Royal Navy pale blue codes

[wadeocu]

I have long felt frustrated with the extreme variations of shades of FAA pale blue on various decal sheets over the years ranging from a pale grey to electric blue and everything in between.   I ran across this photo that gives a good indication of why the different interpretations vary so much.  Apparently the color tended to weather readily or there was quite a bit of variation in paint stock.  Note the lack of weathering variation of the EDSG, so perhaps not up to weathering?  I found this photo interesting to compare the shades of the "Royal Navy" lettering on a freshly painted Bucc and one that has been deployed (thus the 809 marking):

 

 

Incidentally I am very pleased with the colors Airfix has used in their recent 1/72 and 1/48 Buccaneer kits. - Jack

Edited September 8, 2022 by wadeocu

[Harry Lime]

19 hours ago, wadeocu said:

I have long felt frustrated with the extreme variations of shades of FAA pale blue on various decal sheets over the years ranging from a pale grey to electric blue and everything in between.

 

You're not the only one! It means it's very difficult, bordering on impossible, to cobble together different serials if you want to model a specific airframe. There was an article in SAM by Ian Huntly which went into the various pale shades utilised in the anti-flash schemes and more recently one by Paul Lucas. I don't have the details to hand at the moment, someone else may be able to provide them.

 

Mark.

[wellsprop]