Okay, so I know that British AFVs had slightly different paint colors from the US olive drab…and the Achilles I’m working on right now calls for Gunze H80/54 Khaki Green. Which, conveniently, doesn’t match up with any paint from any other brand.
I’ve used Gunze Mr. Color in the past, and while I liked it well enough, I’d prefer to stick to either Tamiya, Vallejo or Model Master enamel, all of which I can source locally.
So what matches up well with British armor (i.e. Firefly, Achilles, etc)? What have others used?
I’m thinking Tamiya XF-61 (Dark Green) or XF-70 (also Dark Green) may do well. Especially if the Khaki Green/Olive Drab divide is essentially the same found on aircraft. And I found a Tasca Firefly build that used XF-61 to great effect:
The mix for SCC 15 in Vallejo is equal parts 70924 and 70888. This happens to be dead match to the original. SCC 15 and Olive Drab No. 9 are not the same colour when new, the British colour faded to a green shade whereas, according to a Sherman driver…the US colour was definitely browner.
Oh British WWII AFV colors are a fun study in change. In a nutshell they started the war in either Khaki (a brown shade) or Medium Bronze Green. After Lend Lease vehicles started to arrive, around early/mid 1944 they adopted Khaki Drab, a shade similar to Olive Drab. By the end of the war they were starting to go back to a Bronze Green on Commonwealth built late model AFVs. The Middle East, Far East, and Western Desert/MTO (Sicily/Italy) had a whole different batch of colors used during the war.
So basically like the US Navy that couldn’t ever seem to settle on something?
Found another recommendation of 4 parts Tamiya Olive Green to 3 parts Tamiya Olive Drab…think I’m going to go that route. Now to get the Achilles closer to painty goodness!
Something like that. They were not so freewheeling as the Germans on vehicle camo but adapted to the local conditions quite well as needed. The OG/OD mix sounds like a good combo. I have used Humbrol’s and XtraColour’s Khaki Drab (I figured Brit company would make Brit colors more accurately) and neither is matched to one another, but give a somewhat similar medium olive green shade.
Mike Starmer is the expert on all things British AFV colours as he has done extensive research and written several guides.
I have an Italian theatre 1:72 Italeri Bishop that is base coated in a Vallejo mix SCC2 that I have still not worked out as yet how to finish.
I use primarily Vallejo paints so mixes of that brand are useful to me. I have found Mike is quite happy to discuss via email the best approach.
Below is a compilation PDF of many Mike Starmer postings over the last few years, as well as info from him via email. Happy to share, though it is a tad rough. I do however recommend his published guides as they are excellent.
