Desert pink

[GiampieroSilvestri]

Please excuse the silly question but why is the colour called desert pink?I am building the Airfix 1/48 scale Blackburn Buccaneer and want to make aircraft number XX889 in operation Granby markings and as Humbrol Hu250 is not to be found I am using the equivalent from Gunze H346.

 

Thank you very much

 

Saluti

 

Giampiero

Edited August 2, 2021 by GiampieroSilvestri

[Graham Boak]

Because that's what it was.  The one Tristar painted in this was called the Pink Pig.  If the Gunze colour isn't pink then it isn't a good match.

 

It might be worth adding that the Italian Tornados involved weren't in the same colour, but a yellow shade reminiscent of RAF Middle Stone.  I don't know whether this is influencing your impression of the RAF colour or not.

[Hook]

Gunze 346 is much too brown for Desert Pink. You might try searching for FS30279 matched to your available brands.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Graham T]

Xtracolour from Hannants include "Desert Pink".

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X032?result-token=My7Oy

[Mr T]

Graham is right, at the Finningley Battle of Britain Airshow in 1990 there was a Desert Pink Tornado that had apparently been painted the day before and even on a September grey day in South Yorkshire it looked distinctly pink. 

[Jabba]

2 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Because that's what it was.  The one Tristar painted in this was called the Pink Pig.  If the Gunze colour isn't pink then it isn't a good match.

 

I

There were 2 Tristars painted in the Pink colour, known locally as "Pinky" and "Perky". 

[Darth Vader]

Its basically a sand colour with a pink hue.

[Graham Boak]

I suspect it is simpler than that, more that sand comes in a wide range of colours, including pink.

[noelh]

When you are close to the real thing it's very obvious that there is a pink hue. Photos don't always show it and during Operation Granby there was considerable fading and weathering thanks to the relentless desert sun. So the pinkness was less obvious.

[Agent K]

13 hours ago, Miko said:

Looks a little like sticking plaster pink! it's a British desert tradition after painting SAS vehicles pink, also low flying reconnaissance spitfires were pink, something to do with low light at the end of the day and just after dawn in dessert environments

 

 

Miko (read too many books and articles to remember stuff in any detail!)

 

Pink "dessert" environments? too much blancmange me thinks............. 😆

[thorfinn]

For my own Granby models, I found that adding a tiny touch of red to pretty much anybody's 'Radome Tan' gave an excellent match to color photos of the various Buccaneers.

Just my two pence.

[Robertone139]

I happen to be flying out of Al Khafji right this moment.

Both the RAF desert pink and the Italian sand appear to have been great choices and bracketing the actual hue on both sides of the spectrum.

[72modeler]

I  have seen Life Color LC-UA230 and Tamiya XF59 listed as substitutes for FS30279, and that the Hunbrol and Xtracolor paints are the best matches. I have also read on one modeling site that the original color was a mix of equal parts red, white, and yellow. Go figure!

Mike

[JohnT]

I vividly recall an editorial in Scale Models in the 1970’s saying that something was as unlikely as the RAF painting their entire front line pink 

Well clearly not the entire front line but never say never 

[Robertone139]

PRU pink and the color used during Granby are widely different.

Edited August 10, 2021 by Robertone139
spelling

[bentwaters81tfw]

Humbrol 250 goes on pink, then fades to a sandy colour after a week or so. I found out painting a Jaguar. Did the bulk of it then painted some detail parts to be fitted later. Quite noticeable at the time, but it has weathered to a matching shade.

[Roland Pulfrew]

I can vouch for the fact that desert sand comes in many different colours. These were taken on a recent trip.

 

Sand

Pinky-beige

Pinky-orange

Orangy-beige

 

Orange

Beach sand

I can vouch for the Xtracolour and Xtracrylics range, their Desert Pink, is a pretty good match when compared to the real thing. I did a Tornado and Buccaneer using those colours and they turned out pretty well. Sadly time and several house moves later and they are no longer with me.