I was wondering which of these would be correct for painting the cockpit of a Hellcat, specifically an F6F-5N.

Gunze 351 Zinc-Chromate Type I

or

Gunze 364 Flat Aircraft Gray Green?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Jeremy,
Grumman painted everything Zinc Chromate Green

That was my guess, but wanted to make sure. Much thanks Bruce

No they did not!

From Camouflage & Markings: Interior Colours of US Aircraft, 1941-45 (Part III)

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/01/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us.htm


"Early production yellow-wing F4Fs are believed to be painted Aluminium lacquer on all internal surfaces including that of the cockpit.

According to factory Erection & Maintenance Instructions, cockpit interiors of F4F-3 to F4F-4s were painted in Bronze Green. Later F4F-4's may have been painted Interior Green. Some sources attribute Bronze Green for Grumman built Wildcats and Interior Green for Eastern built ones Other internal areas of the Wildcat - fuselage interior, inside of the engine cowling, the area beneath the cockpit floor and main undercarriage bay were painted in a light grey shade called Grumman Grey.

By the time Hellcat entered mass production, Grumman had made the decision to adopt Interior Green in place of Bronze Green for cockpits, and possibly also to adopt Zinc Chromate primer in place of its own Grumman Grey. However, older paints were to be used as long as their stocks were available. Thus the first hundred or so F6F-3 airframes produced almost certainly had their cockpits finished with the remaining
stock of Bronze Green. Subsequent aircraft had their cockpits finished in Interior Green. Starting with F6F-5, cockpit area above and including the side consoles was finished in flat black with the remaining surfaces in Interior Green.

The inside of the engine cowling varied throughout the Hellcat production, being Grumman Grey, Interior Green or Zinc Chromate Yellow. Later F6F-5 and had flat black cowling interiors. Other enclosed areas of the fuselage were either Grumman Grey (on early production machines) or Zinc Chromate Yellow.
In common with the general Navy practice the wheel bays and undercarriage legs were finished in the lower surface colour. However, the area ahead of the main spar in the wheel well was left in Interior Green. Also, some photos of operational Hellcats show wheel hubs and legs in Aluminium finish, possibly applied during overhauls at field maintenance depots."