hsr Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Hi all, I am working on a 1/72 YO-3A kit. Unfortunately the kit "instructions" give no instructions on the color scheme. It only includes so photos with color retention too poor to really be able to tell. The same is true with most pictures I can find on the internet. The best I can tell is it looks like the 2 SEA scheme greens with either a blue-gray, or light sand, but again I can't be sure. Does anyone have any good data on what colors they were painted; FS or Humbrol numbers? Any help would be greatly appreciated? Thanks Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Not sure where you get the two greens from. This looks like some darker grey color and some sandy/olivy grey to me: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/ac319977.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted July 2, 2017 Author Share Posted July 2, 2017 There is this; These http://www.skytamer.com/Lockheed_O-3A(YO).html Even the one you show I can interpret as a dark green. My point is that all of these are open to interpretation. I was hoping for something like this https://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/o-1/o-1_profile02.shtml Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e8n2 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Here is a link to my picture of the YO-3A at Pima in October of 2009: To me, it definitely appears to be two different shades of gray. Maybe something like FS 36320 and 36118 although at the time it was in operational use, I don't believe either one of those colors were around. I know somebody who worked on them and I'll ask him about it. Later, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 1 hour ago, e8n2 said: Maybe something like FS 36320 and 36118 although at the time it was in operational use, I don't believe either one of those colors were around. FS36118 was definately used in Vietnam - some AC-130's were painted in it, hence the "Gunship Gray" moniker, and (from the top of my mind) the bottom of some USAF A-1 Sandies as well. HTH, Andre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 7 hours ago, e8n2 said: FS 36320 and 36118 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sky dancer Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Hi HSR, If Dave/e8n2 has no success, you may want to try contacting the folks at this website:- http://www.yo-3a.com/home.html If they can't help, I doubt if anyone can. Personally, I have been looking at the photos taken in Vietnam, and of the restorations and frankly I am none the wiser. It could be dark grey/light grey, black/green or dark green/light green, there is just too much variation in the old photos to be certain. In many ways it reminds me of the old black/green camo (I can't remember the FS numbers) used by the Special Ops. MC-130E's in the 1970's/1980's - the "green" in that scheme could look greyish or brownish/tan depending on the lighting at the time. Anyway, hope you have success. All the best, Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 12 minutes ago, Sky dancer said: Personally, I have been looking at the photos taken in Vietnam, and of the restorations and frankly I am none the wiser. It could be dark grey/light grey, black/green or dark green/light green, there is just too much variation in the old photos to be certain. That is the way I feel. 13 minutes ago, Sky dancer said: If Dave/e8n2 has no success, you may want to try contacting the folks at this website:- http://www.yo-3a.com/home.html It looks like that group has been superceeded by http://www.quietaircraft.org/ I will send off an e-mail to their historian Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 I just heard back. The colors are FS 36251 and FS 36081 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 (edited) 1788 & 1794 in Testors colors according to Paint for Models paint coversion charts. Looking forward to seeing it on. also here. Steve. Edited July 4, 2017 by stevehnz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 Working on it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e8n2 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 I got a reply from "Army Bob" about how he remembers them being painted. Of course we are talking about over 45 years ago, "I remember the YO-3A as being one solid color, kind of a OD green and off grey color. Kind of green/grey or something like being in the forest at night with the trees and having a half bottom full moon. Remember, that it was in the air at night with little to no moon light." The colors quoted earlier from the Quiet Aircraft Group also sound right based on what is at Pima. Later, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 Thanks for following up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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