Rob de Bie Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 Here's a list of continued and discontinued Humbrol enamel, as distributed by the Dutch importer to shops: Continued: 1 Grey Primer Matt 2 Emerald Gloss 3 Brunswick Green Gloss 5 Dark Ad Grey Gloss 7 Light Buff Gloss 9 Tan Gloss 10 Service Brown Gloss 11 Silver Metallic 12 Copper Metallic 14 French Blue Gloss 15 Midnight Blue Gloss 16 Gold Metallic 18 Orange Gloss 19 Bright Red Gloss 20 Crimson Gloss 21 Black Gloss 22 White Gloss 24 Trainer Yellow Matt 25 Blue Matt 26 Khaki Matt 27 Sea Grey Matt 28 Camouflage Grey Matt 29 Dark Earth Matt 30 Dark Green Matt 31 Slate Grey Matt 32 Dark Grey Matt 33 Black Matt 34 White Matt 35 Gloss Varnish Gloss 38 Lime Gloss 41 Ivory Gloss 46 Matt Orange Matt 47 Sea Blue Gloss 48 Mediterranean Blue Gloss 49 Matt Varnish 52 Baltic Blue Metallic 53 Gunmetal Metallic 54 Brass Metallic 56 Aluminium Metallic 60 Scarlett Matt 61 Flesh Matt 62 Leather Matt 63 Sand Matt 64 Light Grey Matt 65 Aircraft Blue Matt 66 Olive Drab Matt 67 Tank Grey Matt 69 Yellow Gloss 70 Brick Red Matt 73 Wine Matt 76 Uniform Green Matt 77 Navy Blue Matt 78 Cockpit Green Matt 80 Grass Green Matt 82 Orange Lining Matt 85 Coal Black Satin 86 Light Olive Matt 93 Desert Yellow Matt 94 Brown Yellow Matt 98 Chocolate Matt 99 Lemon Matt 101 Mid Green Matt 103 Cream Matt 110 Natural Wood Matt 113 Rust Matt 121 Pale Stone Matt 127 US Ghost Grey Satin 130 White Satin 131 Mid Green Satin 147 Light Grey Matt 153 Insignia Red Matt 154 Insignia Yellow Matt 155 Olive Drab Matt 160 German Cam Red Brown Matt 164 Dark Sea Grey Satin 174 Signal Red Satin 186 Brown Matt 191 Chrome Silver Metallic 200 Pink Gloss 201 Black Metallic 220 Italian Red Gloss 222 Moonlight Blue Metallic 27001 Aluminium Metalcote 27002 Polished Aluminium Metalcote 27003 Polished Steel Metalcote 27004 Gunmetal Metalcote Discontinued: 71 Oak 72 Khaki drill 74 Linnen 81 Pale yellow 83 Ochre 84 Mid Stone 87 Steel grey 89 Middle Blue 90 Beige Green 91 Black green 100 Red Brown 102 Army green 109 WWI blue 111 Field grey 116 US dark green 117 US light green 119 light earth 123 extra dark sea grey 126 US medium grey 128 US compas grey 129 US gull grey 132 Red 133 Brown 135 Varnish 140 Gull grey 144 intermediate blue 145 medium grey 149 dark green 156 Dark camoflage grey 159 Khaki drab 163 dark green 165 medium sea grey 166 light aircraft grey 173 track colour 195 Darl green 196 Light grey 224 Dark slate grey 226 Interiour green 234 darl flesh 238 Arrow red 239 British racing green 240 RLM 02 Grau 241 RLM70 zwarts grau 242 RLM72 grun 244 RLM73 grun 245 RLM74 grau grun 246 RLM75 grau violet 247 RLM76 lightblau 248 RLM78 himmel blau 249 RLM79 sandgelb 253 RLM83 Dunkel grun Rob 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ngantek Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 It feels to me like some relatively 'core' colours are on the discontinued list, with some niche looking ones remaining. I guess the decision must be informed by sales, so perhaps a good range of generic colours is the planned approach, rather than appealing to modellers looking for specific historical colour matches? Little bit of a head scratcher for me if I'm honest. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 Crikey. They're discontinuing a slew of RAF/FAA colours, yet keeping 30 for Dark Green? What a shame. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesP Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 18 minutes ago, John Laidlaw said: Crikey. They're discontinuing a slew of RAF/FAA colours, yet keeping 30 for Dark Green? What a shame. Didn't they 'fix' Hu 30 a few years ago so that it's correct now? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 5 minutes ago, JamesP said: Didn't they 'fix' Hu 30 a few years ago so that it's correct now? Not if the stuff in the little starter pots is the same. Thing is, it's been the wrong colour for 50 years, and there are plenty of people who think it's the 'right' colour, there was a depressing anecdote from @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies about being a model show, and a modeller passing on the right colour as he wanted the blue green colour that 30 is that was one 'he was used too' I'll over to @John as to if it was 'fixed'? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 18 minutes ago, JamesP said: Didn't they 'fix' Hu 30 a few years ago so that it's correct now? Not if the one I bought a couple of years ago when I returned to enamels is anything to go by, no. Supplies of British-made enamels here in the States is patchy at best these days, though, so it could have been old stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ngantek Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 I wonder... is it a numbers game of 'we'll continue just the top 100 best selling' or a more deliberate one? Perhaps one where they've decided since they've fallen out of favour with a lot of 'serious' modellers, to play to a wider, less specialised consumer base, taking advantage of their wide availability (at least in the UK), and offering more generic colours? At the very least, removing so many RAF/FAA colours seems a bit at odds with Airfix's strategy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasermonkey Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 If you look at the current enamel paint charts, as shown on the Humbrol website, those “discontinued” colours are still on there. I suspect that the missing colours are just those that haven’t been produced yet, after the reformulation palaver. Until such time as Humbrol officially states they are discontinuing colours, I don’t believe it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob de Bie Posted September 12, 2022 Author Share Posted September 12, 2022 7 minutes ago, lasermonkey said: If you look at the current enamel paint charts, as shown on the Humbrol website, those “discontinued” colours are still on there. I suspect that the missing colours are just those that haven’t been produced yet, after the reformulation palaver. Until such time as Humbrol officially states they are discontinuing colours, I don’t believe it. Good point. This list was sent out by the Dutch importer. It could be they decided to reduce the range. But honestly I do not think that's the case. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 I can't see Humbrol not having at least one Sky-type colour in their enamel range. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rod mcq Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 1 hour ago, lasermonkey said: If you look at the current enamel paint charts, as shown on the Humbrol website, those “discontinued” colours are still on there. I suspect that the missing colours are just those that haven’t been produced yet, after the reformulation palaver. Until such time as Humbrol officially states they are discontinuing colours, I don’t believe it. I work in the model trade and the lists of enamels are accurate. Humbrol have reduced the enamel range to the 86 colours listed above. At the same time virtually all the discontinued colours have been added to the Arcylic paint range which now has 150+ colours although several have yet to be released. There are a couple of other discontinued enemal not listed above - metallic Green Mist and metallic Sunset Red spring to mind. Most of the discontinued enamels are poor sellers and I think it is a purely commercial decision. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasermonkey Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 (edited) Again, once confirmed by Humbrol themselves, I’ll believe it. At that point, they will also have lost me as a customer. I hate acrylics. Edited September 12, 2022 by lasermonkey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackroadkill Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 I'm glad to see the dire RLM colours on the chop list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 2 hours ago, jackroadkill said: I'm glad to see the dire RLM colours on the chop list. Was it the colours or the paint you didn't like. The colours were generally accepted as accurate against respected standards afaik but the paints did take a bit if work from experience with them. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackroadkill Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 4 minutes ago, stevehnz said: Was it the colours or the paint you didn't like. The colours were generally accepted as accurate against respected standards afaik but the paints did take a bit if work from experience with them. Steve. The colours were pretty good, that's true, but whatever the substrate was, it was a disaster. I couldn't get it to work no matter what I did. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 There’s no mention of US SEA Tan but I see 116 and 117 are on the chop list! How is that? They are the closest enamels to accurate colours that I’ve found! Oddly, 28 US SEA Gray is shown as continued. Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 8 hours ago, John Laidlaw said: Didn't they 'fix' Hu 30 a few years ago so that it's correct now? No. They did not. It is still too green and too blue. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 14 minutes ago, Casey said: No. They did not. It is still too green and too blue. That's how my tin looks. It's closer to an RAAF Foliage Green than the RAF Dark Green, but too light and saturated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesP Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 13 hours ago, Casey said: No. They did not. It is still too green and too blue. It has it's uses though, I seen Hu30 as suggested as great match for 70/80's British AFV like the Chieftain by service men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 37 minutes ago, JamesP said: It has it's uses though, I seen Hu30 as suggested as great match for 70/80's British AFV like the Chieftain by service men. It shouldn't be, as BS381C-285 NATO Green (on Chieftains) is almost identical to BS381C-241 Dark Green (standardised RAF Dark Green). If anything it's a sniff more yellow, not more blue. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sapperastro Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 (edited) Not sure if this has been already laid to rest, but after searching through the Humbrol website, I found this https://d63oxfkn1m8sf.cloudfront.net/7616/6980/5182/Humbrol_-_Shade_Chart_28-11-22_Online_Version_Web.pdf As you can see, the enamel line has been gutted. Totally useless now for many applications, including the RAF/FAA of all things. For enamel enjoyers like myself, this leaves it all up to Colourcoats (and in Oz a possible 6 month to 1 year turn around for out of stock paints). I could go for "close enough" by using remaining Humbrol, Revell and Tamiya enamel, but this doesn't really cut it. No Xtracolour in Oz unfortunately. I have some reserves, but these will eventually be used up. Another thing that really gets my goat, is the total lack of good enamels for certain areas now. Humbrol 75 was my go to for RAAF Foliage Green, with 149 being too light, and the Colourcoats variant also being too light to my eye. Both of my SCC15 easy equivalents, Humbrol 159 mixed with some black, or Humbrol 253, gone. And a couple of my preferred shades for French WW2 aircraft are also gone. I am sure there are others that I haven't thought of. The hope is that they will continue to add to the numbers over time the same way they have done with the Acrylics once they got a new mixture. Not holding my breath with the state of enamel paints these days, as it wasn't long ago Model Master enamels were discontinued. By the way, has anyone actually tried the new enamel formula they they were supposed to put out after the chemical change restrictions? Is there any way of identifying it? Is it any different? Edited May 28, 2023 by sapperastro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 If the new Enamels are as bad as new Acrylics... then it might not be supper happy experience. Safety and regulations around world are making it a tricky business especially if you have line of acrylics that can be sold almost everywhere for similar price. Might be difficult to justify it as a good business case for a large company, that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sapperastro Posted May 29, 2023 Share Posted May 29, 2023 (edited) On 5/28/2023 at 1:39 PM, Casey said: If the new Enamels are as bad as new Acrylics... then it might not be supper happy experience. What are the new acrylic paints like? I tried a couple of the type in the 18ml pots, and found them to be ok, but virtually impossible to get more. Prior to that, the stuff in the screw and flip top pots were terrible, though I didn't mind the variant they had in the 80's and 90's. Still have a few of them left from those days, and they still paint fine. None of the new dropper bottle stuff is available in Australia. Edited May 29, 2023 by sapperastro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted May 29, 2023 Share Posted May 29, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, sapperastro said: None of the new dropper bottle stuff is available in Australia. The ones I had were having random viscosity - varying from tar to skim milk (mostly tar). I tried to remove the tops of the bottles to add a mixing ball but they introduced a weird cone shape which made this exercise extra hard. The mixing stones did not help much anyway with the tar-like paints anyway. The other issue I had was random colors - I have couple of bottles of same label colors that differ way too much. Another constant issue was not too finely ground pigments - my airbrush was constantly clogged and I had to fight to get this paint sprayed out. I had a small fight to even prepare samples of them all and once I did that - I've published spectrophotometer data on this site and put the paints into a dustiest corner of my basement to be never used. It felt like the substance from those 5ml paint pots Airfix is adding to starter sets. Edited May 29, 2023 by Casey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sapperastro Posted May 29, 2023 Share Posted May 29, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Casey said: The ones I had were having random viscosity - varying from tar to skim milk (mostly tar). I tried to remove the tops of the bottles to add a mixing ball but they introduced a weird cone shape which made this exercise extra hard. The mixing stones did not help much anyway with the tar-like paints anyway. The other issue I had was random colors - I have couple of bottles of same label colors that differ way too much. Another constant issue was not too finely ground pigments - my airbrush was constantly clogged and I had to fight to get this paint sprayed out. I had a small fight to even prepare samples of them all and once I did that - I've published spectrophotometer data on this site and put the paints into a dustiest corner of my basement to be never used. It felt like the substance from those 5ml paint pots Airfix is adding to starter sets. Did you try the variant that was in the 18ml pots? They were from the same manufacturer as the Cote D'Arms and P3 paint, and weren't too bad. Nothing to set the night on fire, but usable. I have also seen a video where Humbrol has already put out a "gen II" of their acrylic paint in the dropper bottles, so I wonder if this is, yet another, attempt to get past a failed launch. They seem to have had a lot of those since the brand was re-animated under Hornby. Putting super thick paint in a dropper bottle is insanity. I would just remove it and put it into one of my many empty tamiya or model master jars. Edited May 29, 2023 by sapperastro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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