Search the Community

Hello everyone I was curious if anyone here may have a good color mix for the USN 4-Tone schemes two darker colors ? I am doing two large aircraft with similar scheme's (two x B-25’s). I’m just not sure if I have enough and Id like a back-up to my Hataka lacquer paints. I should add one will be in the traditional 4-tone scheme. The other will be in the earlier two tone scheme of blue grey over light grey. Some of these had the ANA623 or 607 added in the later parts of the war. The ANA 623, 607, and intermediate blue 608 colors are more specifically what Im after. The white paint I can cover with existing stock in my paint rack. Maybe @Casey could offer advice here. It would be greatly appreciated. Dennis

Part of what interests me about this little business I fell in to is that there is so much to learn. Like many, I until quite recently was under the mistaken believe that sea blue was sea blue, was sea blue. Or more specifically that it was different sheens on the same colour that adorned US Navy aircraft from 1943 until they started painting them Light Gull Grey over white. In my defence, it's an easy mistake to make as a modeller - there is so much misinformation out there. Look at most modelling resources and you'll find FS595 references for all these aircraft. Paint a "tricolor" scheme with FS35024. Paint an all-over blue Corsair with FS15042. Grumman Panther? Yup that's FS15042 also. The fact that Federal Standard actually write on the chip for FS35042 that it is ANA607 Non-Specular Sea Blue and that FS15042 is ANA623 Glossy Sea Blue really doesn't help to dispel the myth either. I'm not about to tell everyone they're painting their US Navy aircraft the wrong colour - they're your models and you can do what you like. What we have done though is make colours matched specifically to the best US Navy colour monograms going. I, for one, was surprised at the difference when reviewing the chips with our factory technical staff back in July, but things dull with time. They're here now. The ANA607 colour was a particular challenge to get right - the ANA623 and FS15042 were more straightforward but it's still a matching and quality control process which needs to run its course. I painted the tin lids tonight, and after having a few months to wonder whether I was wasting a lot of resources making 3 new colours which most people think are the same as ACUS07 or any other brand's sea blue for that matter, I was fairly surprised to see how different these colours are, both upon seeing them wet in the big cans they come to us in, but also drying on the lids. See for yourselves: Colourcoats ACUS33 - ANA607 Non-Specular Sea Blue going on: Colourcoats ACUS33 - ANA607 Non-Specular Sea Blue almost dry on the lids: Colourcoats ACUS34 - ANA623 Glossy Sea Blue drying on the lids - this one is a glossy paint with 25% flatting agent for better usability and to ensure it will actually dry! From left to right - ACUS35 - FS15042 Gloss Sea Blue, ACUS34 - ANA623 Glossy Sea Blue, ACUS33 - ANA607 Non-Specular Sea Blue