Colour scheme sheets

Um, which scheme do you want to paint your model? Dark Earth and Dark Green or Ocean Grey and Dark Green?

Bill Banaszak, MFE

doesnt the humbrol list the conversions? if so i have a couple, maybe

has the info online, i know one website does but cant remember which one

This should tell you everything you need to know.

JW

Well, that was just an example, but let me see...

It's a Mk. IIc Air Despatch Letter Service (Northolt June 1944) kit. The Revell colours listed are

79 + 5 (90% + 10%) 65 + 5 (95% + 5%) 57 + 5 (85% + 15%) 36 15 9 99 45 84 + 99 (65% + 35%) 90 + 91 (60% + 40%)

The thing is, when I went to get one of these in the Humbrol equivalent (can't remember which one now) the Humbrol number listed in the conversion chart I looked at should have been a matt green (so presumably it was 65 Matt Green) but the humbrol tin in the shop display was for a bright gloss green! Hence my mistrust.

Of course it's possible that at some point Humbrol changed their numbering hence the mismatch.

Kind fellow that you are and all but, rather than coming on to rec.models.scale and asking "Hey Bill! What colours do I need for this Stuka, please?" I was wondering if there was a list where I could look up "Stuka. France 1940. Blitzkreig Squadron" and there would be the Humbrol Colours recommended (and/or the Revell colours et. al.)

BTW, what does MFE stand for?

Possibly, but that's not quite my point. The kit I have lists the colours for the 1944 ADLS but

A - I don't trust the conversion (or my local shop is using an old list of colours - that assumes that humbrol changed their numbering scheme at some point) and B - What if I want to use a different colour scheme anyway?

And as I said to Bill, I don't really want to be bothering you guys, kind and helpful though you undoubtedly are, everytime I open a new box and so need a new list of Humbrol colours...

Thank you.

That's nearly what I'm talking about.

I appreciate though that it would be a mammoth task to list every combination of vehicle by squadron/battalion, year, campaign etc so my original idea may have been a bit of a pipe dream!

So, is it possible that Humbrol changed their numberinmg system at some point and that my local shop is still using old colours? Seems unlikely...

I don't know of one. I approach this task in a different way: use one or several of the references already available to find out the official names of the colours used to paint the subject originally. Then get the corresponding Humbrol, Xtracolor or whatever paints. Mostly these will have the same names (The Revell range is not good at this)

For instance, I suspect the Hurricane would be in the Day Fighter scheme of Dark Green and Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey. Dark Green is Humbrol 30, Ocean Grey 106 and Medium Sea Grey 165 (In Xtracolor, 110, 6 and 3).

The nearest thing to what you want is the very wonderful cross-reference charts originated by Urban Fredriksson that John Walker has already pointed you towards. Urban has a selection of lists by country where he gives the best matches from the major model paint manufacturers for the various commonly-used colours by name. I know of no finer set of model paint colour references (and Urban should have been showered with praise and money by grateful modellers to continue this work!)

This chart

the colours you need.

The remaining part of the research, determining which colours were applied to your subject at the period you wish to model it, has to be left to you, the modeller. The comprehensive list you want to see is beyond the resources of anyone to assemble.

And thats before you get into weathering, consistency of application (US Army Olive Drab or German Panzer camouflage, for example) or Scale Colour; all of which renders exact colour matching so much less relevant to the true appearance of your subject on any day of its history.

The problem I've found with Revell paints is their makeup. They are described as "synthetic enamels" (I think), and unlike Humbrol or Xtracolor enamels MUST be thinned with their specific Revell thinner. Attempting to thin them with white spirit results in a paint that takes weeks to dry. The thinner seems to evaporate too quickly for my liking, too.

Revell Grey-Blue+White : to make Medium Sea Grey (I guess)

Revell Bonze Green+White : to make Dark Green (I guess)

Revell Grey+White : to make Ocean Grey (I guess)

Revell Carmine Red (Guessing Markings, spinner?)

Revell Yellow (Guessing Markings, prop tips?)

Revell Anthracite Grey (Revell usually uses this for tires)

Revell Aluminium - metal bits

Revell Light Olive (interior Green, perhaps; Humbrol 151, Xtracolor 117)

Revell Leather Brown+Aluminium ??? is this right? Lord knows what for?

Revell Silver+Iron - darker metal bits :)

Well Matt Dark Green is 30 in my Humbrol chart: 65 is Matt Aircraft Blue. Bright Gloss Green could have been 2 or 3; what number was actually on the tin lid? It could have just been put into the wrong slot.

The amount of research necessary to generate such a chart, even for one subject, is truly enormous. I'm in awe of Urban's achievement.

• GRAND SNIPOLA *

Alan

Thanks for the excellent and comprehensive reply.

The 65 Matt Green I referred to is the Revell colour rather than the Humbrol colour (but re-reading it proves that it reads more like I appeared to mean the Humbrol colour! D'Oh!)

Anyway, a more thorough search of the internet finds that Revell 65 = Humbrol 75 (according to

I wonder if it was that colour that I found as a gloss? Who knows but I'm sure the number on the lid matched the number I was looking for.

So, I'll look again next time I'm in Beckenham or near my favourite old shop, Avicraft.

75 is Humbrols Matt Bronze Green, as you say, the same colour as Revell

1. Not Gloss and not Bright either.

Bit of a mystery . .

You had me going there for a minute until I read further down that '65' was the Revell number. In Humbrolese that's RLM 65 or the underside colurs for many German aircraft.

MFE stands for 'Middle-aged Flatulence Emitter' and means that I've been around modelbuilding since the Ice Age or since Testors paint came in

10¢ bottles. There are a few of us old...er..warriors around here.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Yeah, they changed a lot around and deleted a bunch of colors over ten years ago. If your shop has a chart that old I would imagine it's pretty beat up. There is a book that Humbrol supplies that gives formulas and such but it retails for around 15 pounds. Your retailer should get one.

In the old days, you could buy a kit that gave you six colours for various countries/armed sevices and the names of the colour on the tinlet. I find the new system less than adequate. hth

The Keeper (of too much crap)

Mystery over. I bought Humbrol 75 today with a little more bravado. What I think distracted me before is the glossy lid! I'm kind of used to my matt paints having matt lids...