USN "Blue-Gray"

[MattC76]

Apologies if this has been done to death. Early war F4-F Wildcats are often shown in a sort of pale/mid blue colour. Is this intended to represent a faded colour?

My understanding was (possibly incorrectly) that the early "Blue-Gray" was a darker colour (I generally use Hu79 with a bit of white) 

Am I missing something? 

[expositor]

No expert me, but Humbrol 79 is too dark.  USN blue grey is very close to PRU blue, so you can start there.

Hope that helps.

[MattC76]

If I can illustrate the issue perhaps. On the one hand, we have this colour:

 

 

But we also see this colour:

 

 

According to what I have read, at that period, the standard colour scheme was "blue gray over light gray" but both those blues cannot be correct. So, which shade is closer. 

[Troy Smith]

23 minutes ago, MattC76 said:

blue gray over light gray" but both those blues cannot be correct. So, which shade is closer. 

The period photo, not the model.

It did fade though.

We have discussed USN Blues before. 

@Casey  has done matches for ANA and other US colors.

I'll add in a link when I get chance.

[MattC76]

20 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

We have discussed USN Blues before. 

@Casey  has done matches for ANA and other US colors.

I'll add in a link when I get chance.

I thought that might be the case, and thank you for your help. I'm not a complete perfectionist about these things, but I'd rather be in the right ballpark if I can. 

[Phoenix44]

1 hour ago, MattC76 said:

If I can illustrate the issue perhaps. On the one hand, we have this colour:

 

 

But we also see this colour:

 

 

According to what I have read, at that period, the standard colour scheme was "blue gray over light gray" but both those blues cannot be correct. So, which shade is closer. 

Neither! Or both...At altitude blues get much more intense so the real life shot is not what the blue would look like at sea level.

[Ingo Ritz]

Here is another period photo in color.

 

 

Fading was definitely an issue, see this thread for additional: USN Blue Gray

[Ed Russell]

This post has an Airfix Magazine account of fading derived from a contemporary observer.

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234998616-hms-cilicias-kingfisher/

"Chalky white, ... faded light blue"

[Gruntpa]

8 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

The period photo, not the model.

It did fade though.

We have discussed USN Blues before. 

@Casey  has done matches for ANA and other US colors.

I'll add in a link when I get chance.

That will be very handy! Roundels/Insignia mostly easy though some squadrons, well, did what they wanted regs be damned, there just wasn't enough paint. Color schemes to say the least are a major pain in the keister even on a good day. Toss into this as you aptly pointed out are the "faded" variants to add to the fun.

[Seawinder]

With all due respect to Colourcoats aficionados, IMHO the best currently available renditions of M-485 Blue Gray that I've found are MRP 133 (a bit darker and less greenish) and Mr. Color 367. Both are quite close to FS35189, which has been posited as a good approximation.

 

According to Elliott in the Monogram USN Color Guide Vol. 2, Blue Gray is problematic because, although the Bureau of Aeronautics began prescribing its use in December 1940, "the exact shade of Blue Gray was not specified. In fact no directive has ever been located that specifically identified this color." The sample chip Blue Gray 1 in the appendix is close to, but a bit darker than, FS 35189. Elliott states in the color notes that this color was "found by Grumman Aerospace during restoration of National Air and Space Museum FM-2. 35189 is the closest equivalent in 595a."

[MattC76]

1 hour ago, Seawinder said:

the exact shade of Blue Gray was not specified. In fact no directive has ever been located that specifically identified this color

 

So we're back to our usual basis of "nobody can prove you wrong" as it were. 

[MattC76]

Well that's what I ended up with. 

 

 

[Gruntpa]

That works nicely