Firstly thanks for the kind words about my model guys.
I've played with paint samples from a P-40C (Painted in US equivalents to Dark Earth/Dark Green/Sky) that crashed in Russia, and been able to remove oxidized paint and look at areas that have never seen the sun. Comparing this green/dark earth British equivalents it had lower contrast and both shades were darker. The Dark Earth quite quickly faded to a Tan colour. Were aircraft painted in Dark Earth/Dark Green over Neutral Gray? My opinion is yes. I have a book of colour images of P-40. In the book are images of US aircraft that appear to be in those colours. I believe that NZ3060 is the odd one out, it appears to have Sky equivalent under surfaces. The single most telling factor to me is that there are tonal changes in the places where demarcation lines should be.
rnzaf.hobbyvista.com/Images/p40ww.jpgif you look on the port wing on NZ3072 there appears to be a camouflage demarcation line in the middle of the wing, that corresponds to the demarcation pattern shown in the US P-40F's shown in this picture
raf-112-squadron.org/images/ChenangoJaniePalenscar.jpgHi Kerry
Some years ago I met with Charles Darby (work related) and
he had the wing of a P40, he had found in Russia.
The lower wing was painted a bluish colour (not really too different to my MOTAT photo).
There has been a lot of discussion over the years as what
MAP* colours were on US built aircraft to British/Commonwealth
specs. (*MAP - Min. Aircraft Production - Gt Britain)
There have been a lot of people*, who believe and avidly cling
to a belief, that British/Commonwealth aircraft ordered, either
Pre- Lend Lease or after Lend Lease was passed, that the lower colour of any aircraft was a Sky Grey (a pure grey) yet in reality it was nothing of the kind. (*mostly US based modellers)
There was a British MAP produced colour chart showing the
US produced colours that were matched to MAP RAF colours
i40.photobucket.com/albums/e242/hkins/Alans%20Planes/DUPONT.jpgOn the the chart you will see Sky Type S - Grey (DuPont 71-021),
which was US manufactured paint similar to MAP Sky Type S and sometimes referred to as "Duck Egg Blue". This is a picture of the chip The actual colour is a Bluish/Greenish colour with grey tint
i40.photobucket.com/albums/e242/hkins/Alans%20Planes/USSkyTypeS-Grey.jpgIt appears that the consistancy tended to sway between a
light Blue, Sky type S and a light Grey. (though it appears the US aircraft manufacturers did mange to get it mostly correct).
Even after Lend Lease (in which the US could send aircraft
painted in USAAF/USN colours if they chose to), US
manufacturers chose to meet British/Commonwealth
Specification's.
For example Grumman would paint Avengers bound for the FAA*,
in correct FAA colours being British Temperate Sea Scheme,
of Extra Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey/Sky.
(*FAA - Fleet Air Arm).
Later Lend Lease Avengers were painted in US colour Eqivalence paints.
Grumman and later Eastern Motors (TBM) used paints such as
Olive Drab/Dark Grey/Sky (eg DUPont 71-021) or Light Grey.
Later the FAA received aircraft painted in US colours of the day
(eg GSB =Gloss Sea Blue), as did the RNZAF.
If Fiskens aircraft was camouflaged, I'd say it would be more
the US "RAF" type of Dark Earth/Dark Green/Sky.
I'm quite certain Curtiss did keep to RAF/Commonwealth
contracts.
Under Lend Lease, they could could have supplied the RNZAF
P 40M's in Olive Drab/Neutral Grey. Obviously either the RNZAF
or British MAP ordered P 40M's in camouflage under Lend Lease.
With receipt of camouflaged P 40M's, it shows that contractual arrangements were adhered to.
There is a chap in the Uk who has done a lot of reasearch,
into this use of US colours, named Nick Millmen who has a blog
on US colours on US built, aircraft flying under British colours.
The links below are from his site.
One of the things he has done, is show the different Dark Earth's
used on US supplied aircraft. See link below
amair4raf.blogspot.co.nz/2009/04/two-dark-earths.htmlThe P 40E's the RNZAF received in 1942 wore the DuPont colour
71-009 as part of the TLS (Temperate Land Scheme).
I know that 71-009 was used on the RNZAF P40E's from
the RNZAF Muesum (per Curtiss Documents there).
This is what the colour combination would look like as in this link.
1.bp.blogspot.com/-S0UnL5sjdtc/TlT_b1fwx7I/AAAAAAAAChM/vja02eafYnU/s320/DuPontTLSColours2.jpgThe other Dark Earth colour 71-065 could well have been
used on Fiskens aircraft such as in this link (hence the darker hue).
4.bp.blogspot.com/-D9r0ERJ4HLM/TlT7eMoSgfI/AAAAAAAAChI/4WON0WYwR08/s320/DuPontTLSColours.jpgBelow is a link showing MAP/US "RAF type" differences
3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iic3UVwACCw/TlUCInKQN3I/AAAAAAAAChQ/OAU2c_qc5yE/s320/MAPvsDuPontComparison.jpgFinally, it is interesting that in the RNZAF, started using such paints
as "Sky Grey" or "Duck Egg Blue".
From what I have gathered were copies of DuPont 71- 021 Sky Type- S Grey, or other US similar paints to Sky - Duck Egg Blue, manufactured here in New Zealand or Australia.
Hope this helps you some, this is not exhaustive though.
Regards
Alan