US Navy/Marines Phantom Colours (Help needed)

[Doug]

Hi all,

Just wanted some advice (for 1/72) scale. Gloss, Satin or Matt?

Grey/white schemes

2-Tone grey Schemes

Doug.

Edited October 5, 2012 by Doug

[Stuart Wilson]

Hi,

I'm sure others know more but......

Gull grey/White - The white was always gloss (anti flash) but the grey changed from satin to gloss in the early 70s. Of course weathering played a role and reduced the sheen over time.

The later grey schemes were always matt as far as I can recall.

Stuart

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

I think that some of the 'changeover' schemes from the white/gull grey to the full lo-vis may have been a satin finish - there are some nifty overall gull grey early 80s ones that look like they have a sheen.

For 1/72 though I'd go with satin for an overall gloss scheme any way - its more "scale"

Funny isnt it - to mind mind the very early schemes and late ones are much more interesting than the mid, ie majority, of schemes. Im finnickity i guess!

Jonners

[Giorgio N]

As Stuart said, the grey over white scheme always had a gloss white. The Light Gull Grey was non specular (matt) until the issue of MIL-C-18263F(AS) dated June 29th 1971, when the grey was changed to gloss (and the name became just light grey).

Even if the colours were supposed to be gloss, weathering usually took is toll and while brand new aircrafts were sometimes very glossy, this didn't last long.

In 1977 the grey over white scheme started to give way to an overall grey scheme by deleting the white undesurfaces. I don't have specifics for this and the analysis of pictures show both gloss and matt finishes. Again it's possible that the new paint was gloss but used to become satin or even matt quite quickly.

When the Tactical Paint Scheme was introduced, all the colours were matt (and sometimes these were VERY matt..). Actually the scheme for the Phantom uss 3 greys and not 2 (ok, formally 2 greys and a blue...): FS 35237, 36320 and 36375

In 1/72 I would go for a satin finish for the grey over white schemes, both because the aircrafts were not that gloss in service and because of the scale. For the TPS a matt finish is probably better, but in general I don't like paints that are too matt and I prefer to use vallejo's satin coat for matt finishes and mix the same with a few drops of gloss for semigloss finishes. But that's just how I like it...

Edited October 5, 2012 by Giorgio N

[Doug]

Okey dokey,

Satin finish it is then, I will be using both the Grey/white and two tone grey schemes so any advice is gratefully received. Just one last question if i may grey FS36440 some sources mention Humbrol 140 some recommend Humbrol 40, any idea which is best (of the Humbrol choices anyway or is there another (Humbrol))? As I will be using a satin clear coat to finish I don't care if it's a gloss, satin or matt finish.

Doug.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Doug

[Stuart Wilson]

36440 is Humbrol 129

Stuart

[Doug]

many thanks Stuart.

Doug.

[Jennings Heilig]

(and the name became just light grey)

FS 595 colors do not, and never have had any kind of official names. Any such use is strictly unofficial, and is unlikely to have been found in any official document. The decades of massive confusion about camouflage colors is what led to the adoption of the 595 standard in the 1950s to start with, and a lot of that confusion came about because of confused names for colors.