Color scheme C-47 Skytrain

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

J

jarwha

Airman
25
19
Feb 6, 2018
Hi,
Looking for the color scheme of a C-47 Skytrain build in 1943 and as far we know his last flight was Operation Varisty.
If possible would like to have (if possible) the colors in RAL .....

kind
regards
Jan
 
in 1943.. for the US planes... the Olive Drab ( FS34088) at tops and Neutral Gery (FS36173) on undersides. Possible , there were the Medium Green ( FS34092) spots at the wing leading and trailing edges and also the same at the horizontal stabilizers , elevators and at the fin and rudder edges.
Later the OD and NG only.

The RAF Dakotas inherited the US camo mostly or were painted with spots of the RAF Dark Green (FS34079 or 34096) / Dark Earth (FS30118 or 30095) at tops and Sky-S type (FS34583 or 34424) or the Neutral Grey on undersides.
 
Also, from the end of June 1943 until mid August 1943 the national insignia had a red out line except some pacific ocean units which did not use the red outline but only un-outlined white bars

Edit: Sorry, the white bars didn't show up on that second picture against the white background, but they are there, usually the same dimensions as the white bars in the first picture but some times larger like in the picture below.
 
Last edited:
Thanks,
We need to have a painted piece of metal so we can scan it and give the results to an coating company (living in The Netherlands we're not working with FS numbers)
I found for example used in model paints is this the way too go?
Colour Comparison:
 
Please check on these...


F.S.34088 - RAL 7017
F.S.36173 - RAL 7046
F.S.34092 - RAL 6028


F.S.34096/079 - RAL 6003
F.S.30118/095 - RAL 7008
F.S.34583/424 - RAL 6019
 
Thanks for the info.
Is there a change that the existing paint on the C-47 might have some Hexavalent chromium ?

regards,
Jan
 
Last edited:
Hi Jan,

First, your question about hexavalent chromium: possible, but very unlikely. Chrome was used to reduce the IR signature of Dark OD, but was declared a strategic resource and ordered removed from paint formulas in 1942.

Second - and this is particular to the C-47 and a handful of other aircraft - components were built and painted by subcontractors prior to final assembly. Since each contractor could purchase paint from different sources, the OD rarely matched. I have never seen a factory-painted C-47 where the outer wing panels and tail surfaces actually did match. The photo below shows my favorite example of how the different paints began fading even before the aircraft left the factory.

In short, for the C-47 you're looking for a standard that doesn't really exist.

Cheers,


Dana

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

S
Factory transfer paint scheme for 1938 Me-109E
Replies
8
Views
933
slowoldguy
S
B-24 Liberator VI 178 SQD RAF KH243 , paint scheme
Replies
4
Views
1K
papageno
C
Searching desparetely a D- Day special C-47 individual details !
Replies
4
Views
1K
criannick
C
RAF Vickers Wellingtons in Desert Scheme
Replies
10
Views
2K
Don Boose
Favorite World War II aircraft camouflage scheme
Replies
8
Views
2K
buffnut453
Menu
Log in
Register