While I've been a modeller for a while now, I have never build a model of a Soviet aircraft. At least until now. I just acquired a model of a Be-4, and am curious as to what the color of the cockpit was. The scale is 1/72, and the kit is by RPM.

Opening the kit, it is basic, so I have my work cut out for me, and as I wasn't familiar with the type, I looked for whatever information I could find, and acquired a copy of a 3/2013 copy of a Russian publication on the aircraft. While my Russian is, at best, less than rudimentary, leafing through it when I first got it, I found an alternate design, the KOR-3, which is intriguing, and something for future research. Anyway, I have a Russian/English dictionary to help me a bit.

Anyway, back to my original question, what color primer was used, and, if it was different, what color was the cockpit painted?

We are talking about one these babies?

Yes.

Don't know, if there was a difference in sea-planes, but as they have used the same colours for the camo, the primer could have been the same as on land, too. So, the best site I know is the following:

http://mig3.sovietwarplanes.com/

Hope, it helps.

It did help.

From the link: for all interiors, Steel Grey, equivalent being FS-26187.

Is there an equivalent in Testor/Tamiya/Humbrol/Poly-S?

Also, is there a hard copy version of this, as I suspect that I'll be building models of other Soviet aircraft in the not too distant future, including some pre-war airliners.

I hadn't heard of a hard copy so far. Also don't have an equivalent for the paint range, because I rely on AKAN and Agama, if it comes to Soviet colours. Maybe the new Hataka range is similar, they are looking quite convincing, too. If you could get your hands on this, I would be quite interested in the results...

On the other hand, if I understand it right, than they used a greyish/ translucent colour-base with metal flakes mixed in (like all others did in this time- zinc chromate, british silver etc. or corrugate later on) which gave the appearance of a metallic grey, so why not going the same way...

So what would the equivalent be?

There is no match, without mixing. If you can get your hands on Agama colors, it would be Subframe grey R4M, otherwise you could also use Lifecolor "French Blue-Grey". Toned down a little bit with white/grey (or metal shade, maybe), it looks not bad to me, too. Especially for cockpits I like that a lot. If you can get AKAN paints, I would suggest No. 73040 Steel gray A-14. I think, it is the most accurate of all.