Well here goes, first real post since I just joined but have been reading for awhile.

My plan is to build T-4 off USS Lexington as the plane has a credited torpedo hit on the light carrier Shoho. But a bedeviling question needs answering from the photos taken by Paul Allen's group.

What color is the interior? A dirty silver lacquer? Seems that way from photos that shows the main wheel wells and the interior where the torpedo adapter has apparently disintegrated to expose the interior structure.

Thanks in advance.

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

I certainly hope so but I probably will have to wait for Dana Bell's book to come out.

The interior of all TBDs by 1941 was Bronze Green. The best colors to use for the camouflage are Gunze-Sangyo H-42 Blue-Gray (primary) for the upper color, going over it with thinned Mr. Color C367 Blue-Gray (US Navy aircraft), which is too light for the base but good when mixed in for a bit of fading and H338 Light Gray (US Navy Aircraft) for the lower.

I just did a review of this kit at Modeling Madness you can find here:
https://modelingmadness.com/review/allies/cleaver/us/usn/tbd.htm

Tom. Photos can be so frustrating. Guess will go with the Bronze Green. Not tried Gunze-Sangyo though still got a couple bottles of Model Master Intermediate Blue and MM Light Gray along with a bottle of Ammo MIG A.MIG-0228. So I think I might be able to muddle through with the repaints done on VT-2's planes.

George thanks for that, when building my previous TBD-1 Devastator I did scour the Internets for interior photos. Guess I should post them here just in case someone else has missed them.

8 attached images. Click to enlarge.

This is the boxing I have. It comes with torpedo, bombs, and depth charges. Also has the single .30 and the late SBD twin mount.

Did a quick boxing in of wheel wells and aft torpedo bay. More to follow.

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

@kaku - just leave off the armor around the twin mount and you'll be "OK enough" with the project.

David Odenwald (@kahu)

This would have been a perfect addition for the Jim Sullivan group build we have going on right now. You are always welcome to join us there if you wish.

The questions about the interior are good ones. Originally these were finished in the aluminum lacquer paint, however, as they went through overhauls, the interiors were painted using Green as mentioned above. There's a great source of information on a website that was ran by Lynn Ritger. I'll see if I can find it and post up a link to it. he covers all of the Bureau Numbers and eventual fates. It should help you with the instruction's misprints on the history part.

Here are some excellent Pre War color photos that show the shade of green that was used. Several years ago, as part of our Midway Group build, I built up one of the old 1/48 scale Monogram TBD's in my stash, and I did a lot of online digging on the subject.

One thing I thought was incorrect about the color call outs was in reference to the on board fire extinguisher that was mounted in the middle cockpit. They were a polished brass color, and not a red. Red is a color that was introduced on most of the fire extinguishers a little later on. There were some that were painted red during this era, mainly the CO2 types, but not the one I'm talking about.

I have included a photo showing you what it should look like. This is a picture of the real thing.

Hope this helps.

I'm a retired firefighter, and I know a little about extinguishers too.

I remember the information about the brass color fire extinguishers. But always good to get a reminder because Monogram TBDs got red ones.

IIRC, Corl who survived the TBD at Midway mentioned the silver interiors weathered to a dingy gray color.