Small Scale Military Headquarters

i opened my FOV Flak Bait b-26 and it's a pretty nice model, but, the underside colour is very dark grey, almost a panzer grey. I read a few forum reviews and to my surprise not one person mentioned this. Is it just my model that is so dark? Did i get a lemon?

Looking at pictures of the FOV model, the gray does look too dark... See here: http://www.flyingmule.com/products/UM-35084

I have a Franklin Mint 1:48 scale model of "Flak Bait" where the gray is lighter and more similar to what I've seen on other WWII aircraft with similar cammo. See a photo of the FM example here: http://www.flyingmule.com/products/FM-B11E053

Then again, it always helps to take a look at the actual aircraft: http://airandspace.si.edu/webimages/hig ... 15363h.jpg

The Smithsonian goes to great lengths to get their colors and restorations perfect to the historical examples. Looking at the actual aircraft, the gray appears much lighter than the FOV model and more in line with what Franklin Mint achieved...

Mine is dark too. I think they all look like that.

Neutral Gray was a fairly dark color and the FOV rendition doesn't appear to me to be that far off. The problem is that the color should have been lightened by about 10-15% to account for the "scale effect"----when a plane is seen at a distance its colors appear lighter than when seen up close---- but the factory couldn't be bothered to take this step. Many of the light grays that appear on USAAF WW2 models are, in reality too light. Here's a link to a fairly good neutral gray color ID:


https://www.google.com/search?q=U.S.+Ne ... B500%3B500

well that's eye opening....i didn't reaize how dark it really was. I've always been under the impression it was a colour much like Gull Grey but more bluish.

One thing i have noticed about the colour on the FOV Flak Bait is that it gives the model a very dramatic look....almost an artisitic interpretation, like something you'd see in aviation artwork.

Other than the colour and a couple of quality burbbles (one cowling glued on crooked, wobbly guns) and the oddball observation dome that shouldn't be there, it's a very nice model. A bonus was the 250 pound bombs that i removed and am going to use on my HM Korean A-26.

I have FOV's first B-26 "Shootin' In" which has a light grey lower surface.


Link: http://www.flyingmule.com/products/UM-85046

Flak Bait's underside it looks pretty close to the grey undersides on a 21st Century Toys P-40 and other planes. Maybe a tad dark but it looks ok.

Always thought Shootin' In was way too light underneath.
Never could score that one as it was sold out and high priced by the time I started collecting 1:72 diecast, so I'm glad FOV came out with another OD scheme.