Assistance with Italian colors for Mc200, matching with MRP

[MeneMene]

I'm trying to sort out paint options for my Italeri Mc200, and I need to find matches for Marrone Mimetico 2, Giallo Mimetico 3, Verde Mimetico 2 for the top-side camouflage. Lifecolor has these, but with the complex Italian paint schemes I would like to use the quality MRP paints instead. MRP has some italian colors, but they seem to use different naming conventions and I'm having trouble sorting them out. 

 

Here are all the Italian MRP paints

 

For the marrone mimetico 2, I can find MRP 313 Bruno Rossiccio, MRP 314 Bruno Chiaro, MRP 322 Bruno Mimetico 1936, MRP 321 Rosso Mimetico. From what I can find of the original color, it should be a maroon/brown color, and the MRP 313 seems closest.

 

For the Verde Mimetico 2, I can find MRP 326 Verde Mimetico 1916, 1936, Fiat 1940, MRP 327 Verde Mimetico 1916, Fiat 1940, MRP 328 Verde Mimetico Scuro 1940, and MRP 329 Verde Mimetico Chiaro 1940, and MRP 312 Verde Mimetico 1936. IPMS stockholm says this color should be FS34092, which corresponds to MRP 235 Gunship green, although I have no idea if that's accurate or not.

 

For the Giallo Mimetico 3, I can find MRP 323 Giallo Mimetico 1936, MRP 324 Giallo Mimetico 1936, and MRP 325 Giallo Mimetico 1938. IPMS stockholm recommends FS33434, but again I don't know if that's accurate or not.

 

So in conclusion, this is all very confusing and frustrating, with no common designation system. Could anyone with more experience/expertise than myself help out in deciding which combination of the above would be correct for a Mc 200 from 1940-1941?

 

Thanks

[Kevin Callahan]

I'm in much the same quandary, having started an Italian project earlier this year. I'm currently knee deep in a Macchi Mc-202 from Hasegawa and a CR-25 from Special Hobby. And I have many of the same questions, having bought up some MRP paints along with examining my options with existing Xtracolor paints. You might go look at the Stormo website - they do make an effort at sorting this all out by aircraft type, but I'm not sure I exited the discussion any more or less confused than I was when I started! I think I am backing into the concept of "close enough", but would appreciate anyone with expertise to comment on the intricacies of Italian camo jobs. 

[fubar57]

Agree. Great website for Italian aircraft...http://www.stormomagazine.com/

[Giorgio N]

The MRP paints seem to be based on a paint sample chart from a series named "Vitocharts". The original chart for the WW2 Italian colours was compiled by a guy named Virginio Tosco who worked as an illustrator for Fiat during the war and later issued a number of charts for modellers including this and other subjects.

The paint samples collected by Mr. Tosco were actual paint used on aircraft and taken from the production line, so little doubt that they are were accurate. A history of this chart can be found translated in English here

 

http://www.stormomagazine.com/Articles/NewColoursRA.html

 

The problem is that since the '70s Italian colours have been described using a different system, and matching the Vitochart to this system is not always easy. The Vitochart also lacks some colours that were not used by Fiat and that Mr. Tosco didn't have a chance to use. I've not used yet the MRP paints but I can see how their nomenclature can cause problems...

 

Now to answer the questions above... I will get back on the MC.200, can't go through the charts now but will have a look later. I fear the same applies to the CR-25 but this is easier as was made by Fiat...

 

The MC.202 is the easiest if it's in the "Tavola 10" colours, as these are easy to identify, and had official names (earlier colours like the "serie mimetica" did not and indications like "verde mimetico 2" are all recent and meant for modellers and enthusiasts).

The MC.202 had a base in Nocciola Chiaro 4 (MRP-305) over which were applied spots or rings in Verde Oliva Scuro 2 (MRP-303). Lower surfaces were in Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 (MRP-301 or maybe also the variant MRP-302). Alternatively the continental scheme was Verde Oliva Scuro 2 over Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1.

If however you want to build an aircraft in the early "poached eggs" camo scheme then it takes some time to sort the matches

[Giorgio N]

I finally had a chance to check the various MRP colours proposed, and IMHO Marrone Mimetico 2 is best represented by MRP 313 Bruno Rossiccio

For Verde Mimetico 2 I would probably use MRP 312 and for the Giallo Mimetico 3 the one looking closer would be MRP 325.

The above are my conclusions made with an eye on the Vitochart (on which MRP based their paints) and one on the CMPR table (the ones who "invented" the classification we most commonly use today). As such they are subjective, it would have been interesting to have a better description in the Vitochart of the manufacturer of the paint so to check with known suppliers to the various aircraft companies.

I also consulted the notes that accompanied the Vitochart relative to the Italian colours, and these seem to confirm MRP 312 for the green on the MC.200 but also mention the use by Macchi of a mix of Verde Mimetico Chiaro with Verde Oliva Scuro on the MC.200 and the use of another green with a shade between Verde Oliva Scuro and Verde Mimetico Scuro... They don't mention any yellow or brown for Macchi

 

Lower surfaces would be in Grigio Mimetico... that is absent from their catalogue