Paints for 1942 USS Enterprise

Thanks Jeff!
I will have to experiment with the deck to get the effect I want. I jsut don't want a solid blue deck but whatever weathering I do will have to be subtle and minor.
two more questions! How about the boats? where they painted overall Navy Blue too? and hat about the rubber life rafts on the sides of the ship? I have several Enterprise books but none of them really have good color reference.
Thanks again!

Jon Halter

Jon,

She was painted into MS21 in May of '42, so her paint would be fresh at the time of Midway. Norfolk 251 Stain is very similar in appearance in tone to 20-B deck blue, but slightly more intense when freshly applied.

Jeff

Jeff, Mike, thanks for your replies. I''ve decided to model the Enterprise as she appeared at Midway in June '42 that would be Measure 21? In your research Jeff, when was she painted to Measure 21? I'd like an idea of how long that "coat of paint" was on unitl Midway so I can weather it accordingly. Thanks for the info. I take it the Norfolk 251 Stain is grey in color right?

Thanks again for your help. It will be a while before I start painting but I want to order it all soon. Thanks again.

Jon Halter

Sorry, have to interject...

Measure 11 was all but gone by early-1942 in favor of Measure 21, overall Navy Blue 5-N. Current research by myself, Alan Raven Dave Shadell, and Steve Wiper all seem to agree that Enterprise wore Measure 1 until May of 1942, at which time she painted into Measure 21.

She repainted in Measure 33/4a in late 1944, and back in to Measure 21 in early 1945.

Flight deck would be Norfolk 251 Stain, with 20-B on all other surfaces.

Jeff Herne
Modelwarships.com

Jon,

The Enterprise was painted in US Navy Measure 11 camouflage in 1942 through the middle of '43 when the ship returned to the US for a major overhaul.

Measure 11 called for all vertical surfaces to be painted in Sea Blue 5-S and the flight deck to be stained in a color matching Deck Blue 20-B paint. The non-wooden decks should be 20-B. The Sea Blue color is a medium blue that can photograph much lighter AND much darker in B&W than it really looked.

I used Model Master ACRYL marine paints for my Tamiya kit. They have the correct colors. I believe that the Model Master enamels list the colors too.

The blue pigments faded very quickly in the Pacific sun, the deck stain in particular. I'd have the Deck tan color ready if you plan to weather your model.

If you haven't found the USS Enterprise Association web site, www.cv6.org, give it a look. Lots of photos and a message board for modelers of the Big "E" too.

Enjoy your model,

Mike