RCN
and CN Colour info
Please let me know if
you find any errors or you have more accurate information, thanks!
The Royal
Canadian Navy used
mostly Royal Navy paint colours and Camouflage schemes up to the end of
WWII
and for a while after. In the 60’s/70’s Canada used Standard 1-GP-12b then 1-GP-12c and
finally had
the Federal Standards Board incorporate our colours into FS595 in the
80’s.
During
the 50’s most RCN
ships had a two tone colour scheme. The hull was a dark grey, Called
1-9 at
first, then 501-102, now FS16099. The superstructure & upperworks
were
light grey, Called 1-6 at first, then 501-105 and now FS26329.
The
Navy started using the
current hull grey in the late 50’s. It was known as Grey 1-2 at first
and is
now 501-109 ( FS16480 )
( Even though the FS numbers are valid, the Navy still
uses the 501-109 number when ordering paint.)
This
colour was also used on
aircraft in the 70’s as well. The CP-121 Tracker and CH-124 Sea King
were
painted overall with 501-109. The Sea King colours since the 80s are
overall
FS26173 (a medium grey) and FS26118 (a dark grey). Rotors are FS26440
(also a
dark grey). It’s important to note that the first number in the Federal
Standard
system refers to the finish. 1 = gloss, 2 = Semi gloss and 3 = Flat or
Matte. A
lot of paint used by the Navy is gloss or semi gloss because it resists
the
elements and wears better. In WWII some matte paints were used which
faded very
quickly. For model painting, most modelers use flat to better represent
a scale
look.
An
example of using RN
colours during and after WWII, the cruiser ONTARIO wore the standard RN camouflage scheme
adopted after
the disruptive schemes were abandoned, when she launched in 1945. The
standard
camouflage scheme was G45 for all vertical surfaces with a panel of B20
on the hull. Masts
were G45, platforms and crow's-nest white. She was later spotted in
Mediterranean
blue in 1955, then wore the two tone scheme for a while and finally the
new lo
viz grey into the 60’s prior to being paid off.
An interesting
story told by Michael Brown of Task Force 72 in Australia talks
about the origin of the current Canadian Ship colour.
“We were on some visiting
Canadians in June & I
took a sample of Light
Admiralty Grey on to compare it. Very close if not the same colour.
Interestingly the guy showing us around had a connection with their
colour.
His father was involved in the selection of it. The story was that
ships
were coming into port after an exercise & an Admiral commented that
the
British Frigates were missing. They weren't, in the early morning light
they
faded out until they were closer inshore. The Dark/Light RCN colour
scheme
stood out like a sore thumb. The British were in their new LAG colour.
After experimentation, the RCN came up with its new colour.
However,
the Light Grey was still used as an
upperworks colour until
recently for non combatants.”
During the period of dark hull, light
grey upperworks, the deck colour was the same dark grey as the hull and no Non
skid was used. The HAIDA Museum ship is currently painted to represent her
Korean War appearance with a light grey deck, but photographic evidence does not
support a light grey deck. The
Non-Skid deck paint
since the 60’s was
501-102 (FS16099). In the late 90’s/early 2000 the
navy
switched to the USN standard deck paint FS36076 which is a little more
blue
than what was used before.
The
Helicopter non-skid landing
pad was green almost from the beginning (the first DDH's had grey for a
short while), 3-210 then 503-305, FS 34090. The Navy changed the colour in 2004 to a dark grey, probably
the USN
aircraft deck grey. I will confirm this as soon as I can. My recent
visit (Aug 2006) to the West coast shows some ships still wearing the
green, but
I'm not sure if this is old or new paint.
The anti fouling paint on
the bottom of the hull was usually red oxide when launched, but changed to a
grey anti fouling during the first Navy maintenance period. The colour has
changed to a bright blue since 2003. I also remember seeing a green colour in
the 70's, but few photos show it. Also, the grey anti-fouling paint can take on
a greenish tinge after a ship has been in the water for a while.
Colour
is in the eye of the
beholder! This is more true than you may think. To start, not every can
of
paint is an equal. Tints can differ between batches and manufacturers.
Often
several cans of paint will be mixed together before painting starts to
ensure
the whole ship is painted in one colour! The biggest culprits in colour
changes
are the weather, Sun and salt air! A freshly painted ship can look
faded and a
bit rusty within weeks of being at sea.
With
this in mind, when
painting model ships I use the original colours at full strength and
lighten or
tint them in layers to give a slightly varied look to a paint job. For
example,
after the first coat, I add a bit of white and lightly dust the center
area of
the surface being painted, almost to the edges. Then I add a little
more white
and repeat the dusting, but in a smaller central patch. I continue
doing this
until I get the effect I like that gives a slightly graduated look to
the
surface. Lightening paint is a common way to make them look ‘to scale’.
Many a
discussion has revolved around this topic. Personally, I feel that you
should
do whatever makes you happy, but don’t forget to experiment! You might
find
something you like better!
However,
If you want a realistic
scale effect, look at a ship from a distance, what do you notice?
details tend
to get greyed or washed out. This happens mostly due to particles like
moisture, dust and pollution in the air. So to create a scale look, if
a real
ship appears to be about 4-6 inches long when viewed far away, when you
look at
a model on a table from a few feet away and it also appears to be 4-6
inches
long, it should be the same kinds of colours or shades as the real one.
Which
is to say, depending on atmospheric conditions, time of day etc, a
grayish
colour overall, or generally washed out. The trick is to find a balance
between
too much fading and enough detail to make the model interesting.
Post War colour matches in current model paints:
|
Manufacturer
|
Paint
name/number
|
|
Current shipside grey Hull 501-109
|
Tamiya
Acrylic
(close
match)
|
XF12
Japanese Navy Grey
Add about 7-8 drops of flat white to each jar .
|
|
Model
Master enamel
(Exact
match, mix proportionally)
|
(5) Flat Gull Grey FS36440
+ (3) Flat White
+ (1) USSR/Russian
Interior
Blue Green
|
|
Hull (50’s)
(dark
grey) 501-102 FS16099
|
Model
Master
|
MM1723 Dark Gunship
Grey FS36118
|
|
Humbrol
|
extra dark
sea grey
|
|
Superstructure
(50’s)
(light
grey) 501-105 FS26329
|
Model
Master
|
MM1731 Light
Aircraft Grey FS16473
|
|
Humbrol
|
light sea grey
|
|
Helicopter
Deck
Green
503-305
|
Model
Master
|
(5)
USSR/Russian Interior Blue Green +
(1)
Testors 1171 Mat
Beret Green
|
|
Helicopter
Deck
Green
503-305
|
Model
Master
|
(5)
USSR/Russian Interior Blue Green +
(1)
Testors 1171 Mat
Beret Green
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deck Grey 501-102
|
Model
Master
|
Euro I
Grey FS36081
(close
match)
|
|
Anti-fouling
Grey
|
Model
Master
|
Dark Grey
FS36176
|
|
Anti-fouling
Red
|
|
|
|
Anti-fouling
Blue
|
|
|
For WWII RN/RCN
colours, White
Ensign has a line of paint called Colourcoats, they can be
purchased in Canada from Northstar Hobbies
or
direct from WEM in the UK. A great line of accurate paint chips can
be
purchased from Snyder
and
Short if you want to mix your own.
This
link has paint chips for current Canadian Naval colours:
http://hedgehoghollow.com/buzz/Colour_Guide/ships_clr.html
This
link has paint chips for current Canadian aircraft colours:
http://hedgehoghollow.com/buzz/Colour_Guide/rcnair_clr.html
Here is the main page for
Canadian colour chips:
http://hedgehoghollow.com/buzz/Colour_Guide/
