WWII RAF PRU Blue

[Dr Lurve]

Hi everyone

I hope that i don't provoke an argument on the topic as am just seeking some general views on which model paint manufacturer produces the closest match to WWII RAF PRU? Was thinking of going down the Xtracolour route as have compared Vallejo Model Air, Humbrol enamel and Xtracrylics and they just seem too grey to my eye rather than having more of a blue content. Any guidance would be appreciated!

Thanks

Rob

[Tedfellows]

Xtracrylix or Vallejo are perfect matches, and certainly didn't look grey when I recently used them!

Adam

[Spitfire31]

Hi everyone

I hope that i don't provoke an argument on the topic as am just seeking some general views on which model paint manufacturer produces the closest match to WWII RAF PRU? Was thinking of going down the Xtracolour route as have compared Vallejo Model Air, Humbrol enamel and Xtracrylics and they just seem too grey to my eye rather than having more of a blue content. Any guidance would be appreciated!

Thanks

Rob

FWIW, Xtracolor PRU Blue is my favourite also. It does look very close to the PR Mk XIX in the Swedish Air Force museum.

Best,

Joachim

[Miggers]

You can also do what the Squadrons actually did,mix their own.

Five parts humbrol 106 blue to one part Humbrol 64 light grey produces very acceptable results.

[Test Graham]

Did the squadrons mix their own? I very much doubt it. The initial work of the PRU certainly involved experimental use of different colours, but even so these generally involved getting the paint from the producer (as Cotton had prewar for his own aircraft) rather than through RAF channels. Once the colours were standardised then they'd be put into normal production and obtained as any other.

[Nick Millman]

You can also do what the Squadrons actually did,mix their own.

Five parts humbrol 106 blue to one part Humbrol 64 light grey produces very acceptable results.

Amazing. I never knew that the Squadrons had access to Humbrol paint during the war. Must have used thousands of those little tins though.

[Truro Model Builder]

Amazing. I never knew that the Squadrons had access to Humbrol paint during the war. Must have used thousands of those little tins though.

LOL.

Actually, are you sure that it is Humbrol 106, as that is grey as opposed to blue?

[Test Graham]

In model terms, if it works go for it. I think I'd start with Humbrol's Azure Blue, which isn't what it says on the tin, but is a reasonable match for Light Mediterranean Blue. I see PRU Blue as being a greyer version of LMB, the two are fairly close.

[John]

157 isn't even a reasonable match for LMB, being too dark and grey:

157 is probably nearer to EDSG than anything else on the RAFM book colour chart.

John

[Miggers]

Amazing. I never knew that the Squadrons had access to Humbrol paint during the war. Must have used thousands of those little tins though.

You silly bottom Nicholas

Yes it should be Humbrol 109 and 64,that'll teach me to go off the top of my head(it is flat)!!!.

I found out that the squadrons had mixed their own whilst reseaching my Airfix PR.XIX's colour scheme,

they used five parts blue to one part light grey and mixed it in a bucket.

[Nick Millman]

In model terms, if it works go for it. I think I'd start with Humbrol's Azure Blue, which isn't what it says on the tin, but is a reasonable match for Light Mediterranean Blue. I see PRU Blue as being a greyer version of LMB, the two are fairly close.

Apart from the fact that they are completely different hues - Munsell 2.4 PB 4.4/4.6 vs 5.3 B 3.9/3.0 and the difference is 10 where less than 2.0 is needed for a close match!

[atvd1020]

On the other hand, is Humbrol 157 an acceptable match for PRU blue? An older thread on Azure Blue showed it to be close (a little darker, maybe) to an FS 35164 colour chip.

[Nick Millman]

On the other hand, is Humbrol 157 an acceptable match for PRU blue? An older thread on Azure Blue showed it to be close (a little darker, maybe) to an FS 35164 colour chip.

PRU Blue is not anything like 35164. That is too grey and the difference is 8.75. There are no usefully close FS 595B colours that match it. The closest is 25109 @ 4.66 but that is too blue.

[keefr22]

FWIW, Xtracolor PRU Blue is my favourite also. It does look very close to the PR Mk XIX in the Swedish Air Force museum.

Best,

Joachim

Without wishing to be shot down in flames (again!!) I do have to say that whilst one tin of xtracolor PRU blue may be very close to the actual colour, the next tin may not. For some reason I have got three tins of this paint in my stocks (I don't know why!) and all three have different colour lids. So I brushed some of each out - & they are, indeed, three different ''PRU Blues''....!!

I add this not for the sake of argument, just as a statement of fact.....

Keef

[atvd1020]

PRU Blue is not anything like 35164. That is too grey and the difference is 8.75. There are no usefully close FS 595B colours that match it. The closest is 25109 @ 4.66 but that is too blue.

Thanks for the information. I have to double-check what my tin of Humbrol 157 looks like too, or should I simply not bother?

[Nick Millman]

Without wishing to be shot down in flames (again!!) I do have to say that whilst one tin of xtracolor PRU blue may be very close to the actual colour, the next tin may not. For some reason I have got three tins of this paint in my stocks (I don't know why!) and all three have different colour lids. So I brushed some of each out - & they are, indeed, three different ''PRU Blues''....!!

I add this not for the sake of argument, just as a statement of fact.....

Keef

I'm going by the measured MAP standard swatch and the modern BSi 381c 636 swatch and L*a*b* values - which are slightly different. The modern colour is a bit lighter and greyer.

Wartime PRU Blue L*a*b* 40.62 -9.39 -9.85 Munsell 5.3 B 3.9/3.0

Modern PRU Blue L*a*b* 45.70 -6.8 -7.3 Munsell 5.6 B 4.4/2.2

[Nick Millman]

Thanks for the information. I have to double-check what my tin of Humbrol 157 looks like too, or should I simply not bother?

Dunno, because I don't have a tin of 157 to check I'm afraid! Humbrol 230 PRU Blue is supposed to match PRU Blue (unsurprisingly) but I haven't checked that either. The closest out of the tin Humbrol to a "scale" PRU Blue used to be 124 Petrol Blue (the right hue but slightly lighter) but that has been discontinued. It looked "right" on a 1/72 model whereas the Xtracolour is a bit intense.

PRU Blue is a deep toned blue-grey with a subtle greenish caste.

This thread suggests that 230 is a reintroduction of 124:-

Discontinued Humbrol

I have 124 but not 230 so I can't verify that. If it is the same or similar it ought to be good enough.

Edited April 8, 2012 by Nick Millman

[keefr22]

I'm going by the measured MAP standard swatch and the modern BSi 381c 636 swatch and L*a*b* values - which are slightly different. The modern colour is a bit lighter and greyer.

Wartime PRU Blue L*a*b* 40.62 -9.39 -9.85 Munsell 5.3 B 3.9/3.0

Modern PRU Blue L*a*b* 45.70 -6.8 -7.3 Munsell 5.6 B 4.4/2.2

Hi Nick,

I wasn't making comment on any of your measurements, just on the comment that xtracolor PRU blue may be 'very close' to the 'actual' colour - whatever that may be. I find it difficult to accept such broad statements when the paint in their tins can be so variable....

Best

Keef

[Nick Millman]

Hi Nick,

I wasn't making comment on any of your measurements, just on the comment that xtracolor PRU blue may be 'very close' to the 'actual' colour - whatever that may be. I find it difficult to accept such broad statements when the paint in their tins can be so variable....

Best

Keef

And I didn't think you were either! I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't going by the hobby paints! ;-)

Regards

Nick

[Monty Python]

Just to add my thoughts. Have you ever tried WEM colour coats? These are so easy to work with. In my mind the best enamel paint I've used.

[John]

I was using some Humbrol PRU Blue this morning:

so I brushed out a swatch and held it up to the RAFM chip:

The acrylic paint has dried to a more matt finish than the smooth paint of the chip, but dampening it down a bit gives us:

which is pretty close. It could maybe use a touch more blue, but not a lot.

John

[Dr Lurve]

Looks like i have a few options here for PRU blue. Like the look of the Humbrol Acrylic and have also hear good things about WEM enamels.

Thanks guys.

Rob

[Mike Starmer]

For what it is worth, I an trying to tweak Humbrol 230 with green and grey to match the colour in the RAF Museum book. H230 is too light and blue. I made a very close match years ago with 3 x 25 + 2 x 195 + 1 x 34.

In addition I discovered that these colours in different ratio can be used to make U.S.N. Blue-Gray matched to the sample in Elliott's U.S. Navy & Marine Corps' by Monogram.

[John]

For what it is worth, I an trying to tweak Humbrol 230 with green and grey to match the colour in the RAF Museum book. H230 is too light and blue. I made a very close match years ago with 3 x 25 + 2 x 195 + 1 x 34.

In addition I discovered that these colours in different ratio can be used to make U.S.N. Blue-Gray matched to the sample in Elliott's U.S. Navy & Marine Corps' by Monogram.

I've found a coat of satin or gloss varnish brings Humbrol 230 up a bit and tends to accentuate the green.

John

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Just to add my thoughts. Have you ever tried WEM colour coats? These are so easy to work with. In my mind the best enamel paint I've used.

I'm late here - but here you go: