Question: Undersurface color in British planes?

Romani · 17 January 2005, 02:57 AM

Ok, I know it was natural linen and varnished, linen is white and varnish should give it a yellow taint but I don't know what shade exactly, I have tried the following Tamiya colors:

Buff

Dark Yellow

Desert Yellow

wich shade should be closer? off white or yellowish?

Thanks in advance

17 January 2005, 03:05 AM

Buff......or tan . I always use a light tan. Or even a tan/cream.

StephenLawson · 17 January 2005, 04:10 PM

I have seen them done convincingly with a dirty white -yellowed but very light with slightly darker rib tapes.

edmondthieffry · 17 January 2005, 04:43 PM

Hello Romani,

Usually, I use sail color and radome tan in the Gunze range or same colo(u)rs in the Vallejo range.

HTH

Best regards from Belgium

Dan_San_Abbott · 17 January 2005, 07:43 PM

Gentlemen:
The specifications for aircraft linen specify that the fabric be UNBLEACHED! Unbleach after dpdoping is beige (Tan) in color. Only bleached fabric is white.So. in answer to your question, the color is beige.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Romani · 18 January 2005, 12:06 AM

Thank you all for your responses, as usual I got more confused than ever

Linen comes from hemp.. I guess I will ask some deadhead I know for a sample of dried pot leaves, and brush it with varnish , take a picture, turn it to greyscale and match it with wartime photos!

Just kidding.. I don't know what exactly does Dan San mean with "beige" and how that relates to commonly available pigments but it seems it would be a base of buff slightly brownish that turns yellowish when doped.

Certainly we can rule out dark yellow and the greenish yellow used in the Osprey profiles *yuck*

Summing it up, it seems to be the color of cafe au lait, with more milk than coffee

GAF · 18 January 2005, 01:55 PM

The colour I use could be described as "deep cream" I guess. I have used Am/Gryphon rib tape decal from their sheet #58 over a slightly lighter primary colour, and I am happy with this effect. "Tan" or "beige" imply a "browner" shade than my choice would be, but perhaps I'm splitting hairs..

Dan_San_Abbott · 21 January 2005, 04:26 PM

romani:
Linen does not come from hemp. It is made from from the stem fibers from the Flax plant. Linseed oil is made from the seed of the flax plant.
blue skies,
DanSan

Dan_San_Abbott · 21 January 2005, 04:41 PM

romani:
Beige is a specific color, defined a greyish yellow 4C3. The same color is also defined as, light blonde, ecru, and flaxen. Ask your wife to show you ecru thread. It is a "buff color".
Blue skies,
Dan-San