What’s the best Tamiya color to use for US armor in Vietnam in the late 60s? I’ve got a Tamiya M48A3 on Gino’s recommendation (thanks Gino) but would like to make sure I get the color right. I’ll probably build for the US Army.
Also, does anyone make AM stowage for the kit? Pictures I’ve seen of the tanks in Vietnam usually show tons and tons of stowage on the vehicles. While I’m at it, are there any good resin figures for the tankers for the Vietnam period?
Thanks for any info.
Larry,
Glad you like the M48A3. I don’t know what would be best with Tamiya paints, I only use Testor’s MM paints. I use either OD Green, with a black wash and then drybrushed with OD again, or Dark Green. Depending on when, where, etc, the colors varied from traditional OD Green to the darker, shinier green.
For gear, modern rucksacks, tent rolls, cots, and duffel bags, like those from the Tamiya Modern Equipment set would work. The basic gear hasn’t changed that much. To make the duffel bags look more period, shave off one of the shoulder straps. Vietnam era ones only had one shoulder strap. Verlinden and a few others do some Vietnam gear sets as well. Verlinden does a couple sets for Vietnam tankers too.
I think the Marines used a daker form of green, similiar to what Gino described as the darker green. Model Master makes MArines Corps Green that is nice
Thanks guys. It might be the images of marine tanks that confused me – I recall seeing some paintings of armor in Vietnam with a very dark gree rather than an OD color.
On a related note, have any of you guys used the AFV Club link set for the M48 and M60? The tracks in the Tamiya kit are so crude that I guess I pretty much have to replace them. I hate US tracks, they are so fiddly. [;)] How are these sets to build?
The AFV Club tracks are pretty nice. They go together well and look great when done.
The USMC green is actually a lighter and brighter green. Testor’s MM USMC Green is an exact match for it as well. Regular US Army green changed throughout the period. That is what I was referring to above.
Hmm … is there a guide to what the color would have looked like in 1968?
Unfortunately, no. It is all listed as teh same color, the formulation changed is the issue and it appears different, but is still the same color. There have been many discussions here and other sites on the proper color for post WWII OD Green. The problem is that there is no single, proper color. Best bet is to go woth what looks good to you.
I am in the process of using the AFV club tracks for an M60. They are very nice
I wonder if the Acrlyc version of the MM Marines Corps Green is different? That is what I used recently. It was pretty dark. Dark enough that I replaced Dark Green on a SEA Camo’d F-4 Phantom (because the MM Dk green was too close to Medium Green). The Marines Corps Green was a couple shades darker than the Dk Green and created a better contrast between itself and Medium Green.
Not the best pic, but I left the USB cable for the good camera at work. The darkest color is Model MAster Acrylic Marines Corps Green right out of the bottle, with Mdeium green being the lighter of the two. You can see the contrast.
Give me a day and I’ll post photos of armor in my Vietnam unit, the 2/1 Cav in Phan Thiet. We generally used a dark shade of OD, but it was flat and oxidized and scratched and dirty and … well … you get the picture.
Hello , for armor of that period , I use Humbrol # 66 , OD . It’s dark , and looks right . And it weathers nicely . As for accesories , and tankers , like the previous posts mentioned , try Verlinden .
Frank
" PERSEVERANCE "
Hey, color pics? Are you kidding me? That’d be great! I might just use one of those vehicles as my guide. I was thinking of building for a Cav unit anyway.