I am building the new Dragon 1/32 scale P-51 kit and am comparing it, side by side, with the old Hasegawa kit …
I note the kit instructions for either vary in their color selections for various components …
I also note that both suggest colors that are NOT listed on the paint guides on the instructions sheets …
When there is a difference in color selection, which is the correct choice ? …
Is there, available, a comprehensive guide to paint colors identified by their ‘H’ number ? … y’know - H 2 (2) = black or H 37 (43) = wood brown, etc. ?? …
I’d like to find a list that started with H 1 and would go all the way to the end …
Also, why are some of the #'s different from the ‘H’ number, i.e., H 91 (48) = clear yellow or H 76 (61) = burnt iron ?? …
What do the ‘H’ #'s relate to and what do the numbers in the little boxes immediately to their right relate to ?? …
H numbers are the paint codes for Humbrol paints, the oldest european paint manufacturer around.
For some unknown reason, every modeling company refers to either Humbrol or Gunze Sangyo in their paint charts, even though most people paint with every other brand but those two.
As for the H (number in a box), it’s just so that you know that you’re supposed to paint the piece that color. A number in a circle is a decal.
In case you never know what color to paint something, here’s a list with the Federal Standard (or other country equivalent) of official paint codes (just scroll down to the appropriate country) http://ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/colorcharts.asp
For Dragon kits (and Hasegawa since the mid 80’s), the paint codes refer to Gunze Sangyo colours. Both use a similar coding scheme.
The “black number on a white background” is Gunze Acrylic (Aqueous Hobby Color) and the “white number on solid background” is the equivalent colour in Gunze “Mr Color” (Lacquer based).
Dragon includes a third column in their colour chart which is the equivalent in Testors ModelMaster.