Wings Over Cambridge

Modelling The Wartime RNZAF
RNZAF Wartime Paint Colours

DISCLAIMER: Please note that the colours shown in the left column, though taken directly from paint colour charts offered by manufacturers via the internet, offer only an approximation of their actual real-life counterparts.

Catalina in USN 3 tone scheme Airspeed Oxford in original wartime trainer yellow paintP40M in Olive DrabP40E in

THE WARTIME RNZAF IN COLOUR

 

In The Beginning

When the war began, the RNZAF was sorely lacking in aircraft. The total sum of aircraft on strength were as followed:

9 Vickers Vildebeeste
6 Airspeed Oxford
3 Avro 626 biplane trainers
36 Fairey Gordon biplane trainers
24 Blackburn Baffin
15 Vickers Vincent

Basically these were in their prewar schemes of overall white (in the case of the Vildebeestes and Vincents) or overall silver dope for the rest. But as new and second hand aircraft began to arrive, and new roles were found for the RNZAF, new colours began to appear on their machines.

The British Government began to supply surplus and obsolete types to the RNZAF, such as Hinds, and then more useful types too to bolster our defences.

The obsolete types arrived in their RAF schemes, which were usually prewar colours, but as the newer types arrived they were invariably painted upon manufacture in RAF camouflage.

The colours Dark Earth, Dark Green and Sky formed the standard RAF scheme for temperate climates up till mid 1941, and these colours were applied in the factory (either in BS 381c British form or the US Federal Standard equivalent for US-made aircraft) to the following aircraft that were originally intended for the RAF but diverted to the RNZAF:

•  Lockheed Hudson Mk III, Mk IIIA, MK V and MK VI
•  P40E Kittyhawk
•  Avro Anson Mk 1
•  North American Harvard Mk II
•  Airspeed Oxford Mk I and Mk II

RAF Dark Earth was later made the same in New Zealand as (NZ) Dark Earth

It should also be noted that later in the war, the US equivalent of RAF Dark Green applied to US made aircraft in the factory was later substituted with the US paint Dark Olive Green. This probably did not affect New Zealand's aircraft

RAF Trainer Yellow was applied in the factory to some of the following aircraft that were originally used by or intended for the RAF but diverted to the RNZAF:

•  De Havilland DH82 Tiger Moth
•  North American Harvard
•  Airspeed Oxford Mk I and Mk II

RAF Colours on RNZAF Aircraft

RAF Paint Name Lustre or Finish British Standard
BS 381c Number
US Federal Standard Number Xtracolor Equivalent Humbrol Equivalent
RAF Dark Green
Matt
BS241 RAF Dark Green
FS 34079
X1 RAF Dark Green
Humbrol 30 Dark Green
RAF Dark Earth
Matt
BS450
FS 30118
X2 RAF Dark Earth
Humbrol 29 Dark Earth
RAF Sky
Matt
BS210 RAF Sky
FS 24424
X7 RAF Sky
none known
RAF Trainer
Yellow
Matt
BS???
FS 33538
X011 Trainer Yellow
none known

New Zealand Manufactured Colours

The following chart depicts colours mixed here in New Zealand for the RNZAF when RAF colours and pigment became unavailable. Some were mixed to match the RAF colour as closely as possible, others were new colours designed for New Zealand conditions

As time went on the aircraft that had been supplied by the RAF required repaints. The paints mentioned above were substituted thus:

- RAF Dark Green used as a standard upper camouflage was replaced by (NZ) Dark Green

- RAF Dark Earth used also as a standard upper camouflage was replaced by (NZ) Dark Earth

- RAF Sky which had adorned the undersides of aircraft were substituted with (NZ) Sky Grey or one of the (NZ) Duck Egg Blues - depending on which stage of the war it was

- RAF Trainer Yellow was substituted on trainers with (NZ) Yellow, which was also used on roundel rings of operational aircraft

RNZAF Paint Name Lustre of Finish British Standard BS 381c Number US Federal Standard Number Xtracolor Equivalent Humbrol Equivalent
(NZ) Dark Green
Matt
BS226 Mid Brunswick Green
FS 14062
no match

Humbrol 3 Brunswick Green
or if unavailable mix
1-part HU1 Medium Green
6-parts No 32 Matt Dark Grey
2-parts HF2 Vert Blue
and then one sprayed coat of No 49 Matt Varnish

(NZ) Dark Earth
Matt
BS450 Dark Earth
FS 30118
X2 RAF Dark Earth

Mix 3-parts HB2 Dark Earth (aka Humbrol 29) to
1–part MC6 Brown Bess (aka Humbrol 170)

(NZ) Sky Grey
Matt
BS631 Light Grey
FS 25352
no match
Mix 1-part HU5 RAF Blue (aka Humbrol 96) with
1-part HF2 Vert Blue,
3-parts HU6 and
6-parts No 3 Brunswick Green
(NZ) Ocean Blue
Matt
BS636 PRU Blue
FS 25237
or FS 35189
X8 RAF PRU Blue
Mix 1-part HU5 (aka Humbrol 96) 1-part No 34 Matt White
(NZ) Duck Egg Blue A
BS111 Pale Blue
FS 15299 (obsolete)
no match
Mix 1-part HF2 Vert Blue
2-parts HG5 Aircraft Blue (aka Humbrol 65)
Note: The FS number mentioned here is a little dark for the actual NZ colour, but is the closest
Federal Standard match (NZ) Duck Egg Blue A was used only from 1941 to 1943
(NZ) Duck Egg Blue B
BS101 Sky Blue
FS 14325
no match
Mix 1-part HF2 Vert Blue to
3-parts HB4 Duck Egg Blue (aka Humbrol 23)
Note: (NZ) Duck Egg Blue B was used from 1943 to 1945
(NZ) Yellow
Matt
BS356 Golden Yellow
FS 13538
X19 Rescue Yellow
Mix 1-part No 82 Matt Orange Lining 12-parts No 69 Yellow Gloss
(NZ) Dark Blue
Matt
BS106 Royal Blue
FS 15044
no match
Humbrol No 15 Midnight Blue (This is Gloss, requires matting)
(NZ) Blue

Matt

BS110 Roundel Blue
FS 25056
X30 Roundel Blue
Humbrol No 25 Matt Blue
(NZ) Blue
Matt
BS175 Light French Blue
FS 15183p (obsolete)
X26 Azure Blue*
Humbrol HG 10 WW1 Blue
Note: * X26 Azure Blue is not a perfect match, being too dark and too yellow
(NZ) Medium Blue
Matt
BS109 Middle Blue
FS 15090
no match
Mix 3-parts HB13 Azure Blue 2-parts No25 Matt Blue 2-parts HX3 Petrol Blue
(NZ) Arctic Blue
Matt
BS112 Arctic Blue
FS 15275d
no match
Humbrol No 89 Matt Middle Blue
(NZ) Red
Gloss
BS538 Post Office Red
FS 11136
X31 Post Office Red
Humbrol No 60 Scarlet (Matt)

USAAF Colours on US Manufactured RNZAF Aircraft

•  Curtiss P40 Kittyhawk
•  Dougals C47 Dakota
•  Lockheed Lodestar

US Navy Colours on US Manufacturered RNZAF Aircraft

The following aircraft were supplied in the various standard US Navy colour schemes from the factory (and sometimes from US service) to the RNZAF, thus the paint standards noted above were applied to them:

•  Chance Vought F4U-1D Corsair
•  Consolidated Catalina
•  Grumman TBF-1D Avenger
•  Douglas SBD Dauntless
•  Lockheed PV1 Ventura
•  Lockheed PV2 Harpoon

Notes:

From March 1944 an antiglare panel was applied to the AN623 scheme aircraft

US Name ANA Number Federal Standard Number Xtracolor Equivalent Humbrol Equivalent

 

Interior Green (matt)

This was the colour used for the interior of all USN schemed aircraft

ANA611
FS24151
X117 Interior Green
Humbrol 151 Interior Green

 

Intermediate Blue

This was the middle colour in the USN ‘4 Tone' scheme used on many RNZAF aircraft

ANA608
FS35164
X125 Intermediate Blue
Humbrol 144 Intermediate Blue

Glossy Sea Blue

This was applied overall to all US Navy-schemed aircraft supplied to the RNZAF from March 1944

ANA623
FS15042
X121 Gloss Sea Blue

Semi Gloss Sea Blue

was applied on the topsides of the wings and tail planes on all aircraft painted in the USN ‘4 tone' scheme

ANA606
FS25042
X121 Gloss Sea Blue (toned down)

Non Specular Sea Blue

This was applied on the topsides of the wings and tail planes on all aircraft painted in the USN ‘4 tone' scheme from January 1944

ANA607
FS35045
X121 Gloss Sea Blue (matted down)
Insignia Blue
ANA502
FS15044
X122 Insignia Blue

Aluminium

This was used on spinners, wheel hubs, dope etc.

FS17178
X142 Aluminium
Humbrol 56 Aluminium

 

Insignia Red

A general US Navy colour used on spinners, roundels, etc.

ANA509
FS11136
X103 Insignia Red
Humbrol 153 Insignia Red

Orange Yellow

Used for roundel rings applied to the USN schemed aircraft

ANA506
FS13538
X106 Insignia Yellow
Orange Yellow
ANA614
FS33538
Humbrol 154 Insignia Yellow

RNZAF Museum Hudson Scheme

The RNZAF Museum studied paint original samples when they painted their beautiful and immaculate Lockheed Hudson that is now on display in the Museum. Jane Provan of the RNZAF Museum kindly supplied me with the data on the paint that they used.

The Pacific Blue colour of the camouflage was found to be a mixture of two Federal Standard colours, FS 25109 and FS 36118 Medium Gunship Grey

The Green was also a mix, of FS 34092 Dark Green and FS 34096

The underside colour was the standard Sky Type S

The Blue Camouflage Colour
FS 25109
     
FS 36118 Medium Gunship Gray
     
The Green Camoufalge Colour
FS 34092
Dark Green
     
FS 34096
Dark Green
     
The Underside Colour
FS 34424
Sky Type S
     

 

For more options for RAF aircraft colours I recommend this site - CLICK



'Classic Warbirds No 8', gives colours for the blue and the sky colours.
Blue - FS 35053><35109 (approx)
Sky - FS 35352 (close).
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