Correct A-10 color?

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hi guys!

I’m just about ready to paint the Hobby Boss 1/72 N/AW A-10A. The color the specify is “medium gunship grey” (Gunze Sangyo H305 aka “Satin US Dark Grey” FS36118). I could have sworn I read somewhere that this was actually incorrect but, then again, I could be wrong. Does anyone know what the correct color is for this particular plane?

Thanks!

Eric

2

Not a Grey Jet guy, but… Found this if it helps…

http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/a-10/a-10_profile01.shtml

THere’s also this:

http://www.usaf-sig.org/index.php/component/customproperties/tag?tagId=55

In the FWIW Dept., Wiki says:

Colors and markings

Since the A-10 flies low to the ground and at subsonic speed, aircraft camouflage is important to make the aircraft more difficult to see. Many different types of paint schemes have been tried. These have included a “peanut scheme” of sand, yellow and field drab; black and white colors for winter operations and a tan, green and brown mixed pattern.[58]

The two most common markings applied to the A-10 have been the European I woodland camouflage scheme and a two-tone gray scheme. The European woodland scheme was designed to minimize visibility from above, as the threat from hostile fighter aircraft was felt to outweigh that from ground-fire. It uses dark green, medium green and dark gray in order to blend in with the typical European forest terrain and was used from the 1980s to the early 1990s. Following the end of the Cold War, and based on experience during the 1991 Gulf War, the air-to-air threat was no longer seen to be as important as that from ground fire, and a new color scheme known as “Compass Ghost” was chosen to minimize visibility from below. This two-tone gray scheme has darker gray color on top, with the lighter gray on the underside of the aircraft, and started to be applied from the early 1990s.[59]

Many A-10s also featured a false canopy painted in dark gray on the underside of the aircraft, just behind the gun. This form of automimicry is an attempt to confuse the enemy as to aircraft attitude and maneuver direction.

3

If you are building it with the current ghost grey scheme, then the only place Gunship grey 36118 would be used is for the false canopy on the bottom of the nose.

The rst of the airframe is dark ghost 36320, over light ghost 36375. Form my years seeing A-10s in Afghanistan, the dark ghost on top fades to where it looks almost the same shade as the light ghost on the bottom.

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Considering that the N/AW variant was a one-off prototype, built in 1979, it is probable that it would have carried the early two-tone grey with false canopy underneath scheme.

The aircraft has subsequently been restored and placed on display in the overall Gunship Gray scheme.

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Thanks for all the info, guys! I’ve seen the pictures of the airframe (pre-restoration) and it looked so faded that I couldn’t tell what the original color was. It was just so splotchy! In doing some research on line (and still not getting a definitive answer) I saw someone made a comment that stated if the plane was going to be used more at night and in bad weather, it’s not entirely inconceivable that the plane could have carried the darker Gunship Grey. So with that being the case, I think I’m just going to go with that color.

Hans, I’m with you. 99% of the planes I build are prop jobs. I’m a firm believer that if it ain’t got no props, then it ain’t no airplane. But this is actually my second jet in a row which kind of scares me. What’s happening? What’s wrong with me???

Eric

6

I also built this kit earlier in the year and went through the same research that you had to do. All the photos of the N/AW A-10 I have show a color that is very close to 36118, but well-weathered. I went with 36118 on my bird.

By the way, did you add enough weight to the nose? I packed mine full of fishing weights, but a tap on the back will still the tip the plane. ARRGGHHH![bnghead]

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Aagranata,

I just painted mine last night using a Model Master rattle can of 36118. Boy I tell ya! That paint went on like buttah! It’s like a darkish-grey velvet! There’s absolutely no need for me to apply a gloss coat before I apply the decals. I’m going to weather the plane extremely lightly and that’s going to be it. Nothing heavy handed. I figured (aka “I’m guessing”) that the plane was not used long enough to look like some Navy carrier plane with blotchy touch-ups and heavy-handed panel lines.

I stuffed the nose with one small conical fishing weight as well as two large split shots. When sitting on it’s landing gear legs with no tires, the engines on and the canopy off, the plane still sits nicely on its gear. Phwew!!!

I’d love to see your build of this plane! Post it here or shoot me an e-mail if you could please! [:D]

Eric