Hi guys, after the P-39 group build I am going to tackle a Tamiya F4U-1D the question I have is is the proper color dark sea blue or the color that tamiya calls navy blue which appears to be alot lighter than the dark sea blue. I don’t have an airbrush yet so I am using rattle cans for my builds and the town I live in has one hobby shop open 3 days a week with a very limited supply so I got blue angel blue which looks very close to the tamiya x-8 I also have dark sea blue which would be more correct, I have used the search engine but all of the f4u-id pics are gone from the posts. sorry for the length of the post any help will be appreciated.
Yes, factory fresh Corsairs were Dark Sea Blue, however constant exposure to the sun and sea made the paint fade quickly. Since you are only using ratle cans, you are somewaht limited in your choice of paint. If I were you (and I’m by no means telling you how to do YOUR project[:)]), I’d give it a factory fresh look with a semi gloss overcoat. But that’s just me. I think that would be the most feasable with your options. If you do get an airbrush, you can do some paint fading like I did (I got this idea from Pixilater)
I’m sure your Corsair will turn out great! You wont be disappointed with the Tamiya kit! Good luck and please show us your work!
Yep Dk Sea Blue is the go, which I believe is available from Tamiya in their AS range & also from MM in their rattle cans. Don’t feel tempted to use X-8 as the colour is TOO blue, if you know what I mean. The USN’s Dk Sea Blue has more of a grey shade to it.
Okay just to throw a monkey wrench in the works for ya [:-^] I have a friend who I was visiting yesterday who’s been a modeler longer than I’ve been alive. He started out on the old monogram speedi-built wood and plastic kits after he got out of the navy as a plane captain on F4U Corsairs. We were talking about paints and colors and such on models following a discussion that stirred up a few people here on the forums a week or so ago and he started talking about the Sea Blue colors that the assorted aircraft came in. He remarked how the Grumman aircraft came in an extremely dark blue along with the F4U Corsairs that were built by Goodyear. He also said that the Corsairs built by Vought were painted in a blue that was a few shades lighter than the Grumman and Goodyear dark blue. It was still a dark blue but not the same as the what the the other manufacturers were using. This might give a touch of explaination of the difference in colors. he also stated that both colors weathered drasticly under the extreme conditions while at sea and they would clean and wax their Corsairs but could never get the very top of the spine behind the canopy. He also spoke of how the first corsairs he was associated with came with the internal armored class as opposed to the armored windscreen and that they never could get in between the armored glass and the plastic windscreen to clean them as well as they liked. Just a few notes of interest from from a fellow who was there.
Thanks guys for your help, I think I will do a test shot of the dark sea blue and see where that leads, I have googled pics but can’t seem to come up with a decent shot some look dark some look lighter which could point to the difference in paint colors but unfortunately they are all restored not actual wartime aircraft.
GSB is listed as equivalent to FS595 15042. This is the darkest of all the blues in the listing. But, given manufacturing differences, weathering, scale effect, yada yada, your GSB need only meet a few properties to be “correct”:
Its DARK. Anything darker than Insignia Blue should suffice (eventhough weathered GSB often photographs lighter than the insignia, particularly in B&W). Remember, on those few aircraft that still used an insignia blue base, that the insignia would probably be weathering right along with the base coat.
Its GRAYish. GSB is not a high chroma color. Royal Blue and other bright high chroma shades are out.
Its GREENish. Just like the deep ocean its meant to represent, GSB falls on the greenish/turquoise/teal side of the pure blue color line. Indigo and other purple shades are out.
Meet these three criteria and y’all are Good-to-Go! BTW, the “glossy” shade was chosen because it weathered at a slower rate than the “matt” paints used previously.
