RAF Uniforms circa late 1960s / Airfix kit

[TobyV]

I've decided that it would be a good idea to do something about the Airfix kits I bought a few years ago but never got very far with. Having concluded that most of my paints were so old they dried up in the tins I feel its time to start afresh. My first candidate is Harrier GR.1, similar to this one:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air ... 1210569/L/

I wasnt very good at these kits before, but I'm trying to raise my game so could anyone tell me

What colours would the pilot's flying suit and helmet have been in those days?

What the modern equivalent to Airfix paints M2, M13 M6 and M3 are and whether it'd be correct to use gloss paints to get the right finish or whether that'd look a bit OTT?

Thanks

Toby

[Garry Russell]

Hi Toby

Gloss paints are too OTT

I always used semi gloss for airliners and in this case being a high gloss IRL you may be able to go a little glossier due to the size but keep it away from the full shine.

I might help to make it fully glossy to aid decal application then bring it back with semi gloss varnish.

Garry

[SkippyBing]

For the flying suit you generally can't go wrong with some shade of green (they tend to fade in the wash so the exact shade isn't that important), not sure about the helmet probably best to try and find some period colour phots.

Some tips on painting figures here http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/t ... tnt130.htm

[petermcleland]

When I left the RAF in 1963 my flying suit was a lightish blue sort of material and bone domes were issued as Silver but often painted in Squadron schemes. The inner helmet (put on first before donning the bone dome) was the same lightish blue as the flying suit but airtexy:-


Here is Tim Cohu climbing into a Venom at Eastleigh, Nairobi, with the Ngong Hills in the background on the right.


Here I am at Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia. Tim and I are wearing the standard flying kit for the RAF at the time I left the RAF in 1963.

Edit...In UK the socks would be black rather than KD.

[Nigel H-J]

Hi TGoby, when I joined the RAF in 1969 aircrew were mainly wearing grey flight suits and white bone domes though there were a few with green flying overalls.

See this link.

http://www.flightgear.dk/rafhelmets.htm

Hope this helps.
Regards
Nigel.

[TobyV]

Thanks for all the replies, I think I'll have to see if I can google up an appropriate photo else it sounds like theres a choice of blue, green or grey for the overalls and silver or white for the helmet.

IfI make a half decent job of this one, I'll post a picture of the finished article.

[Hot_Charlie]

What colours would the pilot's flying suit and helmet have been in those days?

Olive green with white helmet I'd suspect.

What the modern equivalent to Airfix paints M2, M13 M6 and M3 are and whether it'd be correct to use gloss paints to get the right finish or whether that'd look a bit OTT?

M2 = Humbrol 27 = Tamiya XF-54 = Xtracrylix RAF Medium Sea Grey
M13 = H64 = Tam XF-19 = Xtracrylix RAF Light Aircraft Grey
M6, Matt black = H33 = Tam XF-1
M3 Dark green = H30 = Tam XF-61 = Xtracrylix RAF Dark Green

I wouln't bother with enamels anymore. Acrylic is the way to go, particularly "Xtracrylix", which are sold in actual RAF shades. Available at Hannants, or Relish Models.

[TobyV]

due to the size but keep it away from the full shine.

Just re-read this - in case there was any confusion, this is just a little 1/72 kit, not a 1/48 or 1/24 which I know Airfix also did!

[Garry Russell]

Indeed Toby and 1/72 was what I was thinking about.bigger than 144 airliners, so you are effectively closer to it at the same distance.

So you can take a little more shine

Garry

[TobyV]

Ak ok... As a model though its still not all that big! I have a 1:72 Concorde stashed away (unbuilt) somewhere. The challenge there is to find a shelf big enough to accommodate it when I finally get around to building it!