F-20 Tigershark colors

[General Grievous]

I read the F-20 prototypes were at some point painted with a metallic "BMW gray" color. Does anybody know where can I get this particular paint (FS ?)?

Also, the nose radome was painted "Air Superiority Gray". Can I get this paint from Acryl / Model Master line?

Thanks for any help,

GG

[jenshb]

I seem to recall it was BMW "Ascot Grey", and one place you can get colours mixed to match is www.hiroboy.com. They do mail order exclusively and are very fast even for custom mixing colours. Beware that the post may take some time, but you're better off speaking to them. I have bougth from them before and wouldn't hesitate doing it again.

http://www.hiroboy.com/catalog/product_inf...products_id=866

Note that the zero paints are satin finish and you will need a clear coat before the decals. The paint airbrushes beautifully (it is not designed to be brushpainted, coming pre-thinned) and dries quickly.

Jens

Edited August 26, 2008 by jenshb

[DonSS3]

Since it actually was a BMW Car Color (no FS number), you may be able to find a match at your local car parts store or even Walmart. I suspect you'll have to buy some auto touch up paint, and decant it into a bottle for using on your airbrush. The Air Superiority Gray shouldn't be any problem. Looking at your photo, it looks like Dark Ghost Gray may work, too.

[richter111]

yeah I remember building that kit in the 80's and I squirted it from a car paint spray can. Something else that looked incredibly cool was the mig 29 model my brother built and squirted the same color. It looked completely sinister. Just the dark grey and the red stars...

Ric

[Jennings]

According to the Northrop guy I spoke with on the ramp at Edwards in 1984, the airplane was painted Mercedes Benz Anthracite Grey Metalllic, not BMW (urban legend). He said they couldn't decide what color they wanted to paint it, and one of the guys had a Benz painted Anthracite Grey Metallic, so they decided that was it. They went down to the Benz dealership in Lancaster and bought ten gallons of it and painted their airplane.

That's what came straight from the guy who painted it...

J

[Jay Chladek]

BTW, Anthracite Grey Metalllic is a color found in the Testors Model Master car color paint line. Whether it is exactly the same shade I do not know. But it does look close.

[Grey Ghost 531]

If you end up using an automotive touch up paint from a rattle can, something like duplicolor, be careful. They are very "hot" and you'll need a good primer coat between the plastic and the auto paint or you'll get crazing.

[EDWMatt]

BTW, Anthracite Grey Metalllic is a color found in the Testors Model Master car color paint line. Whether it is exactly the same shade I do not know. But it does look close.

Model Master Anthracite Gray is a bit too brown. When I built my F-20 years ago, I used "Graphite Metallic" from the Testor Model Master Car Colors line. It's not perfect, but it is very close (closer than the Anthracite Gray)

[General Grievous]

Thank you all for the info.

Custom ordering the paint sounds interesting but it must be too expensive, I think I'll settle for the "Graphite Mettalic" from Testors.

GG