Viet Nam Era Paint color

Modeling Subjects Helicopters
1

What color of OD are most of you using for the main airframe on Vietnam era hueys? Seems like FS34087 is recommend by the model companies. Also what is a good color to replicate the more current CARC (Chemical Agent Resistant Coating)?

Thanks in advance

2

For Vietnam helos, Testors Model Master OD Green, FS34087, is perfect.

For modern helos (about post '80ish, the transition started in the late '70s as helos went in for rebuild), the color is Testors Model Master US Army Helo Drab Green (officially - CARC Aircraft Green), FS34031, which comes in both acrylic and enamel. The enamel version is a bit lighter than the acrylic version though. The enamel one looks older, more used and faded.

Here is a comparison between the Testors Model Master Helo Drabs (FS34031). On the left is a UH-60L I did in Enamel Helo Drab (#2024), on the right is the Acrylic Helo Drab (#4723). You can see how the enamel is more gray and not as Green.

3

Thanks Gino; great input!!

4

I don’t know why but the Army helo drab in the photo looks really light to me (flash?). Try it out before you commit, it’s pretty dark.

Groot

5

It might be your monitor. The MM paint is a perfect match for the actual color, faded and newer.

6

I dunno, looking at it on a second monitor and it still looks a lot brighter than what I got when I built an Apache. I used the enamel (just checked the bottle too) and it looks darker than your acrylic version. I dunno? I’m still a fan, and the only time these things are ever the same color is when they come off the assembly line anyways!

Groot

7

It might be the lighting or something, no flash used. They are straight from the bottle.

8

Depending on how accurate you want to be on a specific aircraft, FS34087/Testors 1711 is a good generic match, but the actual colors varied with any number of conditions, including the age of the airplane, and the “as received” OD paint color has historically been widely variable.

Additionally, some crewchiefs wiped their aircraft down with rags dampened in hydraulic fluid or turbine oil, darkening the color and making the finish more of a satin than matte finish. The bottom line is that the individual colors varied widely, as you can see by the pics below… HTH… Good luck!

UH-1B MedEvac, circa 66-67:

Guns a Go Go, 228 ASHB ACH-47A, circa 1965-66

UH-1B, 2/20th ARA, circa 1965

O-1D Bird Dog, 1st Cav Airmobile, 1967:

O-1 Bird Dogs, Dec 1967

UH-1D, 1967

9

Thanks all for your input. I’m going with the 34087 on the Nam error UH-1D and the FS34031 for the modern Huey II.

I can also agree that we (crew chiefs) used hyd fluid or oils on the airframe. My aircraft in Danang was a Night Hawk bird though, so a shining finish was something I did not want. In Korea I crewed a VIP bird that Hyd fluid made the bird standout, in a good way

10

Not sure I know of any users of green Huey IIs. What Huey II are you building if i might ask?

Ray