RAF Dark Green paint

[Jure Miljevic]

Hello Graham

There are some numbers of the old Airfix magazine in web archive here. The earliest number, containing Humbrol Authentic colour adds, is from April 1968. There are also adds announcing new additions (Combat uniforms, Ceremonial uniforms etc.) in November 1968 number. Unfortunately, there is only handful of numbers from 60's available and while Humbrol did seem to advertise in every number, plenty of those adds were for other products for modellers. Cheers

Jure

[Graham Boak]

That's definitely not the first appearance of these paints - the uniform colours followed some years after the initial release.  I have some of the 60s Airfix mags, so now I have a little spare time I'll go looking in them tonight.  Back later...

[dogsbody]

3 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Not that late.  I was at University 1965-68, and never lived at home again.  I had the Authentics boxes when I was living at home: I particularly remember working on the Airfix Dauntless and being disappointed with the USN Blue Grey being represented by a very dark colour.  Checking my lists, that makes it 1964.  I'm sorry that I can't recall just which other models I used them on - particularly the RAF Dark Green!  However I also had the Revell Fw200C in 1964 and don't recall using Authentic paints on that.

 

PS I do remember seeing adverts for the boxes when they first appeared, so perhaps someone could track down a date from those?

Geepers!, You're old! I started junior high ( 7th Grade ) in 1967. That was just after the model airplane bug bit me.

 

 

Chris

[Graham Boak]

I can confirm that there were few Humbrol adverts in Airfix mags in the later 60s!   However I have moved the date of first mention somewhat forward, as the November 1967 issue has an ad from Ernest Berwick  for Humbrol 6 tinlets RAF, USAAF, Luftwaffe  8/6 each pack.  Some six months before that BMW and Modeltoys were advertising Red Label camouflage colours at 2/6 per jar.  (A Humbrol tinlet was 1/10p.)  Who remembers those?

 

However, there are still many gaps.  My mags are mainly 1962, then 1966 onwards.  The early ones ran many more adverts for Joy paints.

 

However, December 1967 has a full column advert from Humbrol for their series of Authentic Camouflage Colours, with 12 sets.  Military Uniforms is Set 11.  Even more significantly is the review on the opposite page announcing them as new.  (And reviewing a similar new range imported from the USA as Aviacolour.)  Modeltoys are advertising the first 9 sets as being in stock.  Which makes my personal encounter with them the Christmas break 1967, or perhaps Easter 1968, as they were the last time I was home and modelling.  I can only assume that either the Bristol or Sunderland model shops had stocks of these before Christmas 1967, as Easter presumably would have been spent revising for finals not modelling.  Which considering I didn't have much of a stash, if any, in those days, I'm astonished that the Dauntless lasted so long before being made and painted!  At least I could make them and paint them in a matter of a few days, way back then. 

[dogsbody]

I suppose if I was real energetic and had a bit more room, I could dig the box(es) of Scale Modeller magazines out of the closet and look through those. I only have a few random issues from the late 60's, though. Regular purchase didn't start until 1973, when I started working full time.

 

 

Chris

 

[Ed Russell]

Just to back up what Graham has said, the November 1967 Airfix Magazine has a Humbrol advertisement which does not mention the Authentics range. This is one from Ernest Berwick The Model Specialists offering Humbrol 6 tinlet packs for 8/6 including a RAF one. It looks like they just got their advert in the magazine before the cut-off date!

Adverts for Official and BMW paints pre-date these (but have no RAF paint). It looks like Joy were Airfix Magazine's most loyal advertisers.

 

Edit - I have realised this is duplicating Graham's earlier post to some extent.............

[Richard Humm]

The first twelve sets of Humbrol Authentics are reviewed as new in the November 1967 IPMS Magazine, so late 1967 is definitely the right period. As I was going through the IPMS Magazines, I noticed a review of the Airfix Dauntless as a new kit in the August 1967 issue, so I don't think Graham can have had it three years before that...

[Graham Boak]

Thanks Richard, a late 1967 release date for the Dauntless makes much more sense.  Now it can be linked to a clear memory of painting it with the new Authentics.  It was the Hawk Dauntless that I made in 1964 though I suspect that it was first released a little earlier?  Does anyone have release dates for the Hawk kits of that period?.

[Richard Humm]

According to John W Burns' In Plastic WW2 Aircraft Kits, the Hawk Dauntless was first issued in the mid-1950s, along with their F4U and T-6/SNJ.