To camouflage or not to camouflage?

[seadude]

I'm the type of person who doesn't like to do camouflage. I guess my reasons are the following:
a) Too lazy. Don't want to be bothered with having to do all the masking, changing colors, etc.
b) Never really learned how to do it properly.
c) I just simply prefer one solid overall color for a model.

Once in a while, I will get someone who will tell me that I should do camouflage and that my models would look better with it, or that a model tank, aircraft, etc. isn't really a proper model without camouflage.
So I did some thinking about past and future model projects of mine and here's my thoughts on the following:

1. German Landkreuzer P1000 Tank - Seriously, the vehicle is so damn big and it moves so damn slow, that no amount of camouflage would be able to hide it. The Allies would be able to spot it easily from miles away. So why bother? And yet, some modelers do prefer to camouflage this vehicle from images I've seen all over the Net. When I built my P1000, I never camouflaged mine. I built two Rattes. One in a solid desert tan/yellow color for North Africa service, and the other in a solid dark German gray color (Picture not available yet.).


2. German Haunebu II saucer - I hope to start on this kit sometime later this year.
Post # 19 and 20.  http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,43122.15.html
Would camouflaging a saucer really be necessary? I'm really inclined to just paint it a regular metallic or gray color.

3. Krupp Raumer S - http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,43043.0.html
I plan to build mine as a German Nazi moon rover vehicle if the Germans had had a base on the moon. What good would camouflage be needed on the moon? There really isn't anyplace to hide the vehicle.   Chances are, I'll probably just paint the Raumer a solid gray color, though I'm not sure yet what shade of gray: light, medium, or dark?

So anyway..........what are your thoughts? How do you decide what to camouflage and what not to?

[Dizzyfugu]

Concerning the P 1000 - how about an overall Oxidrot primer livery with some added Hinterhalt colors added on top? Many late war tanks left the factories in primer finish, even the overall Sandgeld or Olivgrün delivery finish was not applied anymore. And the red primer coudl even come in different shades, since material had become scarce and paint was dilluted and stretched, e. g. with lead white pigments, ending up in a rather pinkish tone...

If you want "something German" for the saucer, go RLM 02 overall. I recommend the Tamiya color (only called "RLM Grey"), which is very bright and greenish.

For a moon camouflage, an overall light grey or a two-tone grey livery should work - there are some anime/mecha benchmarks for moon cammo, and that's just what's applied. And it is highly effective! Maybe add some black streaks and elongated blotches of black on the flanks, as mimicked shadows, though?

[zenrat]

P1000 may be big and slow but so is a battleship.  You could adapt a maritime dazzle type scheme?

[Gondor]

For the P1000 its not a case of hiding it through camouflaging it, just making it less easy to hit.

North African service. Hmmm, how would it get there?

Gondor

[zenrat]

How deep is the Med?  Could it ford it?

[Old Wombat]

My answer: Do what you're comfortable doing!

If you feel like stretching your wings into the world of camo, do so; if you don't, then stick with single colours.

After all, it's your model, not mine or anyone else's. Your choice!

[PR19_Kit]

North African service. Hmmm, how would it get there?

The long way round, via Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine (as it was then) Egypt etc. OK so there's some water in the way but the darn thing's so huge it'd probably bridge the Dardanelles and the Suez Canal. 

But it'd take about a year to get there and who knows what would have happened by then?

[NARSES2]

My answer: Do what you're comfortable doing!

Agree totally.

As for the specific models you mention, my thoughts would be :-

P.1000. Overall red oxide primer, or overall dark grey.
Haunebu II Saucer. Either as she came from the shop (different shades of metal) or overall RLM 02. Like you if you can even begin to believe what it was allegedly capable of (moi a sceptic ?  ) then what would the need be to camouflage it.
Krupp Raumer S. In your scenario then any overall colour. In a "real world" scenario then overall red oxide primer or dark grey.

Both the P.1000 and Raumer would have needed an overall coat of some form of paint simply to protect the metal. Although different sub-components might have had different primer shades ? I just feel painting the thing something would be ingrained in the work ethos of the plant ?

[TsrJoe]

iv always thought of the Krupp Raumer as a mine working vehicle or Antarctic survey load carrier in overall red or orange

the 'hubcap', id probably go with a steel colour spray can (unimaginative I know but probably giving it an undeserved plausibility)

the P1000 'Ratte' id imagine overall grey 'primer' (Halfords do a nice plastic primer in grey)

[Logan Hartke]

Both the P.1000 and Raumer would have needed an overall coat of some form of paint simply to protect the metal. Although different sub-components might have had different primer shades ? I just feel painting the thing something would be ingrained in the work ethos of the plant ?

Boy, I really like that idea, personally. I've never seen somebody do a Ratte quite like that. Doing the Ratte turret in a naval scheme (maybe just a plain KM gray?), maybe the turrets in dunkel gelb having come out of a Panzer factory or Krupp, then maybe leave the hull or parts of the hull (like the suspension) in the red oxide primer with maybe a splinter or random overspray to break up the outline a bit?

Whatever you do, I look forward to seeing the results!

Cheers,

Logan

[James W.]

Yeah a 'naval' splinter/dazzle pattern in earthy colours could work.. or you could paint it in a 'deception' scheme - as Herman Goering's easy chair..

Ok who's gonna be 1st to offer a suitable US Army equivalent, maybe a kit-bashed melding of Fort Drum & the Saturn V tracked transporter unit?

[jcf]

Ok who's gonna be 1st to offer a suitable US Army equivalent, maybe a kit-bashed melding of Fort Drum & the Saturn V tracked transporter unit?

[Old Wombat]

You could always cover it in ... a shrubbery!

[James W.]

You could always cover it in ... a shrubbery!

Shrubbery? Ni! That behemoth could accommodate a bloody market garden big enough to..

A, Feed the vegetarian menu option in Fuehrer bunker..
&,
B, Provide a landing ground big enough for a regiment of airborne 'Red Devils'..