In January 1996, FSM published a “workbench review” of the ProModeler P-40E (1/48) painted with RAAF camouflage (“sandy earth”, “dark green” and “pastel blue”); the review mentioned, also, a certain article about camouflage colours, by Dana Bell, that was published in the January/1995 FSM issue.
I would like to paint (correctly) my P-40E kit with those RAAF colours; so, please, I would like to know the FS equivalent colours.
Also, that Dana Bell’s camouflage article could be made “available” here… at least, the article FS equivalence with the RAAF colours…[:I]
Cheers![:)]
Howdy,
Dana hangs out on the ‘Plane Talking’ forums over on Hyperscale and is quite helpful and friendly. If you make a post there and direct it towards him (‘Question For Dana Bell’ usually does the trick) you’ll almost always get a fairly prompt response.
You’re also bound to get an answer or three from a few other folks as well, some of whom seem to think they hold a proxy for Dana. I’d wait for a response from the man himself…
Fade to Black…
Thanks, I will try it. But in the meantime, if somebody knows the FS equivalents for the RAAF colours, it could help, too… I like to known more opinions, OK?
Can you help me with the RAAF colours, guys?
Cheers!
Steve is right; Dana is very accessible over on Hyperscale.
Here’s my understanding of the situation, which is quite convoluted:
RAAF P-40s were painted in DuPont colors, based on information passed on by the British. Apparently there was some misunderstanding of color terms, resulting in DuPont painting the planes in colors that didn’t quite match what the British intended.
Sandy Earth is actually the equivalent of DuPont Dark Earth 71-065, which is the equivalent of FS30279.
Dark Green is DuPont 71-013, which is the equivalent of FS30118.
Pastel Blue is actually Sky Gray, or its equivalent, which would be DuPont 71-021. Equivalent FS numbers would be 35632 or possibly 36463. The term Pastel Blue arose due to differing contrasts, etc., of some color photographs, which tended to show more blue in the color than is actually there.
Again, this is my opinion only, and Dana is the expert. I’m in the process of building Andy Reynolds’ P-40E from the 49th FG, which is actually a reverse lend-lease Kittyhawk, and I’m still debating what colors to use! The underbelly color is giving me the greatest headache. So if you get a definite answer from Dana, let me and the others know!
Mark
Sorry guys, I was not able to access the Hyperscale “plane talking” forum, so it seems difficult to ask this question there…
Thank you very much, Mark. The colours FS30279/30111 you mentioned are (I think) correct, but they are the standard RAF desert colours; the blue 35632/36463 is a great tip.
In the same “workbench review” of the January 1996 FSM issue there is a Mauve 1/48 P-40 “Kittyhawk III” review, painted with these desert colours (FS30279/30111) and Azure Blue (bottom surfaces). Interestingly, this “workbench review” has a photo where the ProModeler P-40E is side by side with the Mauve P-40, and the colours of both aircraft are quite different.
So, I would like to paint my P-40 with “sandy earth”, “dark green” and “pastel blue” (RAAF “official names”?). Looking for the photos of that “workbench review”, these colours seem like:
“sandy earth” → sandy pink FS33531
“dark green” → “foliage green” FS 34092/34096 or maybe FS34079
“pastel blue” → the photos show barely the bottom of the aircraft, and it seems a FS35550
Of course, due the quality of impression, changes of colours in the published paper, etc. the “vision” of the colours can be distorted, and the interpretation of the (FS) colours is purely mine. So, I would like to have a confirmation (consistent data) about these colours.
Cheers!
I had forgotten all about that site[:I]! My age is starting to show. Thanks for posting the link.
Mark
The IPMS Stockholm site is OK but there is no “sandy earth” (or “brown bess”) colour, it is much more lighter than the “dark earth” FS20099 mentioned there.
Can I post (upload) an image from my HD? So you could see the RAAF P-40 colours I am talking about. Is it possible?