FAA Sky Grey

[dragonlanceHR]

Hi all,

what's the best shippable (read not enamel) FAA Sky Grey colour?

WEM and Xtracolor enamels are out as they can't be ordered by post

Nic Milmann quotes FS 26373 as best match but no-one makes it (or my Google-fu is too weak).

I've seen FS 26373 quoted as RAL 7001 which is available to me as Revell enamel but paint on the lid looks too blueish. Brushed example is more grey.

Tamiya XF-19 Sky Grey is often quoted as a match, but is it?

Special Hobby gives Gunze H325 which is FS 26440 in their Fulmar and Skua kits.

TIA

Vedran

Edited September 11, 2013 by dragonlanceHR

[GrahamB]

Hi Vedran,

greys are a real pain to match as the human eye seems incredibly sensitive to the slightest difference in hue.

I've had a look through my paint swatches and compared them to FS.26373 and saw that the now defunct acrylic Aeromaster Mitsubishi Navy Grey was a pretty good match, although a touch too blue. I don't know if this survives under another manufacturer's range (Polyscale-Testors?). Of more practical use, Vallejo's own Sky Grey no.989 (Modelcolor range) is very close albeit a touch too 'warm' - I intend using this on my Swordfish, but with a tiny bit of a 'colder' colour such as Vallejo US Blue-Grey no.985. Be aware that Vallejo colours can look fine when matching high density brush outs (or 'dips' - I use those white plastic identification tags used for horticulture-gardening) but then appear much paler when airbrushed - damned annoying but this can be ameliorated by heavier coats or with a black or dark grey primer. Might give you 'scale colour' without mixing though!

Just my opinion. I hope others will turn up with their views - I don't have many Tamiya paints, for example.

Cheers,

GrahamB

Edited September 11, 2013 by GrahamB

[Nick Millman]

FWIW difference calculation FS 26373 to RAL 7001 is 6.31 where <2.0 is a close match. Different hues too - Munsell 2.8 BG 6.6/0.4 vs 0.5 PB 6.0/1.4.

Can't answer for how close the Revell paint to the RAL is though.

Geoff Thomas gives FS 36463 (also Munsell BG) for Sky Grey.

The closest RAL to both is 7004 @ circa 4.0 but that is also Munsell PB and not very representative of the appearance of Sky Grey.

I haven't measured Tamiya XF-19 but visually it looks ok as a match.

Nick

[dragonlanceHR]

Thanks Nick and Graham.

XF-19 it is, as I have few bottles at home.

[GrahamB]

Hi Vedran,

I did find some Tamiya XF-19 Sky Grey in my stash after I went into Wellington and bought another bottle! I notice that it is very good for hue but a little dark when compared to FS.36463 (and FS.36373) - more in the FS.36"300" area (as Nick has pointed out - the last three digits indicate the tonality or reflectance, where 000 = 'black', '999' = white. Probably needs about 5-10% white adding if used even without 'scale' in mind. I'll have a play.

Cheers,

GrahamB