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Indian Roundels


Peter B

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I know there are some very knowledgeable guys out there, so if someone can help me, I would appreciate it.

Colour blindness is my problem. Could someone please tell me the paint reference numbers (Humbrol, Gunze, Tamiya, Testors etc) to - as near as dammit - the orange and green of the Indian Navy/Air Force roundels and fin markings?

I have the Mal Mayfield masks ready to go!

Peter

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  • 1 month later...

Peter, You can use the excellent Bright Spark decals (presently OOP at BS in England) but they are still in stock at FlightDecs in Canada, who provide excellent service, despite an antiquated ordering system. Bright Spark does periodically reprint their sheets as demand warrants. I use these & can recommend them unreservedly--the colors are spot on. Needless to say, this sheet is extremely popular with Indian modelers!

The roundels & fin flashes are scaled to 1:72 and the sheet includes a full list of Indian Air Force & Navy aircraft showing the size insignia prescribed for each type. Of course, the larger roundels fit 48th projects.

http://flightdecs.ca/a_bright_spark_72.htm

If you'd like, I have some spare Indian Navy decals from the 48th Classic Airframes Sea Hawk that I can give you--BS is the better option if scale isn't an issue because the CA roundels require either doubling up or a white undercoat as any color demarkation beneath the roundel will show through. Otherwise, they are very good. If you are in the US, you can also buy those CA sheets from Sprue Brothers for $2usd.

Finally, if Indian aviation interests you, whether a single project or a main modeling interest, I highly recommend checking out the 'Indian Scale Modelers' Facebook group, which include not only modelers, but a great many involved with Indian aviation, both military & civil--I've benefitted greatly from the primary sources available through this excellent community (I must add that there are some incredibly talented and creative modelers on the subcontinent)

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It doesn't appear there is a standard, or if there is, that it's adhered to very rigorously. I've seen a very vibrant bright orange, and I've seen more of a chiffon orange colour. Same with the green.

Perfectly true. I've seen IAF Canberra's with the Green replaced by Black - in all positions.

Dennis

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Actually, the insinuation that the IAF is casual about maintaining standards is not true. Yes, certain types have at certain times have roundels that don't meet the IAF's well established & usually enforced standard--don't be influenced by the guesswork applied by most kit decals. My purely anecdotal observation is that these unusual exceptions are consistant with a type & time frame. (I can't remember right the type right now but one helicopter type arrived with the flash reversed! That was not uncommon in the late '40s and most weren't corrected until they got around to depot repaints years later) B/W photo interpretation might be the reason for the expressed belief that standards are not commonly enforced.

Dennis--please share color photos of IAF Canberras or links if you have them (we can never get enough IAF color :) . The green often shows darker than it is in B/W.

In any case, the supposition that "It's Indian, anything goes" needs to be nipped in the bud, now that there is growing interest in desi subjects.

Peter, what are you building?

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I can't remember right the type right now but one helicopter type arrived with the flash reversed! That was not uncommon in the late '40s and most weren't corrected until they got around to depot repaints years later

The fin flash may not necessarily have been incorrect as the IAF did reverse its fin flash in 1948. Prior to that it was painted with the saffron stripe to the front and the green to the rear. In 1948 the roundel replaced the chakra on the wings and fuselage and the fin flash was reversed so the green stripe was now at the front and the saffron to the rear.

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there is a standard for Roundel, fin stripe and serial number size, position and font. I have seen a copy of the original 1948 Chakra paint standard, so it was as important then as it is now. Some Indian colour images have been scanned and manipulated over and over and do not necessary show a true reflection of the real thing. Black replacing black on a fin flash did not happen. Then of course you have the effects of different quality film and how they films have different effect on colour saturation. eg the difference between Kodachrome and Ektachrome. The orange colour is known locally as Saffron and in many instances BS colour references are used. However if you study IAF colour schemes going back over the years you will see many variations of the aircraft paint scheme caused by sun bleaching and in squadron painting.

Regards Phil

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