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RAF Roundel Colour help!


CANicoll

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Folks - did a search on the site here but didn't find the answer.  A web search also turned up an amazing number of mixes and comments about what are the 'right' and 'wrong' colours...

 

SOOO - my friends, what are the 'proper' colors for WWII Roundels for a Spitfire (I am assuming the colours were standardized, but just in case...) Mk IXc?  I'm building 2 1/72 Spits and have decals, but am trying to practice using masks hence my question.  

 

I see lots of comments about decals having the wrong colours so rather than just trying to mix a match for the decals I thought I'd ping this knowledgeable community.

 

Oh and also for the fin flashes.  Assuming the same blue and red but better safe than sorry.

 

Can't wait to see where this discussion goes!

 

Chris

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I generally mix colours by eye, but I noted these suggestions a while back as being very close to my own results, but more formal for the sake of consistency.

 

Suggested mixes by Sean of Top Notch Masks in the UK 

 

Using Tamya acrylics the following are good mixes:- 

 

Dull Roundel Red – Mix of 75% flat Red (XF-7 ), 25% NATO Brown (XF-68) 

 

Dull Roundel Blue – Mix of 95% flat Blue (XF-8), 5% flat Black (XF-1) 

 

Yellow – Flat Yellow (XF-3) with a tiny amount of flat Red (XF-7) 

 

RAF Dark Green - 75% XF81 Dark Green 2 (RAF) 25% XF49 Khaki 

 

RAF Dark Earth - 85% XF49 Khaki 15% XF52 Flat Earth 

(note: I still prefer Gunze H72 Dark Earth straight from the bottle) 

 

RAF Ocean Grey - 90% XF82 Ocean Gray 10% X2 White 

 

RAF Medium Sea Grey - 90% XF83 Medium Sea Grey 10% X2 White 

 

RAF Sky - 75% XF21 Sky 25% X2 White 

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Alex,  - Thanks!  This is a start.  Chek - Big thanks for the detail and the reference!  I don't have easy access to Tamiya paints since the LHS closed down recently (sadly) so will have to see what I can do.

 

Any ideas using Vallejo paints?

 

Chris

Edited by CANicoll
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  Mark, I'll take any starting point.

 

Carl:  Thanks!  The .080 Rust is too brown, but I find with a nearly equal mix of 085 Ferrari Red and Rust that comes REALLY Close.  Will check out the others as well.

Cheers, guys!

Chris

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Sorry Chris, while it's one brand I've wanted to try, I've not had the opportunity to do so, at least so far.

What I would encourage though is to trust your eyes (unless you're colour blind), using a good quality photo.

Because even warbirds (in the UK at least) tend to be guided by Humbrol paint formulae.

 

What really got me started on self-mixing was that none of the commercially available versions of Extra Dark Sea Grey matched the image I retained from the FAA Phantom at Yeovilton. The black stenciling on a Royal Navy Phantom was much more distinct than those placed on the out-of-the-bottle / tin versions of EDSG were telling me. And my resultant Tamiya mix was both bluer and far less dark that didn't drown the black.

 

Unfortunately, though my last FAA project was producing a large Swordfish model for a Bismarck attack veteran quite a few years back, I can't find my project notes now, which I really wish I had available for the HKM Phantoms when they appear. Still, back to the drawing board, as they say. 

 

 

Any ideas using Vallejo paints?

 

Chris

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Chek,

 

wow, great history and thanks again for the follow up.  Yeah, I think that is what I'm going to end up doing is maybe doing one of the spits with decals, and then the other one using the masks.  Decals are so much easier, and in this very small scale probably about as good as paint, but I'm prepping for some larger 1/48 and 1/32 builds where I really do want to paint on the markings.

 

Jens:

Thanks for a VERY exhaustive list!  Agreed, shipping across the pond will probably get costly, but it gives me options to look here in the states.

 

I knew I'd get some really good advice from the LSP folks here and I was not disappointed.  Cheers, guys!

 

Chris

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All enamels and you may have to order them from the UK.  Not sure what the postage charges will be though.

 

However, there is this brand that will send orders by post:

 

http://mrpaint.sk/farby/lietadla/RAF?product_id=184

 

http://mrpaint.sk/farby/lietadla/RAF?product_id=185

 

http://mrpaint.sk/farby/lietadla/RAF?product_id=186

 

Jens

I second the MRP Paint range. 

I am in the process of moving to them.  They spray beautifully and are airbrush ready, laquer based, they are a bit like Gunze.  They are very thin, much like ink rather than paint.

 

You can read more about them here:  https://www.uschivdr.com/shopping-categories/shop-colors-paints-pigments-primer/mr-paint-superfine-inks-1/

 

They have a UK distributor now:  http://www.hmhobbies.co.uk/

I believe they also have an outlet in the US.

 

Here is a review: 

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