I'm new to ship model and I'm working on my first ship, Tamiya 1/700 CV-8 Hornet Doolittle Raid. Tamiya's instruction lists colors for Hornet as Dark Grey, Deck Colour, and Light Grey but no paint number. I don't know if they are generic color or reference to Tamiya paint. Tamiya paint lists XF-24 Dark Grey, XF-25 Light Sea Grey, XF-54 Dark Sea Grey, XF-55 Deck Tan, XF-66 Light Grey. What are the paint should I use? I'm mainly using Tamiya Acrylic, Testor Model Master Acrylic paint. It will be very much appreciated if anyone can help me link paint scheme to paint number/name, even if they're different brand paints. Thanks in advance.

Steven Lu

Ship building is a lot of fun. The colors changed almost as uch as folks change their underwear :-)

The deck color was a blue stain over the wood. I mixed mine using a combination of testors model masters 1718 Sea blue with a light blue like 2078 hell blau. The dark gray pattern at the water level of the ship I would mix the sea blue with a dark gray. The lighter gray I would go with a medium gray.Tamiya dark sea gray would be a good color

Somebody makes a series of great naval colors in acrylics. I am sure someone will give you the names and numbers you should use. White ensign models has a series of great colors but they are difficult to find in the states and expensive for what you get ordering them from England. They are about half the quantity of a tamiya bottle and they are enamel. BUt if you are wanting absolute accuracy that' s what you go with.

Hi Steven Lu

Welcome to Armorama
I hope you keep us posted in your progress and you'll see (already have by Steve Joyce) that the crew is just amazing!

As for your question regarding the Hornet colours for Doolittle Raids - I am not the best person to help you, since I use mainly enamel and especially WEM Colourcoats - they are great for airbrushing and also paintbrush very good.

I think that you have already good hints from Steve Joyce, though

Once again Welcome aboard!

Skipper

I can't help you with the acrylics question, but I DO have to weigh in here after Steve's statement regarding how expensive our Colourcoats are in the States, and how difficult it is to get them.

Taking the second point first, if you order online, typically we have your order in the mail the following day. Shipping times Stateside normally run 4 - 7 working days. No, it's not like driving down to the local hobby shop, but lots of folks don't have a local hobby shop.

As to its being expensive, Colourcoats work out to about $2.66 per tin (including shipping from the UK). I believe that's less than the over-the-counter price of a lot of hobby paints Stateside.

And, they ARE accurate!

Cheers,
John Snyder
White Ensign Models
http://WhiteEnsignModels

I can't speak to their paint, but I can confirm that their service is superb! I've ordered from WEM many times and the items usually arrive in about 2 weeks total.

As far as the paint is concerned, this reference is pretty helpful to identify what camoflage measure was applied to what ship at what time and the specification of that color.

http://www.shipcamouflage.com/camouflage_database.htm

I also prefer acrylics, and I have found the Floquil Poly S paints to be great to work with.

The following Navy Colors are available:

F505326 Pale Blue-Gray 5-P
F505328 Light Gray 5-L
F505330 Haze Gray 5-H
F505332 Ocean Gray 5-O
F505334 Navy Blue 5-N
F505336 Deck Tan
F505338 Wthr. Dec Blue 20-B
F505092 US Sea Blue A/N607 (Possibly "Sea Blue 5-S"?)

I'm using the 5-N, 5-H, and 20-B for my 1/350 Missouri. The 20-B seems a bit "dark" but not too bad.

Hope this helps.

Tom

You can also order WEM's Colourcoats paints from Randy Short at http://www.shipcamouflage.com/ $2.30 per tin.

I've been using the White Ensign Colourcoats for a few years now, and for the most part, I like them a lot. Personally, I find that they work better being shot through an airbrush then hand painted - but that's been my experience. If you do decide to use them, make sure you stir them very, very well before using. I recommend thining them with laquer thinner.

For the Hornet, you'd want the following colors:

US 05 Late 1941 5-H Haze Gray
US 06 Late 1941 5-O Ocean Gray
US 08 5-N Navy Blue
US 10 1942 Revised Deck Blue 20-B
US 27 Flight Deck Stain Norfolk 250-N

The hull was Navy Blue (dark) over Ocean Gray (lighter) . The island was Ocean Gray (dark) over Haze Gray (lighter).

The Flight deck was Flight Deck Stain Norfolk 250-N. The steel decks (catwalks,, island platforms, etc.) were Deck Blue 20B.

If you want to shy away from enamels, you can still probably find Testors Acrylic versions of these paints at your local hobby store - but hurry, they've been discontinued.

You can also try using Model Master’s paint. They have a whole line of US navy colors.

I’m building the Hornet in that same pattern for the flattops campaign right now myself.
This is the hull and deck on mine so far.







The colors are all Model Master

Hull: 5-O Ocean Grey (4239)
dark camo on hull: 5-N Navy blue (??24) has paint on the number. My guess is the 4224
Light camo on island: 5-H Haze Grey (4238) not used on mine yet.
Bottom: Anti-Douling Red (4228)
flight deck and horizontal surfaces: 20-B Deck Blue. (Don’t have to bottle with me right now)
Hanger Deck: Gunship Gray (4752)
Hanger deck walls: Flat Gull Gray FS36440 ( 1730) this ones Enamel


I also have some good colored pictures of the Hornet I got from Kenny (Subhunter) if your interested PM me your Email address and I’ll send them to you.


Hope this os of some help to you.

All,

Thank you very much for all of your help.

Happy Modeling.
Steven