Red Arrows Red

[Nick]

It is suggested by serious modelers and magazines that the best match for the red paint on a Red Arrows Gnat or Hawk is Post Office Red from Xtracolor or Humbrol etc. This is supposedly what the teams used when they first started out.

There is a problem with this as I discovered when I went to the British Postal Museum Store on a tour last week. There were at least 5 official different shades of Post Office Red over the 100+ years they have been using it! It also depended on whether it was the vehicles, the postboxes or the uniforms!
 

I will put some pictures up when I get the chance.