Canadair CF-5A camouflage colours

[Starfighter]

Hi guys,

I'm about to start building the Kinetic 1/48 CF-5A model, and would like some advice on the camo colours, please. I use Humbrol enamels and wondered if anyone  would know which paint No's would be the nearest to the old dark green, dark grey and light grey colours ?

Looking at photos the shades do look a lot like the RAF colours, but I'm sure the Canadians probably used different paints ? Any advice would be much appreciated. 

 

[CharlieGolf2009]

2 hours ago, Starfighter said:

Hi guys,

I'm about to start building the Kinetic 1/48 CF-5A model, and would like some advice on the camo colours, please. I use Humbrol enamels and wondered if anyone  would know which paint No's would be the nearest to the old dark green, dark grey and light grey colours ?

Looking at photos the shades do look a lot like the RAF colours, but I'm sure the Canadians probably used different paints ? Any advice would be much appreciated. 

 

 

According to Belcher Bits, that particular camouflage scheme consisted of green 503-3101 (FS 34064) and grey 501-302 (FS 36099), over light grey 101-327 (similar to FS 36463).

 

http://www.belcherbits.com/images/decals/bd15inst.pdf

 

So, FS 34064 (Dark Green) is Humbrol 66+163, FS 36099 (Dark Grey) is Humbrol 123 and FS 36463 (Gray) is Humbrol 34+126. 

 

 

If you want to take a look for yourself, these links will be helpful.

 

https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post/canadian-warplanes-6-jets-canadair-cf-116-freedom-fighter

https://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_fs.htm

https://www.federalstandardcolor.com/

https://hobbylandbg.com/colourtable

 

😉

[f111guru]

4 hours ago, Starfighter said:

Hi guys,

I'm about to start building the Kinetic 1/48 CF-5A model, and would like some advice on the camo colours, please. I use Humbrol enamels and wondered if anyone  would know which paint No's would be the nearest to the old dark green, dark grey and light grey colours ?

Looking at photos the shades do look a lot like the RAF colours, but I'm sure the Canadians probably used different paints ? Any advice would be much appreciated. 

 

Hello,

Image quality is not the greatest as the images are quite old. Taken Cannon AFB New Mexico in the mid 80's to go along with @CharlieGolf2009

Enjoy.

All The Best,

Ron VanDerwarker

[alt-92]

I would not be surprised in the slightest if the colour schemes across multiple NATO partners was coordinated to some extent. 

Dutch NF-5s (Canadian built btw) used a similar scheme, but with RAL 6014 green RAL 7012 dark grey top and RAL 7001 bottoms (although anti-corrosion efforts meant this was replaced with aluminium colour)

[Starfighter]

Thanks for all your help, chaps, and thanks for the photos as well . . . that's very helpful. 

[Hook]

17 hours ago, alt-92 said:

RAL 7001 bottoms (although anti-corrosion efforts meant this was replaced with aluminium colour)

Only on a few and only on a temporary basis, reverting back to 7001 - the aluminium paint turned out to be pretty soft and prone to rubbing off. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[f111guru]

Here are a few more along the same lines and not completely sure why the jets came through Cannon. Unless they were a stopping point on their way to  red flag.

Enjoy.

All The Best,

Ron VanDerwarker

[Hook]

This previous thread contains a link to the Canadian IPMS with a quite comprehensive colour document, including CF-116 shades:

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

[Starfighter]

I have one more quick question regarding the air intakes. Am I right in thinking that the leading edge of the intakes were black / dark grey, and also how far back did this colour extend down the intakes ? I presume it was some kind of protective coating ?

[Scott Hemsley]

Intakes were black, including the splitter plate while the l/e of the splitter plate was silver.  Even though the photo is in shadow (the last photo in Ron's [f111guru] last posting, above), you can make out the colouring of the intakes.  The angle of that photo also clearly shows how far down the intake the black went.

 

Scott

Edited September 3, 2022 by Scott Hemsley

[Starfighter]

15 hours ago, Scott Hemsley said:

Intakes were black, including the splitter plate while the l/e of the splitter plate was silver.  Even though the photo is in shadow (the last photo in Ron's [f111guru] last posting, above), you can make out the colouring of the intakes.  The angle of that photo also clearly shows how far down the intake the black went.

 

Scott

Thanks, Scott. I didn't study that photo enough, but now you've pointed it out I can see wgat you mean 

[Robin-42]

If you guys use Facebook the Canadair CF5/NF5 group has tons of photo’s.

[Bombphoon]

Regarding the photos of 116844, could you please tell me when this was taken? I'm building the CF-5D of this aircraft and how it would have appeared 30 April, 1982.

 

Thanks

[f111guru]

1 hour ago, Bombphoon said:

Regarding the photos of 116844, could you please tell me when this was taken? I'm building the CF-5D of this aircraft and how it would have appeared 30 April, 1982.

 

Thanks

My best guess when I took these would be in the neighborhood of your thought to summer 1984. I would hit up the transient alert facility on the weekends and sometimes during the week. That depended on my work schedule.

 

 

All The Best,

Ron VanDerwarker