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Need good blue-gray for my PBJ-1 Conversion

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  • Member since
    November 2005
Need good blue-gray for my PBJ-1 Conversion
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 11, 2004 2:08 PM
I have another model that has a deadline on it, and it's turning into a bear. I need to convert a AcMin B-25C/D to a Marine PBJ-1D used as a weapons test bed for bombs, rockets and torpedoes. It is painted in standard early war blue-gray, but appears a little darker in the lower parts that stay out of the sun much of the time. I'd like to do this color and then gradually lighten it toward the top. Does anyone know who makes the best of this color? I'd like to use an acrylic, but an oil-based enamel will do.
This is a model where I have a lot of open hatches and the oopen bomb bay, and covered in PE parts, some large, with a True Details resin torpedo between the bomb doors (they carried them with the doors open because the Mk. 13 aerial torpedo was too long. They never used them in combat. But does anyone know what color these torpedoes were? It's obviously two-toned, not the white-and-red like they always had them in the models of our youth, but something more subtle, like gray and NM, at least, that's based on the fish I can see under the airplane in the photo, and it's in heavy shadow.
Tom
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: A Spartan in the Wolverine State
Posted by rjkplasticmod on Thursday, November 11, 2004 2:54 PM
Model Master makes an acceptable USN Blue grey in both enamel & acrylic. Some batches are a little too blue for my eye, while other batches seem pretty close. I usually add about 10% Aircraft grey to get a match I like. The closest match was by the long discontinued Floquil Military colors. I'll never forgive Testors for scrapping that paint after they bought out the Company.

Regards, Rick
RICK At My Age, I've Seen It All, Done It All, But I Don't Remember It All...
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: NE Georgia
Posted by Keyworth on Friday, November 12, 2004 7:26 PM
Amen, Rick. I used Pactra and Floquil paints almost exclusively until their untimely disappearance from the market.
"There's no problem that can't be solved with a suitable application of high explosives"
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: SETX. USA
Posted by tho9900 on Friday, November 12, 2004 8:24 PM
I agree with Rick.. I just got me a bottle of the Navy Blue/Grey and it just looked a little too blue for me... I am going to put it on a junk model to make sure but will probably be adding a little grey to mine as well... I have the feeling the paint is going to dry bluer than it is in the bottle...
---Tom--- O' brave new world, That has such people in it!
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 9:38 AM
Thanks, I agree, it looks a bit blue for me, and maybe light too. I think I'll add a little neutral gray to it so I can keep the blue tint in line, but if you guys know a better gray to darken it, let me know. I assume for the belly, white is white. But there's a radome on this belly, and I don't know what they made them from back then? Fiberglass? It's painted white like the surrounding belly.
Tom
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 18, 2004 10:04 AM
One more thing: is this Blue-Gray the same as Navy medium blue? Or are they separate colors? I don't have FS numbers for either color, so can't make a match.
Tom
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Medina, Ohio
Posted by wayne baker on Thursday, November 18, 2004 2:31 PM
Tom,
Where does this medium blue fall in the scheme of things?

 I may get so drunk, I have to crawl home. But dammit, I'll crawl like a Marine.

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 18, 2004 4:29 PM
Overall Medium Blue. That's what some of the color photos of the early PJB's look like. And remember, these things didn't go to war until early 44, and only were accepted by the Marines in 43. So I would guess they should be overall blue-gray with white bottoms for the early ones. The later birds followed the Navy color schemes as they changed, to three tone then sea blue overall at the end. But mine is an early D model, and I need the best color that was used on Navy a/c in mid-late 1943. I think it is blue-gray overall, so I may be just repeating what you guys have already told me.
Tom
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Medina, Ohio
Posted by wayne baker on Monday, November 22, 2004 1:54 PM
Tom
When was blue gray used with a white bottom. I always thought it was light gray. Do you have any references saying white? Just guessing, but in '43 I would think the paint shop would be full of blue gray, with maybe some true blue left over from pre war for marking purposes. They might be getting shipments of sea blue and intermediate blue to change to the new camo. The MAPS museum here has an SBD that was shot down after the red surround was applied to the star. It is still in the blue gray, light gray scheme. I didn't have any color chips with me, but the blue gray seemed to have faded towards intermediate blue.

 I may get so drunk, I have to crawl home. But dammit, I'll crawl like a Marine.

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