# Need To Know Paint Colors For These Model Planes!



## louie55 (Dec 11, 2008)

Hi, I'm new to HobbyTalk.

I am ordering some model WWII planes online, but nowhere does it tell what paints I need to paint the fuselage of the planes. I'd hate to have to pay shipping for the models, then see what paints I need, then pay more shipping for the paints, so I was wondering if anyone on here has these models or has done them and could let me know what color paints I need. Just going to model/hobby store is out of the question as I live 90 miles from the nearest hobby store and gas would cost more than shipping online.

Here are the 3 models:


Revell/Monogram 1/48 Spitfire MK-11
Revell/Monogram 1/48 P-61 Black Widow
Tamiya 1/48 A6M2 Type 21 Zero Fighter (Japanese Zero)

I mainly just need the colors I need for the outside of the plane. I have most of the common paints for the inside parts like chromate and such.

I see that on the bottom of the Zero page at the link I provided, it gives paint colors, but it is not specific on which color the outside of the plane should be. Is it white? It doesn't look like just plain white in the picture.

Also, I was wondering if it's possible to find any 1/48 scale B-24 Liberator bombers anywhere besides eBay? Do they still make these? B-25's are common, but the B-24 is hard to come by it seems.

Thanks.


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## xr4sam (Dec 9, 1999)

Louie--


The Spit is best represented with Tamiya acrylics. I believe the color names are REF Earth, RAF Dark Green and Sky. The Black Widows were either painted flat black, or olive drab (both available from Testors). The Zero can also be covered by Tamiya. I believe there's Imperial Japanese Army Green, or the light gray that the IJN painted their birds.

Good luck on the Libs. You might want to try www.squadron.com or www.megahobby.com for those.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

The instructions will tell you what colors to get. ModelMaster has everything you need in their line as well. You can order then at www.squadron.com among many other places.

Sam's got the colors right above, except the black P-61s were actually painted _gloss _black overall. Of course that weathered quite a bit with use.

The type 21 zeros were mostly the light IJN gray overall scheme, being the carrier-based model.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

For the Zero do NOT use IJN Grey. That is the undersurface grey for the two tone green/grey planes like the Type 52. The early 21 like at Pearl Harbor was a light pistachio green shade. Tamiya DOES make this now in both jar and spray form. I forget the name and color. Its fairly new and came out with their 1/32 scale early Zero. Despite movies, old kits, etc. early Zeros were not white or light grey. The Japanese name for the color was a light olive. It can LOOK white or grey in poor photos.


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## louie55 (Dec 11, 2008)

djnick66: I looked on Tamiya's site but can't find the light green color your talking about. The lightest green I see is Sky. But I don't think this is light enough is it? From your description, I am picturing a VERY light green. More like white with a touch of green. Is this correct?

If I can't find this green or the place I'm ordering from doesn't have it, what would be the next best alternative? White or a light gray? 

Thanks.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

AS-29 is the spray and XF-76 is the jar for IJN Overall Grey-Green


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## louie55 (Dec 11, 2008)

Thanks! I guess I didn't catch it because it was a little darker than what I was picturing. The hobby site I'm ordering from DOES have it, so I guess I will be using it.

I also found the colors for the Spitfire and Black Widow.

I will post the colors here in case any future forum searcher finds this and needs this info:

Spitfire:
-Tamiya XF52 Flat Earth
-Tamiya XF70 Dark Green
-Tamiya XF21 Sky

Black Widow:
-Gloss Black

Zero Type 21:
-Tamiya XF76 Grey-Green (IJN)

Thanks again!

P.S. You know, it would be cool if a website had a database of the paints needed for certain models and modelers all over the world could enter them from the official instruction sheets to help people like me. It wouldn't be too hard to build such a website, but I don't have the time right now.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Again, the P-61s were, famously, GLOSS black.


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## xr4sam (Dec 9, 1999)

They were gloss? I really couldn't remember. I remember seeing some pictures of OD ones, but I could never decide if the black was gloss or not. Thanks for clarifying, John!


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Black widows were gloss black, but they weathered fairly quickly. The paint also chipped from the leading edges (especially around areas of prop wash like cowlings and where the prop came close to the fuselage) and exhaust staining was quite heavy on these birds. They ended up more of a multi-sheen mess.

Chris.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

My father also found out that the paint peeled off the tail when you get stuck in a spin and pull up so hard that you set up a heavy vibration in the tail booms:











The story of the gloss paint is sort of famous. Northrop painted a few test planes in various colors to see what kept the plane hidden best in a spotlight beam. When the flat black one flew over it was completely visible. Then the gloss one was next. After a few minutes the spotlight crew called in and asked when it was coming. The test crew said "it just flew over." 

Try it - paint a ball flat black, and another one gloss black, then shine a light on them in a dark room. The glossy one may have a direct point-highlight from the beam, but it reflects all the other light away in every direction but your eye. The flat texture is so rough that it reflects light back to you from the whole surface.


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## louie55 (Dec 11, 2008)

*John P:* Sorry, I guess I missed that part of your first post. I will change my post to read GLOSS black and I will paint my model Gloss.

Thanks for clearing it up!


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