as contrasted to the walls, which appear to be painted in Hellgrau;
Although I wonder about the splotches of gray around the hatch opening? Is this actually very faded Dunkelgrau?
I have noticed other interior photos of different vehicles which show both colors in use on the same vehicle.
I really don’t know what we have here in terms of paint.
The bottom vehicle is a PzIII that was on display at the Patton museum, now its at Benning.
It has not been repainted inside and is a great example of how the Germans painted a vehicle during certain time frames.
The top photo is a IIF that is also at Benning and does show the earlier interior colors in the engine compartment. It was captured in Tunisia.
http://armorfortheages.com/MilitaryVehicles/PzKpfwII/PanzerIIGallery01/index.html
