Paint codes for RAF WW2 roundels

[IanR]

I am having some difficulty narrowing down actual paint colour codes to use for RAF WW2 roundels - hoping someone here may have done some research at some stage. The ones I need it for are the dull red and dull blue

 

 

[Akromaster]

Not sure if you intentions but back in my RC days and printing decals, I'd use a paint program to sample the colours I wanted.

 

Anyway your question sparked an interest so with a little googling found this:

 

Cold War RAF Roundel Colours

 

From the thread:

 

"BS381C 538 Post Office Red and BS381C 110 Roundel Blue"

 

There's some discussion about the accuracies of that within the thread but have a read and see what you make if it.

 

 

[IanR]

Not sure if you intentions but back in my RC days and printing decals, I'd use a paint program to sample the colours I wanted.Anyway your question sparked an interest so with a little googling found this:

 

Cold War RAF Roundel Colours

 

From the thread:

 

"BS381C 538 Post Office Red and BS381C 110 Roundel Blue"

 

There's some discussion about the accuracies of that within the thread but have a read and see what you make if it.

Hi - thanks for that - yes those colours are mentioned a few times but the postwar ones were much brighter that the dull WW2 ones.

 

 

[Guest FlyingPhil]

Can I ask why Ian? Special Project?

 

 

[old man emu]

Can I ask why Ian? Special Project?

He's restoring a D-Day Auster, changing the colour from Cub Yellow to original.

 

Ian,

 

You have to remember that the pigments used back then may not be readily available now. Also, I think that there could be a difference in formulation between RAF colours and RAAF ones, for much the same reason. If I were you, I'd be looking for some component that would take any gloss out of modern dope, and be satisfied with that. I know that you want museum quality, but you might have to bear with 'close as possible". It's the curse of restorers.

 

OME

 

 

[mechfx]

Little off topic I know, but I went to an airfield in England that has an original Spitfire prototype on display. When they did the restoration they wanted to match the original light blue colour.

 

They managed to track down a model plane that the designer, RJ Mitchell had built for his son as a toy, painted with the original prototypes paint. They then took a tiny chip of paint from the model and had it colour-matched and used that on the full size version.

 

Nice....

 

 

[IanR]

Can I ask why Ian? Special Project?

Hi Phil, the auster was damaged by hail a few months ago. Seeing we had to repainted part of it anyway I decided to completely redo it in its original RAF colour scheme as delivered to Normandy

 

 

[IanR]

He's restoring a D-Day Auster, changing the colour from Cub Yellow to original.Ian,

 

You have to remember that the pigments used back then may not be readily available now. Also, I think that there could be a difference in formulation between RAF colours and RAAF ones, for much the same reason. If I were you, I'd be looking for some component that would take any gloss out of modern dope, and be satisfied with that. I know that you want museum quality, but you might have to bear with 'close as possible". It's the curse of restorers.

 

OME

Yes we are using a Matt finish per the original. Btw mine has been red and white. The yellow one is ex RCAF.

I managed to get a really good match on the dark earth and dark green camouflage colours.

 

 

[Guest FlyingPhil]

Ahhh ... Thanks Ian (and OME), very interesting. Should look a treat.

 

Phil.

 

 

[old man emu]

Ahh! I forgot about your plane, IanR. I thought that the owner of the yellow one might have been you as I didn't look at the date you joined here.

 

Luckily for you, yours flies.

 

OME