RECENT ARTICLES

RECENT REVIEWS

RECENT VIDEOS

RECENT THREADS

USN ‘Willow Green' match?

2142 views

2 replies

DD-557

Member since
October 2007
From: Wisconsin

Posted by DD-557 on Saturday, March 29, 2008 9:10 AM

namrednef wrote:
So....Is your name Johnston?....or did you serve aboard her?
I always thought the Ranger was largely overlooked in WWII literature.
I was using the S/S Navy Air Colors pub as a guide.....hoping their printed color was correct. I was very naive!
All that is a lot of work......nowadays I would use a slightly brightened Regular Green.....I'm not as fastidious as I once was. But I understand your question.

Hello Namrednef,

Thanks for the reply. I was beginning to think I may have fallen into a dark hole.

No, I didn't serve on the Johnston. I'm old but not that old being just a wee lad at the time. I decided to use her destroyer designation as my sign on to honor her and the rest of the screening group, taking the bit in their teeth, going after the attacking Japanese Center Force off Samar Island during the Leyte campaign. I could have easily chosen the Samuel B. Roberts DE-413 instead. In fact I have BlueJackets' Samuel B. Roberts kit sitting on the self calling to me now, but I got side tracked.

Have been thinking I could try my hand at mixing the acrylics and you've given me a starting point. There are some color chips available but haven't decided I want to pop for them as yet. (As I key this I recall one of our forum mates telling me "don't get wrapped around the axle". )

Testors' now has a Willow Green, FS14187, in their Model Master II enamels and White Ensign Models across the pond also has Willow Green in their enamel Colorcoats line under the USN Aviation section. I've been thinking about putting together another order to them and I would add their Willow Green to it. Their good folks to deal with and orders arrive state side promptly. I ordered all the colors I needed for the Samuel B. Roberts project from WEM and was pleased with their service.

Thanks again for your input.

Patrick

PS As to the USS Ranger there is an excellent (IMO) book out titled "First and Foremost An illustrated History of Carrier Wing One: Part One 1934-1957" that has a great deal about her in it. Good text, outstanding photography and graphics.

Reply

namrednef

Member since
September 2012

Posted by namrednef on Saturday, March 29, 2008 6:26 AM

So....Is your name Johnston?....or did you serve aboard her?

About the green color........in the mid-eighties when I was into this hobby heavily, I learned (from the LHS or FSM?) to mix the color for 2-3 planes I wanted to build. Partly because I always thought the Ranger was largely overlooked in WWII literature.

This tough to recall exactly.....but using Testor's enamel, it involved using their regular Green paint, Light Green paint and White paint.

A small amount of White was mixed with a larger amount (I believe it was a 10% mixture of white) of the Light Green.....which considerably lightened that paint.....

Then adding and mixing drops of Regular Green darkening the mix bit-by-bit to the desired color. A lot of brush testing on a sheet of styreen was required to actually 'see' the color. Things look darker in the bottle.

I was using the S/S Navy Air Colors pub as a guide.....hoping their printed color was correct. I was very naive!

All that is a lot of work......nowadays I would use a slightly brightened Regular Green.....I'm not as fastidious as I once was. But I understand your question.