Faded Nmf

[Gary]

I'm trying to wrap my head around an idea and I'm thinking about what happens to an airplane when it's left out to pasture too too long. Natural metal finish and an airplane left to rot in the high arctic. Any idea or examples? I knw the sun will cloud the perspex, but would the high north's cleaner air hold off the corrosion, especially if an airplane had been buried in deep snow for say, 40 years or so?

And yes, I am actually thinking about touching plastic again.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

The B-29 (F-13/RB-29) named "Kee Bird" that crash landed in Greenland appears to have weathered the extreme artic conditions quite well for the amount of time that it spent exposed prior to the recovery attempt and eventual destruction by fire.  

[John Howling Mouse]

A BMF B-25 was left to rot in a friend's farm pasture for several decades.
It was moved to our local museum about 3 years ago.
I have an entire CD of pics I could e-mail to you if you'd like.
Just PM me with your home e-mail address and I'll fire the pics over.

The main thing I recall was how much the panel lines and rivets stood out and just how faded and dull the overall finish had become.  And, yes, the Perspex was quite clouded and busted up.

[nev]

There is a very famous P-38 that crash landed on Greenland during the war.  Left there for 60+ years, a team of warbird enthusiasts decided to recover it.  It was buried under 250ft of ice, but 6 years later it took to the air again renamed, appropriately, Glacier Girl

Check out their website

http://p38assn.org/glacier-girl.htm#history

[Hobbes]

Aluminium should hold up pretty well; the outer skin corrodes quickly (replacing the mirror finish with a duller look) but this (thin) outer layer protects the rest of the metal.
I don't think NMF would be used on metals that corrode easily, like steel.  

[The Rat]

What happens when a plane rots?

There's a line just begging for a reply regarding Canadian government procuring practises...    

[B777LR]

I dont think that many aircraft today would rot. Theres examples of planes in jungles of south east asia, still in good condition(the B-17 swamp ghost, was resting in a swamp, yet was still in good condition.)

Only example of roting planes, would be the SAI KZ VII. (Scandinavian Aircraft Industry, Kramme and Zeuthe). These where built and designed in Denmark, 1946. As they where built from wood, fabric and a metal tube skeleton, and were used at a naval air station. Following a couple of crashes, some of the KZ VIIs where sent to the Royal aircraft establishment, where it was determined that the planes where rotting, and were subsequently withdrawn from service in 1956.

[Daryl J.]

The radar-nosed MiG-17 at McClellan AFB's museum had been polished but the outside air rendered the finish quite dull.  In modeling terms, I think Floquil Old Silver + a drop or two of flat white primer would do.   The rivets were terribly rusted with streaks down the sides.   The metal itself was quite pitted.  Some areas seemed to have a depth and luster to them still.    The canopy was opaque and sort of a blend of  flat clear, burnt sienna, and clear yellow.


That's what I got to see.
Daryl J.


PS:  An unrestored late 1950's Cessna at home that's sat outside for decades is still quite nice.

[CanisD]

You just had to show the Kee Bird, didn't you? Where's a "sobbing inconsolably" emoticon when you need it?    

[jcf]

Real bare metal aircraft don't use NMF/BMF, they're just unpainted or unfinished, if you prefer.

Natural Metal Finish/Bare Metal Finish are modelling terms for methods used to produce an illusion of unpainted metal on plastic or wood.

Unprotected metals always corrode, Alclad skinned aircraft corrode more slowly because of the coating of pure aluminium.

Exactly how it ages is dependent on location.

Here is a good page of Northern wrecks.

Northern Wrecks

I'd say this one in particular addresses your question:





Cheers, Jon

[Gary]

WOW! Thanks guys. BUT WOW! Some of those birds on the site you showed Jon looked almost new!!!

So amazing! Thanks again! Now I'm excited!

[Jschmus]

It'll take me a day or two to get the pics up on Photobucket, but I snapped a few of the F-80 at the Museum.  It wasn't originally finished in bare metal, but it's been sitting outside so long that the paint's worn through in several places, and you can make out several different finishes and metal effects.