Which gray?

The CV from the 50s will likely be in an overall Haze Gray. All the photos of Pearl Harbor show the Battleships there in a very dark gray color (not sure which one) with the tops of the tripod/lattice masts in a much lighter shade of gray.

Three schools of thought:

From launch until the spring of 1941, the Arizona was painted in US Navy Standard Gray #5, overall.   Steel decks were Standard Deck Gray #20.  Wood decks were bright/holystoned.

From Spring, 1941 until sometime in late November, 1941 the Arizona was known to have been painted into the Navy's Camouflage Measure 1.  This was 5-D Dark Gray on the hull and superstructure up to the levels of the funnel tops.  The mast tops above the funnels were painted in 5-L Light Gray.   Steel decks & deck fittings were painted in 5-D.  The wooden decks were bright.

As to the Arizona's appearance on the morning of December 7 there is some difference of opinion.   There are some who's interpretation of extant documents lead them to believe that the Arizona continued in the 5-D.   There are others who have looked at other documents which have not been made available to the public and believe that the Arizona had been painted into Measure 1 with 5-S Sea Blue to the funnels and 5-L Light Gray upperworks.  

Jon @ Ironship and Tracy @ Researcher at Large will likely be along to give you their respective positions.

You can't go wrong painting your Arizona in 5-D and 5-L as that is a known, and if she wore 5-S it was only for 2 to 3 weeks.

Paints:  White Ensign's Colourcoat line of paints has all of these pre-mixed.   They are enamel. 

Thanks guys!  I knew somebody on here could point me in the right direction.  That's one of the things I like about the forums!  Does anybody make a haze gray or do you just mix something up?  Thanks again!!

White Ensign also makes he correct mid-fifty's Haze Gray and flight deck

http://www.whiteensignmodels.com/

The FS specification for current USN Haze Gray is 26270.   Modelmaster Neutral Gray is 36270 -- the difference being satin vs flat.  I typically add some white to lighten the Neutral Gray just a tad.  In small scales the finish coat level of gloss is unimportant.   I think flat looks better.

Tracy White (Researcher-at-Large) has just updated his site with some immediate post-war painting instructions.  This would cover the early 50s also

http://www.researcheratlarge.com/Ships/S19-7/1946AugustPacFltCamo.html

The instructions call for painting surface ships with standard No. 27 Haze Gray.    Decks were to be painted in No 20 (essentially the pre-war color) These were both a neutral gray - not the purple/blue based system from the war.    Flight decks were to be painted in No. 21.  

White Ensign is your source for 20, 27 and Flight Deck 21