The Army and Navy used a silver paint for interiors, cowlings, landing gear etc. You can find a reference to it in many of the WWII aircraft -2 (erection and maintenance) manuals that have a Finish Specifications section usually in the back of the manual. This section is a good one but one of the colors is meant to look close to natural metal but should provide a protective coating. It was made by mixing aluminum paste or powder in clear lacquer or enamel. The manuals usually have the mix ratio so you can make it yourself if you want.
The Krylon dull aluminum as mentioned above is a dead ringer for the color and works well but if you want to mix and spray it then you can mix it in probably any clear that meets your needs. If you want to be authentic then mix it in clear lacquer or enamel. Here is an excerpt from the Finish Spec from the AT-6 maintenance manual 01-60F-2 dated 5 august 1944 revised 20 June 1945 page 307:
The above reference calls for 4 ounces minimum of aluminum paste to one gallon of spray material meaning lacquer. I have seen references showing the ratio for aluminum powder too but I do not have that handy at the moment and they also call for either lacquer or enamel as desired.
I have mixed it myself and it works great. Float Lac or Float Lacquer is also a good one that is close and is available ready to go.
http://www.randolphaircraft.com/floatlacquer.html
_________________
To donate to the PV-2D project via PayPal click here
http://www.twinbeech.com/84062restoration.htmWe brought her from:
to this in 3 months:
Help us get her all the way back
All donations are tax deductible as the Stockton Field Aviation Museum is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Tell a friend as the Harpoon needs all the help she can get.
Thank you!
Taigh Ramey
Vintage Aircraft, Stockton, California
http://www.twinbeech.com'KEEP ‘EM FLYING…FOR HISTORY!'