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RAF heli drab help


thepureness

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Hi peeps

I've been thinking about starting my Airfix Merlin and without really paying too much attention I also assumed that RAF helicopters were painted RAF green (same used on their Dark green, Dark sea grey camo). This was me using the naked eye on builds i've seen and images.

But once I gave the painting guide a good once over I discovered that it calls out for an olive drab, took me by surprise. The olive drabs I usually use are mainly for US WWII aircraft and are no way a match for the Merlin, can anyone assist with a possible conversion to Tamiya acrylics?

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I asked a similar question a little while ago about Royal Navy green Sea Kings, and got loads of great advice. The thread is here

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234994431-helo-green-for-sea-king-hc4/?hl=olive#entry2212044

I eventually got a bottle of the Akan green which looks great in the bottle but I haven't used it yet. Hannants do a Helo green in their range but the consensus was that it isn't the right shade.

There may be a difference between the RAF and RN greens but I don't know if this is the case. Anyway there are people more expert than me here and I am sure you will get great advice.

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IIRC Chinooks were painted standard Dk Green, but this was painted over a Black primer rather than the more normal Yellow one. The Black primer was something to do with reducing the IR image of the Chinook, but I don't know if this was applied to the Merlin.

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IIRC Chinooks were painted standard Dk Green, but this was painted over a Black primer rather than the more normal Yellow one. The Black primer was something to do with reducing the IR image of the Chinook, but I don't know if this was applied to the Merlin.

The Merlin wears a yellow primer. When we used to do touch up painting after small repairs, the (brush on!) 2-part paint we would be issued with was simply annotated as 'dark green'. Not much help I know!

Lots of differing shades of green on Merlins too, as the original paint faded quite markedly in hot climates and also stained easily with oil and exhaust. It was very, very rare for an aircraft to get a full respray also, so just separate panels were painted when needed giving quite a patchwork look.

On ops, we would also use whatever paint we could find. Mainly NATO green aerosols taken from the army but also black!

Edited by paul_c
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There does seem to be some different tones. Have a look at our walkaround we have a few pics like this;

MHEL0163.JPG

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/71194-agustawestland-merlin-hc3-hca3/

JUlien

You can see on Julien's picture that the paint used is very susceptible to the slightest of marks. Even sweaty finger prints are there forever!

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If you wait a couple of months the first mk4 Merlin will be out at that is grey....dont ask what shade tho lmao

Really, you mean we wont be able to call them Jungie's anymore - no wonder they termed the final tour of the Sea King HC4 as the last flight of the Junglie's if the Merlin's are switching to Grey.

You don't happen to know if its overall grey like the Merlin HM2 or disruptive two tone grey camo as per the Wildcat ?

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According to a chap that works at Westland I meet at the helicopter museum they will be the DSG /MSG Od the Wildcats.

Ah yes they used that scheme on the artwork they did for the AEW version for Project Crowsnest using new build navalised Merlin HC3's before it was decided to do the Radar as a bolt-on module for the Naval Merlin HM2. Thanks Grizzly

Edited by Geoff_B
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Think you mean crowsnest Geoff ,seedcorn is a job creation scheme for unemployed crabs :-D.

Only joking about the last bit....it's a terrible situation to be in being a former maritime nation and all that....don't talk to me about lack of naval assets

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  • 2 weeks later...

What makes the multi-green situation worse is the state many of the Merlins were in when they came back from the sandpit.

I do wonder if the Merlin HM.2 fleet will also go two-tone grey as well. And I'm afraid I can't but help thinking of the Junglie Merlins as Munglies...

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What makes the multi-green situation worse is the state many of the Merlins were in when they came back from the sandpit.

I do wonder if the Merlin HM.2 fleet will also go two-tone grey as well. And I'm afraid I can't but help thinking of the Junglie Merlins as Munglies...

Do I know you that's my word munglies.....it's not taken off yet but I keep trying
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...
On 05/06/2016 at 10:16 PM, junglierating said:

If you wait a couple of months the first mk4 Merlin will be out at that is grey....dont ask what shade tho lmao

The first fully Navalised Mk4 has flown wearing a grey scheme, try the RN website, I believe there is an announcement and colour pics on there. Seems strange to be painting these birds in a grey scheme very similar to the anti-sub Merlins.

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On 06/06/2016 at 7:27 PM, Geoff_B said:

Ah yes they used that scheme on the artwork they did for the AEW version for Project Crowsnest using new build navalised Merlin HC3's before it was decided to do the Radar as a bolt-on module for the Naval Merlin HM2. Thanks Grizzly

It'll be interesting to see which schemes are used in the future, I quite like the Lynx Wildcat scheme

Edited by Whitewolf
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Hannants do two Helo Greens

 

Xtracolor X027  

British Army Helo Olive BS220

Xtracolor X028 RN Hello Helo Olive Drav BS298

 

The thing is, it appears the the RN Olive is the correct one to use on British Army Helos such as the Gazelle and Lynx, or is at least the better of the two to use. This my Gazelle in X028

 

Gazelle-21.jpg

 

Just found this note in my build thread

Quote

...I can only find reference to BS298 being used with Black in the early scheme and BS220 with the Medium Sea Grey in the later scheme...

 

Edited by JamesP
added note on camo
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