RAF C-130 paint color early 1970's?

[sandiego89]

Need some help.  The more I search on-line the more confused I get. 

Want to do an early RAF C-130 in Germany (WHIF of course) in the early 1970's, so want to do the Dark Green and Dark Gray.  So would it have 2 color wraparound or the 3 color with the light aircraft gray belly/underside? Did 2 color happen later? I do not want to do the sand color scheme.   

I see some references to Humbrol 163 Dark Green, 164 Dark Sea Gray and 166 Light Aircraft Gray for the 3 color but I need Testors in the USA.  Any insight appreciated.  Did Vulcans etc. use the same colors?   

-Dave

 

[kitnut617]

Dave, try this website

http://www.paint4models.com/

[Dizzyfugu]

Vulcans used the same Dark Green, but the grey on the upper surfaces was lighter, Medium Sea Grey. Some Vulcans had a Dark Sea Grey underside, though (e .g. during the Falklands conflict), but AFAIK they were normally Light Aircraft Grey (which looks like white).
The greys are available from Modelmaster, but I am not certain about the Dark Green. The Modelmaster tone is the more bluish WWII-tone, while the post-war RAF aircraft were painted with a more olive-drab-ish tone of the same name. Come close to FS 34079, but the RAF tone has a bit more red (= looks more brownish) to it. Tamiya XF-27 is supposed to come close, too, but the Humbrol tone is very spot-on.
Furthermore, until 1975, the colors used to me glossy - later the aircraft became matt.

[AS.12]

From memory they were all delivered in desert scheme and the three-colour temperate scheme wasn't applied until mid-70s.  Was it when they went back to Marshall's for wingbox replacement?  That was 1975-78.

Wraparound came much later, initial Strike Command pointy-jets from 1977 and then dribbled down to the Herks in the early-mid 1980s.

[PR19_Kit]

From memory they were all delivered in desert scheme and the three-colour temperate scheme wasn't applied until mid-70s.  Was it when they went back to Marshall's for wingbox replacement?  That was 1975-78.

Marshalls were one of my customers in 1978-79 and the place was snided out with Herks then, but every one I saw was in green/grey. Of course they may have arrived in the desert scheme and had already been painted in the newer scheme.

[Mossie]

If you bring the Herc into service earlier (a definite possibility) it could have worn the Transport Command scheme, white over 60's light aircraft grey (darker than the later beige-grey) with a blue lightning flash.  It stopped being applied by the mid sixties but stuck around into the seventies.
http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/aircraft-month/short-belfast

Humbrol 64 is good for the earlier LAG,, light ghost gray might suffice.  The later LAG is fairly close to light gull gray. Testors do an enamel light aircraft gray but I don't know if it's anything like the RAF colours.

[AS.12]

Marshalls were one of my customers in 1978-79 and the place was snided out with Herks then, but every one I saw was in green/grey. Of course they may have arrived in the desert scheme and had already been painted in the newer scheme.

Interesting, ta. 

I also have a vague memory that the Herks arrived in the UK in bare primer and were painted by Marshalls using the fancy new polyurethane paint.  I specifically remember the glossy black underside paint being described as better camouflage against the night sky than matte but I can't find where I read that.

[AS.12]

Re: Herks in the temperate scheme, I can't find any date when they started repainting them from desert but I'd hazard a guess as to after September 1972 when they were adopted into Strike Command and took on a NATO tasking*.

Scale Aircraft Modelling Vol 4 Number 12 might have some info but of course I don't have that issue...

Yes it was odd to have them flying around Europe in desert scheme but no-one seemed to mind, there are photos online of desert Herks in Leuchars snow.  And here's one at Wildenrath open day in 1968:

http://www.thunderstreaks.com/airshows-open-days/wildenrath-germany-open-house-air-show-july-1968/


* Andover XS644 was repainted into three-colour temperate scheme in 1975 as an experiment which might give us a clue

[PR19_Kit]

Yes it was odd to have them flying around Europe in desert scheme but no-one seemed to mind, there are photos online of desert Herks in Leuchars snow.  And here's one at Wildenrath open day in 1968:

The Herks effectively replaced the Beverleys in the heavy lift role, and many Bevs returned to the UK in the ME scheme after service out in Aden etc.

Maybe the powers that be didn't want to order any new paint? 

[AS.12]

The Herks effectively replaced the Beverleys in the heavy lift role, and many Bevs returned to the UK in the ME scheme after service out in Aden etc.

Maybe the powers that be didn't want to order any new paint? 

Now you have me daydreaming of a Bev in wraparound green-grey...

[Rheged]

As Gracie Fields didn't quite sing, 1967 saw "The biggest final flypast in the world"  when  Beverleys  at Abingdon performed a formation flypast at their Battle of Britain Display.

[PR19_Kit]

Now you have me daydreaming of a Bev in wraparound green-grey...

And why not, I say? 

As Gracie Fields didn't quite sing, 1967 saw "The biggest final flypast in the world"  when  Beverleys  at Abingdon performed a formation flypast at their Battle of Britain Display.

And how!

I was there too, and they were VERY loud! I think it was the combined forces of 47 and 53 Squadron. 

[sandiego89]

Thanks so much everyone- good stuff.  I really like the gray/green warp around, so for my WHIF scenario I will need to adjust my date or that they got special paint jobs for their special role....

[Thorvic]

An early boxing of the Italeri MRCA Tornado IDS should have the Testers call out for the RAF 70s Tactical colour scheme for DG/DSG over LAG.

The Italeri C-130 Fat Albert boxing had the Light Stone/Dark Earth over Night Black scheme from what I recall, and earlier editions of the standard C-130E had the standard RAF scheme your after, so just need to find someone with those instructions for the colour call outs.

[phoenix54]

..........I specifically remember the glossy black underside paint being described as better camouflage against the night sky than matte

Probably from something you read on W.W.II.
Beaufighter night fighters were initially painted RDM2 (high proportions of lamp black) and totally matt.
The structure of the paint was such, that it absorbed light, therefore sticking out like the proverbial!
Gloss black refracts light, therefore becoming far less conspicuous.