Late War Hellcat Colors

[Crossiant Oliver]

I recently got the academy F6F Hellcat and I have some questions about the scheme. It's a late war scheme for the F6F-5, which is the one with the all dark blue scheme. I have two colors for this scheme: Valeijo Model color Prussian Blue and Testors Modek Master Us Navy Blue. Which one is more suitable for the model? 

 

One more question, is there anything I need to know before starting the kit? Any comment would be fine.

[72modeler]

CO,

 

Boy howdy, as we say here in Texas, did you open up a can of worms! Lots of discussion and opinions on this topic. The MM sea blue gloss enamel  is pretty good- I don't use acrylics , so can't comment on them. The Xtracrylix has gotten positive comments, too, but again, I haven't used it. I have the MM enamel and a hand-mixed batch I made using the old Floquil color chips as a reference, but it was made using Floquil and Pactra  colors. I have attached a link to a discussion on this topic found on BM, which might be useful. Probably Dana Bell or Nick Millman would  be of far better assistance. IIRC, the Humbrol glossy sea blue is too dark, being more suited for RN aircraft.

 

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/42748-us-navy-sea-blue/

 

Mike

[Greenshirt]

Which USN Blue?  Enamel or acrylic, Model Master (MM) offers more than one...

 

If your subject is overall dark blue, formally a two-tone ANA 607 Non Specular Sea Blue and ANA 623 Gloss Sea Blue then a good close color is MM FS15042 Gloss Sea Blue if you want to use MM. Prussian Blue is likely too bright and and blue, and not dark enough. To my eye Sea Blue has a bit of green in it. ANA 607 and 623 are slightly different, but if it's not important to you then a close match to FS15042 can work. 

 

Edit: this other thread has some good info on the blues used in Hellcats. 

 

Edited December 31, 2016 by Greenshirt

[Crossiant Oliver]

8 minutes ago, Greenshirt said:

Which USN Blue?  Enamel or acrylic, Model Master (MM) offers more than one...

 

If your subject is overall dark blue, formally a two-tone ANA 607 Non Specular Sea Blue and ANA 623 Gloss Sea Blue then a good close color is MM FS15042 Gloss Sea Blue if you want to use MM. Prussian Blue is likely too bright and and blue, and not dark enough. To my eye Sea Blue has a bit of green in it. ANA 607 and 623 are slightly different, but if it's not important to you then a close match to FS15042 can work. 

The Model Master paint is acrylic, as someone in my household gets migraines from the smell of enamel paint.

[Seawinder]

I'd say most likely not Prussian Blue. Testors makes the proper color in their Model Master acrylic line: no. 4686 Dark Sea Blue FS 35042. Dunno if that's the other color you've got -- can't find any reference to Model Master U.S. Navy Blue.

 

Per Greenshirt's post, FWIW, ANA 623 was called Dark Sea Blue, not Gloss Sea Blue, although many modelers tend to call it that.

[iainpeden]

Have a look at my post this morning - There is some useful information in the answers.

[Crossiant Oliver]

17 minutes ago, Seawinder said:

I'd say most likely not Prussian Blue. Testors makes the proper color in their Model Master acrylic line: no. 4686 Dark Sea Blue FS 35042. Dunno if that's the other color you've got -- can't find any reference to Model Master U.S. Navy Blue.

 

Per Greenshirt's post, FWIW, ANA 623 was called Dark Sea Blue, not Gloss Sea Blue, although many modelers tend to call it that.

Ya, I said the model master paint wrong. I'm on vacation, but I'm coming home today and I'll check the name

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

FWIW, FS35042 didn't measure particularly well against the monogram sample of ANA607 we had.

 

ANA623 isn't bright or vivid. It's dark and fairly smokey looking. Prussian Blue would be a particularly poor choice, so I'd go with the Model Master of the two.

[Dana Bell]

3 hours ago, Seawinder said:

Per Greenshirt's post, FWIW, ANA 623 was called Dark Sea Blue, not Gloss Sea Blue, although many modelers tend to call it that.

 

Hi Seawinder,

 

You might need to check your source for ANA 623 - my June 1944 and March 1945 chips are both labeled "Glossy Sea Blue."

 

Dark Blue, a Navy color produced to replace Blue Gray, was replaced by the sea blues and never had an ANA number.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

[Seawinder]

1 hour ago, Dana Bell said:

 

Hi Seawinder,

 

You might need to check your source for ANA 623 - my June 1944 and March 1945 chips are both labeled "Glossy Sea Blue."

 

Dark Blue, a Navy color produced to replace Blue Gray, was replaced by the sea blues and never had an ANA number.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

I stand corrected -- it's Testors that calls it Dark Sea Blue, not the USN.