Have an interesting question for you...

[Jeeves]

So this pic was taken at an airshow last year and represents a FM-2 Wildcat...note the gunpowder residue coming from the wing gun ports. I guess my question is-- I am assuming it must pretty pretty highly illegal to have a machine gun armed warbird in the air owned by a civilian...so unless he was firing it from a private range or something, do you think he just got the industrial sized Tamiya Smoke out and painted it on-- or is it the real deal??

 

[Ken Abrams]

My guess would be some sort of movie prop type guns for the little battle scenes and dog fights I've seen at airshows. They probably leave some sort of soot.

 

[Sharkmouth]

I haven't seen that kind of staining on the real deal, probably done for effect.

Regards,

 

[Jeeves]

Interesting thoughts gents...it really does stand out on the Atlantic scheme-- just was wondering aloud...

 

[moon puppy]

So did they really stain? Just looked over some Mustang photos and I really can't see the stains from the guns, exhaust stains yes. guns, I don't see any.

 

[jknaus]

Cordite is corrosive so gets cleaned fairly quickly. Engine exhaust isnt as bad.

 

[Adam]

Jack Roush's Mustang had the same type of staining applied and the gun ports on that one were faired over. So yeah, probably just industrial application of Tamiya smoke! :laugh:

 

[Iron Mike]

Photoshop?

 

[wds]

Black powder? :laugh:

 

[AndyFettes]

Black powder? :laugh:

AK interactive industrial strength weathering powders comes with a free yard brush for application

 

[iambrb]

Might not be as illegal as you think! Several hollywood prop houses and individuals do have the proper Fed. licensing (Called Title II/Class III Generally) for full auto blank guns! a .50 M2 Browning Blank gun would fetch about $8-10K USD each, rough-guess.

In the US, as of a few years ago, the only private citizen to hold a license to mount weapons of any type on an aircraft was Mike Dillon. he owns Dillon Ammo reloading company. If you go to his site and look at some of his DVD's, they are pretty neat! His son started a company a few years before the whole fracas in Iraq started, re-manufacturing M134 Mini-guns, and so had to have this license for testing purposes. In the gun world they are known for holding about 30 square miles (I think it is) of desert in AZ or NM, forget which, and they regularly test and develop stuff like the Mini-Gun. Gooogle his site and look up MACHINE GUN MAGIC.................