WNW suggests 2 parts XF16 flat aluminum to 1 part XF19 Sky Gray. I am not a fan of their flat aluminum... too grainy. But with the gray in it looks nice. But... is it the right color or close enough or does someone have something better for that?

Since each batch of silver dope was mixed pretty much on the spot, there's a lot of variation. Any reasonably flattish silver will do. I like to use Testors silver in the rattle can.

Thanks Jessie

Can I ask, what is your source on that?

Nothing written down, just what I know from having helped out on 1/1 fabric and doping. Each mix has a subtle variation.

Is this like asking for the correct mixture for PC10?

I have had the same experience. Very difficult to match so a spot repair will always show.

OH NO! I hope not LOL.

I really avoid those "what's the correct color" threads. So let me qualify my question by saying if i am building my usual WWII stuff I know what the colors are so I can never be too far off given that wiiiiiide variation in all colors. For the the silver dope... I just had no idea and needed a starting point.


(reminder to self... do not ask about PC10)

So, let me get this straight.... You take a can of rocket fuel (Aluminum Powder) and mix it with your Cellulous Nitrate dope to taste, and apply it to the fabric of your aeroplane then go off and fight a war.

No wonder one should never fly in thunderstorms.

Irregardless
Captn Tommy

Officers (aka Pilots) would never touch that stuff - that would be groundcrew's job while the former would be in the club, priming for the next one... Better not to think about what the dope actually is.

The rare NCO pilot would be left out of both procedures, so that would be an odd situation for all... Damn Victorian Era traditions and all!

As a matter of fact, yes. The dope mixture is actually the reason for the Hindenburg fire, and not the hydrogen (but it didn't help much). And it really is a mix that varies with every batch due to variations of the aluminum particle size, how well it's mixed, ratios, how clear the nitrocellulose is, and how it's applied.

Interesting. Concerning aircraft to aircraft in a one airframe manufacturing situation this might well be true. But in larger production batch at the factory fabric dope was mixed in large batches to do 20 - 30 aircraft and their components. The main variations were between wing and fuselage items. This is harder to detect when the machine is assembled as the light falls differently on them due to their relative positioning. So it might be more accurate to say that from production batch to production batch the differences might be noticeable. This of course also notes that and older machine may appear more "flat" that a factory fresh bird.

Another good statement might be that once they left the factory all bets were off.

Part of the spares for any aircraft sent to the front included various items such as stocks of paint / dope for repairs. Painting the same paint /dope with a brush will provide differences as well. Look at Baümer's Pfalz D.VIII and the repositioning of the fuselage crosses to allow his personal tricolour chevron its placement.




Being it was a fairly new machine with the fuselage crosses over-painted the difference is fairly minor.