WW2 RAF Cockpit Green Specs.. Fluffy?

ISTR that Mark G’s Mossie parts were a nice shade of green!

Well, ignoring the temporary (B&Q finest plywood-coloured!) rig holding all this stuff together, this is the BS381C:283 in question, although the column looks a bit lighter in the photo because of the flash. Personally I think it’s about right – a good balance between the lighter, sickly greens and the darker ‘grassy’ greens you sometimes see.

cheers all…..working with peoples hand me downs, i have found numerous shades, so i guess it is a case of finding one i like….ISTR that Mark G’s Mossie parts were a nice shade of green!

We used the LAS Celly Int. Green on ‘213, though there are at least three different shades of original finishes I’ve seen on various areas, some a very light green, like a mix of sky and interior geen ranging to a more ‘Brunswick Green’ shade which looks like a primer of sorts seeing as it was found underneath the silver top-coat.

Tom

I’d just like to throw in the 14 shades of BRG to add to the confusion..

When we painted the inside of PA908 we used a HM Govt colour standards book from the ’50s. The “RAF Moss Green” (or whatever it was called)looks to be an almost identical match to the colour used by Boeing/Douglas inside the C17 parked on the ramp at Edwrads..

By the way, I noticed that my signature has been changed but not by me. Who added the Flying Dutchman bit?

We recovered a Wellington wreck once and there were three different tones of cockpit green. A friend who was from the IMPS wouldn’t believe me when I pointed it out to him and thought I was pulling his leg (while standing on large pile of the aircrafts wreckage):p

Cheers

Cees

I am just about to order a ton of BS381C -283 for the Spit cockpit detailing….is everyone reasonably happy with that standard?!
I have been buying paints from Fantastic Finishes on Ebay…..

283 is ideal in my opinion. That’s what I used for my Mosquito bits and it looks spot on.

For what it’s worth may I point out that paint varies not only from one manufacturer to another but also from one batch to another from the same manufacturer. Ideally make sure that the batch numbers match or mix the two together to achieve a uniform colour if more than one tin is needed and ideally purchase enough in the first place to cover all that needs that colour. Probably teaching granny to suck eggs but never mind.

Sorry Old Thread but….

I am just about to order a ton of BS381C -283 for the Spit cockpit detailing….is everyone reasonably happy with that standard?!
I have been buying paints from Fantastic Finishes on Ebay…..

RLM colours …arrrrgggggg.Nurse,nurse…..My brain hurts.

closely followed by

what colours are RLM 81,82 and 83, as well as the sky colour referred to by some as RLM84 -although there appears to be no evidence for this and what others insist is just a manufacturing variation of RLM76, of which there were at least two shades – depending on the availability of some of the ingredients towards the end of the war……………(pause for breath)

oh – and what colour was the Spitfire prototype…………..

Aluminium- a sort of silver, or light metalic grey.

Colour Police…nee-nah, nee-nah

LOL, after ‘what colour is cockpit green?’, the worst question must be ‘what colour is Bluebird blue?’, but that’s a whole other area of interest!

closely followed by

what colours are RLM 81,82 and 83, as well as the sky colour referred to by some as RLM84 -although there appears to be no evidence for this and what others insist is just a manufacturing variation of RLM76, of which there were at least two shades – depending on the availability of some of the ingredients towards the end of the war……………(pause for breath)

oh – and what colour was the Spitfire prototype…………..

LOL, after ‘what colour is cockpit green?’, the worst question must be ‘what colour is Bluebird blue?’, but that’s a whole other area of interest!

We’ve found the same thing on fuselage parts for the Whitley – several different shades of interior green. We’ll probably go for the prettiest 😉

Somewhere I have the DTD reference for the Whitley. I’ll see if I can dig it out – would be interested to find a modern equivalent.

Same here,

Last year I was standing on top of a six foot pile of Wellington Mk III wreckage selecting interesting items for identification and display in our museum, when a friend of mine (who is also a member of the IPMS SIG RAF/USAAF) vistited. When I showed him a piece of wreckage with dark green interior (looking like the American shade) paint he insisted that that was not the correct colour for the Wellington, even when I pulled out several other bits with interior green paint varying from very light green to almost very dark green he kept insisting that I was pulling his leg :p

So if you paint it any shade of green you are historically correct, as long as it is green 😉

Cees

We’ve found the same thing on fuselage parts for the Whitley – several different shades of interior green. We’ll probably go for the prettiest 😉

Somewhere I have the DTD reference for the Whitley. I’ll see if I can dig it out – would be interested to find a modern equivalent.

I’m far from convinced there is a standard colour for this green – it seems to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. In fact I’ve even got duplicate components from the same manufacturer with different shades of green on them!

Best bet is to go and look at some BS381 colour cards I think. Compare colours such as 283 Aircraft Grey Green, 280 Verdigris Green, 228 Emerald Green and even 275 Opaline Green and 262 Bold Green, and pick the one you prefer. 🙂

There is a RAL code as well that is basicaly the correct shade, wil dig it out.

Ditto guys.Found a few variations of BCG with our Spitty bits as well.

I’d go with Bruce every time – the Humbrol colours were apparently matched to MAP paint chips when the range was first produced, Humbrols range seems to work for RAF colours but not RLM or FS paint!

The colours in the Humbrol range are spot on, fact, since when we were trying to establish an interior green for the T-6 I checked Matt 78 against original wartime HARVARD parts covered in cockpit green. Now these parts came from all over the world, some NAA, some Noorduyn, and from varying airforces – Some slight fading aside Matt 78 was a decent match. Further, when some parts of TD248 passed through our hands a while ago i kept a chip of paint and Matt 78 also matches- OK she’s a late mark Spit but I would be confident in using that colour if you are happy with it (you will always get an ‘expert’ telling you tis wrong after you’ve finished spraying it 😉 🙂 )

TT

Funny to read that Ben,

Some small parts for my Halifax cockpit I have painted using tins of Humbrol among which was 78. I thought it matched some original green painted Halifax bits I have. Perhaps that is why I still use good old Humbrol for my modelling projects. I also read that the Brooklands Wellington was painted using Humbrol paints, don’t know if that is correct but if so they must have used slightly larger tins for such an airframe 😀

Cees

I’d go with Bruce every time – the Humbrol colours were apparently matched to MAP paint chips when the range was first produced, Humbrols range seems to work for RAF colours but not RLM or FS paint!

The colours in the Humbrol range are spot on, fact, since when we were trying to establish an interior green for the T-6 I checked Matt 78 against original wartime HARVARD parts covered in cockpit green. Now these parts came from all over the world, some NAA, some Noorduyn, and from varying airforces – Some slight fading aside Matt 78 was a decent match. Further, when some parts of TD248 passed through our hands a while ago i kept a chip of paint and Matt 78 also matches- OK she’s a late mark Spit but I would be confident in using that colour if you are happy with it (you will always get an ‘expert’ telling you tis wrong after you’ve finished spraying it 😉 🙂 )

TT

Yes, there is a great deal of variation. de Havilland used a quite different colour on the later aircraft, and as Mark says, there is a lot of variation between other manufacturers as well.

Bruce