B-24 "Mickey ship" colours

[AMStreet]

I'm thinking of doing a B-24 Mickey ship and wondered if anyone had a colour spec for the grey that was used on some of them.

 

Most of the colour profiles look to be around the medium sea grey colour but if anyone has a more precise value it would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[Dana Bell]

'Morning, MorningStreet,

 

It's simply one of the many versions of Neutral Gray.  The underside color made the critical Mickey ships look smaller and more distant to flak gunners, but I've never seen a good explanation for extending the color to upper surfaces and sides.

 

While the scheme originated with the Fifteenth AF, it was eventually applied to Mickey ships at US mod centers, and several examples ended up in the Eighth AF.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

[AMStreet]

Right, thanks for that.  I'll hunt down some Neutral Gray and see how it goes.

[Garry c]

What is a Mickey ship?

 

Ignorant but curious,

 

Garry c

[Troy Smith]

lead bomber with H2X radome instead of a ball turret

 

 

also

http://www.482nd.org/h2x-mickey

 

 

 

 

[Garry c]

Thank you.

 

Garry c

[occa]

Mods delete please

 

[AMStreet]

I've been doing a bit of research into the Mickey ship grey colour and I think I might have the answer.

 

In Camouflage and Markings No. 13 there is a reference to a Sea Gray colour adopted by both the Navy and the Army as a replacement for Neutral Gray.  This, it is said, was similar to Neutral Gray but with a blue component.  As this colour was introduced in 1943 I wonder if that was the grey used for Mickey ships.

 

The standard quoted is FS 36118.  I do not have a FS colour chart so cannot confirm this but to my mind this colour looks to be a good candidate.