Olive drab not olive drab?

There were standards then just like now, and just like now there were all sorts of tones to the paint. If it looks right to you leave it...if not change it. I have done some that look more green and some that look more brown. I like the looks of them all. As far as the correct tone, I have no idea.

Olive drab is basically a spectrum unto itself.

First, the original color itself varied based upon different mixing ratios at different factories. And even at the same factory at different times, depending on all kinds of factors. 

Second, OD faded differently in different climates and at different altitudes. So a Sherman will look different from an 8th AAF B-17 will look different from a PTO P-38F.

Then you have field touch-ups, which were mixed on the spot from existing paint stocks.

I've seen everything from a very much olive green look to more of a green-tinged brown. Don Gentile's P-51B is a great example of the greener end of OD:

Thanks guys, i might go with olive green, i feel it looks more realistic, especially at 1:72 scale, the olive drab just doesnt look right.

Thanks for the info.

There is also to consider the change in olive drab that took place relatively early in the war.  The USAAF was using a color called OD 41, until the ANA colors were adapted (around 1943, I think).  The OD ANA613 is not the same as the earlier OD41.

I'm not sure I'd worry about it too much, since there was so much variation due to differing manufacturers and production runs.  For myself, I usually use a different brand of OD on each aircraft--just for variety.

Model Master makes the ANA 613; WEM Colourcoats make OD 41.

Years ago (maybe the mid 1990's) I remember reading about whether ANA 613 was even used much during the war, since it was introduced just about the same time the switch to natural metal finishes.

Over the years, various manufacturers have come and gone with their own versions of OD--AeroMaster, Floquil, Pactra.  And they've all been a little different.

I think you'd be safe to pick one and go with it.

And by the way, the same confusion exists about Neutral Gray for the undersides.  Neutral Gray 43 (used with OD 41) usually appears quite dark, and I read that it was a 50/50 mixture of black and white, with no bluish tinge to it.

DoogsATX

Nice example there Doogs. I also couldn't help but notice the red dope fabric or whatever on the gun ports. Don't see that often in pictures, IMO, on US fighters but maybe I need to get out more. I generally have only seen it on RAF planes. 

Well - Gentile flew Spits earlier in the war, so maybe there was a carryover affinity? I know they taped the guns frequently in the Pacific (got some pics of -1D Corsairs were you can clearly see the taped fairings). I've read that it was very common elsewhere, too, to keep moisture out and improve aerodynamics, but I think a lot of the USAAF aircraft moved away from the big doped squares the Spits used to just tape placed over the barrels or blast tubes. Not an expert on that side of things, though.

Also - if you want to see a much browner OD, look at early P-47s.

DoogsATX was right: olive drab is basically a spectrum unto itself. Chromate yellow & lamp black & [dinkywongo]. See a look of Bob McLaughlin’s question, “What color is olive drab?” [FSM Sep 2010].

_____________________________________________________________________

What color is olive drab?

Q: What is the color of a B-17 finish in olive drab? I ask because, although I've looked through a number of books, the color seems to vary from a dark green to medium brown and all the way to a very weathered-looking light brown or tan. What is a good choice, or is it just in the "eye of the beholder" category?

Bob McLaughlin
South Ohio, Nova Scotia, Canada

A: Thanks for asking, Bob. It's a good question!

As you have noted, World War II color film shows lots of variation. Same goes for olive drab, which can look different depending on lighting, stains, weathering, and bleaching. Also, olive drab is by no means uniform. Mixes were in the hands of the Joes assign to paint the plane.

Learning that olive drab applied to U.S. armor was actually a mixture of chromate yellow and lamp black refined my perception and made it easier to visualize the various shades.

There's a good discussion of colors on this website: http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/01/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us.htm

Scroll down and you'll see a section on olive drab, as well as link to color chips. By the way, this site has excellent cross references for hobby paint. Start here and explore: http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/helpdesk.asp#color_charts

With enough research, olive drab can be what you say it is!

Mark Hembree

For what it's worth, at this point.......if the OD I have on hand doesn't look right-ish....I lighten with chromate yellow (not white) or darken with "rubber" / dark brown.

Just a quick note to say that WEM Colourcoats has both OD 41 and ANA 613 available.

Thanks for all the comprehensive info guys. 

I decided to brush paint (im getting pretty good at it) Tamiya chrome for the undersides and olive green for the uppers.

It looks closer to the photos ive found of the aircraft im doing (B-26G Lak-A-Nookie) 

Ill start another thread to show it off when im done. Im a bit PO'd because i added like 60grams to the nose to weight it down and its about 6 grams too light and i cant get any more in. Ill see what happens.

Thanks again for the comprehensive information everyone.