Post War RAF Silver Paint

In the Ministry of Aircraft Production Colour Standards…the colour bible, the colour name is ‘Aluminium’.

Mark

DTD 63 and DTD 260 are the Material Specifications for the type of paint. These were the standard gloss finishes for metals and timber.

The Vocabulary of Stores reference 33B/ is basically what to ask for, for a certain size tin of a particular colour of a particular paint type. Typically, three Stores Reference Numbers are given for each colour to each material specifiaction. These signify half gallon, one gallon, and five gallon containers. So 33B/158 is Aluminium 1 Gal DTD 260, 33B/317 is Aluminium DTD 63 1 Gal. No help in matching the colour. If there is a colour standard for Aluninium it may be in the ‘Ministry of Supply Standard of Colour Gloss and Smoothness for Aircraft Finishes Supplementary to BSS 381’. These take the form of painted sheets of card, each enclosed in an envelope, bound in a ring binder.

I think there are auto spray suppliers who probably could oblige.

I was talking about quoting DTD references to modern day shop staff (Halfords or auto paint specialist) :rolleyes:

Try ordering that in Halfords! 😀

I think there are auto spray suppliers who probably could oblige.

A friend of mine went to one in Bristol with a colour swatch – and they matched it for him into a spray can.

If you can find a modern BS match to that spec, you should find it easy….

Edit:- Doh!! – always read the thread before posting Ken!! :- Post #11 There is no BS 381C match

Ken

Colour Silver. Spec. Cellulose DTD 63 Synthetic DTD260 Stors Ref Cellulose 33B/317, 556, Synthetic 158, 561.

Mark

Try ordering that in Halfords! 😀

I was talking, on just this subject, to Bill Matthews, a former IPMS president, who said that an aircraft sprayer, back in the 1970s, told him that he was spraying exactly the same silver as he had been using pre-war (presumably with a different undercoat.)
Edgar

Mark,

Thanks for the comprehensive specification – much appreciated.

Regards,

Tim

Post WWII RAF Spitfire Mk XVIII finish on works drawing dated 2 March 1949.

All external surfaces. Colour Silver. Spec. Cellulose DTD 63 Synthetic DTD260 Stors Ref Cellulose 33B/317, 556, Synthetic 158, 561.

Mark

Thank you all for your informative replies, certainly enough for me to get my teeth into. Will certainly try a couple of the ‘off the shelf’ options.

Thanks once again 😀

Regards,

Tim

Ken those models are a work of art!

Depends on the time period – it wasat one point called Aluminium, and at another High Speed Silver. Can’t recall which came first, and my refs are at home.

It would have had a AirMin/MOS paint code, but I don’t recall it being in one of the other official standards. When polyurethane aircraft paints came in, they couldn’t do a PU metallic paint, so it was replaced with Light Aircraft Grey.

I’ll check.

Aluminium came first, before and during the war. It was often referred to as Silver although that was not the correct name. After the war it was renamed High Speed Silver. There is no BS 381C match. Colour is matched by FS 595B 17178.

I second that on the wheel paint, it also doesn’t streak that bad either

Whatever you do, dont use the really bright shiny Aluminium that looks like a slightly dull chrome. Looks awful. I use Simoniz Five wheel silver, which is pretty convincing.

Bruce

Aluminium paint

By the late forties, the finish was “Silver Dope” – to spec. 33B/317 516. Type C – Cellulose. What the BS number is though, I don’t know.

I have just had some cellulose mixed for my Meteor Mk.8 project using an original 1950’s aircraft part out of a crate as the colour reference. I ended up with an off-the-shelf Ford silver and it is a superb match.

On a car it would have a laquer applied but without the laquer the (satin) finish straight from the can is just about right too.

Anon.

Lovely results Ken!
But don’t forget – there is huge difference between being painted in silver and being left in natural aluminium with the various shades of panels which your excellent models represent.
I know the point you’re getting at re different silvers, but just in case!

Tim,

Check out the Halfords range of acrylic car spray – dozens of variations of silver by each car manufacturer.

I use them all the time on my models.

I used about five different shades on this Tu-95MS…….

The best representation of High Speed Silver is probably Halfords own generic ‘Aluminium’…. the base colour on this Tu-128U…..

Ken

I was always under the impression that High Speed Silver wasn’t a ‘paint’ as such but was a mixture of aluminium and clear dope. 4:1 clear to aluminium rings a bell?

I wouldn’t put money on that though!

Depends on the time period – it wasat one point called Aluminium, and at another High Speed Silver. Can’t recall which came first, and my refs are at home.

It would have had a AirMin/MOS paint code, but I don’t recall it being in one of the other official standards. When polyurethane aircraft paints came in, they couldn’t do a PU metallic paint, so it was replaced with Light Aircraft Grey.

I’ll check.

Or is it just a case of silver being silver?

Any pointers or advice would be appreciated.

Kind regards,

Tim

Far from it, Silver is the worse possible colour to match, there are THOUSANDS of varities 😮

It was called High Speed Silver but I do not know what the standards are for it.