I did a search around this forums to prevent having to post something that for sure has been discussed before, but no luck. I currently started my Tamiya F16 C/J Block 50 1/32. Tamiya calls for 3 colors in spay can on the box. I would love to know what are those 3 colors in FS from Model Master.
Also, what’s the color for the drop tanks?
I soon as I get a response, I’ll be heading to my local shop.
As always, your help is appreciated and thanks in advance.
George
I wouldn’t take this response as set in stone by any means, but from some quick research I’ve come up with this:
The colors you will need are: for the underside: FS36375 light ghost grey. This wraps up around the nose in the cockpit area, and the tail plane/vertical stabilizer as well is this color.
FS 36118 Gunship grey is the darkest color of all.
FS FS 36320 is a good average color to do the nose radome in, and as you an see from the photo I’ve included this can vary from plane to plane.
Although, in this pic, it looks as though the tanks are also FS 36375 light ghost grey, I have seen some tanks that look more like they have been painted with FS 35440 Gull Grey.
As you can see in the pic, the different shades on the radomes, the tail plane the same color as the bottom, and the tanks blending in pretty well. Hope this helps
But like I say, dont take my response as the solid and only truth, but if I were building one, this is what I would go with.[bgr]
Thank you very much for your response and the picture. I guess you have confirmed some vague findings I had before posting the question here. I read somewhere there are nuances on the light ghost gray due to weather. With the radome any gray would do, this is not painted because it would interfere with the radar (what I have read). Fortunately I found the colors you mentioned in my paint drawer, I’m short of Gunship Gray though. I’m approaching this build very different so I’ll get the Gunship Gray tomorrow and will work with the others to today. Its been very rainy here in the Twin Cities.
This friendly forum made possible by helping folks like you.
Thanks a lot mate!
Hello El Taino,
The F-16 is a very interesting bird especially when in comes down to it’s paint scheme… Initially when they are rolled out of the factory, they are in deed in a three tone scheme which consists of Lt Comp Gray (FS 36375), Med Gray(FS 36270) & Gunship Gray (FS 36118).
However give or take 10 years ago, they simplified the colours used to FS 36270 which replaced the Lt Comp Gray (375) and Gunship FS 36118. However this was not done at the factory but at the units paint shop…
Why they just did not change up the order at the factory is beyond me but that’s the Gov’t fer ya… So with saying that, you will have to look at the subject that you are building and see when it was used by that particular unit.
From 2000-2005, there was a mix of two and three tone colour schemes with the front line units and then after 2005, this is when the two tone came in to effect more so.
For instance the 1/32nd scale F-16 that I did, she was in a three tone scheme at the time while attached to the 79thFS out of Shaw AFB and also wore the same scheme while participating in the 2001 “Tiger Meet of the Americas”
In all, just do some reference checking and see what time frame your 16 falls into…
Here is a pix of one of the 16’s from the 174thFW “The Boys From Syracuse” As you will see, she is in a two tone scheme… Photo was taken this past March of 2010…
The next photo is of a 16 down in Texas which just received a fresh coat of paint… Only this time it’s in a three tone…
It’s all in the time frame my friend…
Flaps up,
Mike
Rangers Lead The Way
Take a run over to Cybermodeler.com and look under color references They have several schemes and the both the three color and two color schemes to view for the F-16.
Mike