Chaps, doubtless a contentious subject - not least due to individual colour perception - and I don’t really wish to start one of those nugatory threads that go nowhere; however, whilst I tend not to get too wrapped around the axle when it comes to colours on my Cold War AFVs, I’ve hit a bit of a stumbling block when it comes to identifying a US Olive Drab for my M48A2 set in 1962.
The previous year of course, we endured the Berlin Crisis with a few colour pics available:
I am assuming that the colour for Berlin would be the same as throughout USAREUR, though of course, that may not be the case. I believe that for many modelling years, received wisdom pointed towards Tamiya’s acrylic JGSDF OD XF-74, however, I noted fairly recently that it had changed colour slightly, though I ended up using it on my Chrysler TV-8:
Their instructions call out for one of their paints Revell Enamel 66, which appears as a grey-green. I have put it on a piece of card alongside a Humbrol paint of the same number which is also listed as “Olive Drab”; I suspect it (Humbrol version) is too dark for a 1/35 finish. I have also glossed part of the Revell paint to test how much darker it would look under varnish; it would of course, ultimately be re-varnished matt:
So, as I see it, a greenish shade verging towards the grey – up to a point; I am slightly tempted by the Revell enamel, but equally perhaps the Tamiya JGSDF OD possibly darkened with black – or even the JGSDF Green similarly darkened. Any pointers – enamel or acrylic - towards a decent colour effect in 1/35 scale, would be welcome!
Sure, but that is not apparent on the above pic at the time of the crisis, nor in other pics of the time. My aim is to portray one as in the Federal Republic, not Berlin; I added the pic above to try and help identify the colour required for a plain vanilla AFV as part of USAREUR.
I would go with the Revell but lighten it up some recognizing that gloss coat will darken the finish as will a dark wash. Might be inclined to use a very light grey so as not to wash out the original color too much. Som trial and error would be necessary till you get the result you want. Good luck.
I’ve done my M60 “slick” in Tam XF74 with Pledge gloss for decals and pin-washing, then a very light coat of flat to keep it dark but turn the high gloss into satin-gloss. The result seemed about the right shade to me…
[EDIT: I think your TV-8 is too “flat” to stay darkened - with a hit of gloss it would darken right up again.]
Please don’t forget, that the regulations for post war US Army vehicles call for semi gloss OD. So if the paint didn’t fade too much, it would be a little glossy and pretty dark out of the factory.
My favourite cloror for that is Humbrol 66 with future on top of that. And this combination matches very closely with the ammo can I bought in a surplus store in Kaiserslautern.
Hataka 065 (Letter is brush/ air brush/ lacquer) is what I prefer. Tamiya JGDF OD is good to. M48A2 is Hataka. (14th ACR, Fulda, 62) A3 is AK USMC Forest Green.
I’ve seen other threads on here (or it may have been the Armorama days) with extensive discussions on the best approximation for 24087 Dark OD Semi-Gloss. I’m partial to using the paint vehicle restorers use from Rapco or Army Jeep Parts. The model paints require too much adjustment in terms of adding or mixing coats of semi-gloss.
There didn’t seem to be a particularly consistent shade. In one of the forum discussions, 1960’s era U.S. Army vets recalled seeing vehicles that were more brownish green to others being almost black green. My limited experience based on trying to match paint to period ammo cans and gas cans bears this out.
The Rapco paint comes off as more brown green. I tend to prefer that in terms of matching the classic OD semi-gloss I see in photos and it best matches the aforementioned ammo cans and gas cans I have.
I would recommend AGAINST using the Mig Vietnam era vehicle color sets. His OD semi-gloss is almost pea green and completely wrong.
I cannot speak for the color used by Berlin Brigade vehicles during the Berlin Crisis. However, I can tell you that the color used by the 1980s was significantly darker OD than the colors used by US units outside of Berlin. As someone assigned to 40th Armor in Berlin I can say that you should think OD green with some black added to it. Here are some samples from the mid to late 80s. The second picture appears lighter only because it was taken with noon sun directly overhead.
Wow great pics; didn’t realize there were any plain OD vehicles in the US Army in the mid/ late 80s. Another painting option I guess.
Although in 1986 during Reforger, now that I think about it, we exchanged our M113s in MERDC camo for Forest Green vehicles for a reconstitution mission.
Long time ago I read that adding black to OD was a common practice when all vehicles were OD - to make them look “smarter”. It would probably help a little with the fading of the color.
Thanks to all who have replied; clearly a bit of a conundrum.
‘Probably a heresy, but I think I may well go with Revell’s own recommendation of their enamel 66, and see how that comes out under a gloss and then a matt varnish. I suspect - and hope - that I won’t be too far off this:
It can be tricky to get this right; in this case, I’ve decided to go with the kit’s recommendation of their own (Revell) enamel 66. I’ve undertaken troop trials on a piece of card - see above - and I think with a gloss varnish, and a final matt varnish I might just get there. We’ll see!
