What Color Is This?

[Jschmus]

The thread title says it all, folks!  I'm trying to find out the name and/or FS number for the paint used on this helicopter.  I tried asking the crew who are going the restoration on the helicopter shown, and they ended up arguing about the color.  I've seen numerous builds online, and they all talk about the manufacturer whose paints they've used, but never the color(s) specified.  All the museum crew could agree to was that it was NOT gunship grey.

[Archangel]

Those looks to be

Light Ghost Grey FS 36375

Dark Ghost Grey FS 36320

[Scooterman]

My refs say 36320 for the lighter and 35237 for the darker.  Usually there's more contrast between them but 35237 fades rapidly in the sun.

[B777LR]

Its grey.

[anthonyp]

Most USN helos are Light Ghost Grey (FS 36375) with Medium Grey (FS 35327) windscreens, anti-glare panels, and other highlights, though early SH-60 schemes also had some Dark Ghost (FS 36320).

If that was retired recently, it's Lt. Ghost.

...  and it's frightening that I remembered those FS numbers without even looking at the rest of this thread  :dum:  

[matrixone]

Mid-war RLM 76 and RLM 77?


Matrixone

[Jschmus]

I have both light and dark ghost grey in my paint collection, but I'm asking because of the distinct bluish tinge to the colors.  Is it simply an artifact of sun bleaching, or is the paint actually blue?

I need to know so I can start the exterior paint on my Secret Santa build.

[cthulhu77]

from what a friend says down at Davis Monthan afb, some of the primers are indeed tinged blue, supposedly in areas where there is heat...perhaps a suspension of aluminium in the paint? Will try to find out more.

[Jennings]

I'm currently working on decals for the upcoming reissue of the MRC 1/35 AH-1W (with NTS upgrades, whatever that means...).  They're painted in those same colors, and having looked at a LOT of photos of them, I can state categorically that if the contrasting (darker color) for camo and markings is *supposed* to be FS 35237, then somebody in the USMC and USN needs to be court-martialed.  35237 is a *very* dark color, far, far darker than anything seen in this or any other photo of any USMC/USN helicopter I can find.  There is very little contrast with the 36375 main color.  This is turning into a nightmare for decal art purposes, since the instructions will have to provide the "accurate" FS matches for the modeler, but if he/she paints the model with those colors out of the bottle, the model will look awful, and won't match the decals at all.

J

PS:  Who doesn't believe in "scale color" now, eh?