Jaguar GR1A Colour Questions
NORT...@googlemail.com
GR1A in 1/72. I intend to do the aircraft of 2 Sdn RAF in the wrap-
around camouflage scheme. Before I start, I need to check a few
colours given in the instruction sheet.
For the fuselage interior, the sheet specifies the same grey as used
in the exterior camouflage. Is Dark Sea Grey an accurate colour for
the interior? A colour identified as Matt Sand is suggested for the
wheel wells. Does anyone know what this should be? Finally, what
would be a suitable colour for the red brown indicated for the gun
ports?
All suggestions welcome!
Enzo Matrix
The cockpit interior is Dark Admiralty Grey. I believe that White Ensign
Models produces this colour. However, RAF cockpits always got very worn very
quickly, so pretty much any medium to dark grey would suffice. I paint RAF
cockpits in Gunship Grey and then use a heavy drybrush of Dark Gull Grey
over the top. This slightly darkens the Dark Gull Grey and leaves shadows in
the depths. I then lightly drybrush over the edges with zinc chromate and
again with a light grey or silver to represent where paint has flaked away.
The wheel wells should be zinc chromate primer. Bear in mind that by the
time the GR1A conversions started, many Jaguars had been in service for a
long time and so the zinc chromate should be toned down quite a bit. Various
components within the bays, including the gear itself and the inside of the
undercarriage doors, should be Light Aircraft Grey, but again fairly grubby
and worn.
The gun ports were actually natural metal with a protective coating of
Suncorite. The blast suppresors on Harriers were coated with the same stuff,
but you never got to see those because they were always hidden within the
gun pods.
In the case of the Jaguar, mask off the natural metal bits and paint them.
Then mix up a wash of dark red. Make it nice and thin and apply it in thin
coats. Don't worry if it doesn't cover uniformly - Suncorite never did.
Also be aware that Suncorite wore off in service, so if you are portraying
an aircraft that has been in service for some time, you need to be very
sparing with the application. If ever you build another Jaguar, make sure
the application is different because no two aircraft were the same.
Hope this helps.
--
Enzo
I wear the cheese. It does not wear me.
NORT...@googlemail.com
Enzo,
Thanks for your quick reply.
You've answered all my questions and another, the undercarriage doors,
that I didn't think to ask. I have very little reference material on
the Jaguar so your help is especially welcome. Did you work on these
aircraft during your RAF service?
Gordon McLaughlin
Enzo Matrix
I worked on Harriers, but spent a lot of time on detachments at Lossie where
I became quite familar with Jaguars.
NORT...@googlemail.com
Very interesting, Enzo. Thanks again for the colours. I can see
myself asking further questions about stores as the model progresses.
Gordon McLaughlin
som...@some.domain
>On Sep 25, 6:37=A0pm, "Enzo Matrix" <enz...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> NORTH...@googlemail.com wrote:
>> > I'm about to start work on the Revell boxing of the Italeri Jaguar
>> > around camouflage scheme. =A0Before I start, I need to check a few
>> > colours given in the instruction sheet.
>>
>> > For the fuselage interior, the sheet specifies the same grey as used
>> > the interior? =A0A colour identified as Matt Sand is suggested for the
>> > wheel wells. =A0Does anyone know what this should be? =A0Finally, what
>> > would be a suitable colour for the red brown indicated for the gun
>> > ports?
>>
>> > All suggestions welcome!
>>
>gn
>> Models produces this colour. However, RAF cockpits always got very worn v=
>ery
>> quickly, so pretty much any medium to dark grey would suffice. =A0I paint=
> RAF
>> cockpits in Gunship Grey and then use a heavy drybrush of Dark Gull Grey
> in
>> the depths. I then lightly drybrush over the edges with zinc chromate and
>y.
>>
>> The wheel wells should be zinc chromate primer. Bear in mind that by the
>> time the GR1A conversions started, many Jaguars had been in service for a
>ous
>> components within the bays, including the gear itself and the inside of t=
>he
>> undercarriage doors, should be Light Aircraft Grey, but again fairly grub=
>by
>> and worn.
>>
>> The gun ports were actually natural metal with a protective coating of
>ff,
>> but you never got to see those because they were always hidden within the
>> gun pods.
>>
>..
>> Then mix up a wash of dark red. Make it nice and thin and apply it in thi=
>n
>> coats. =A0Don't worry if it doesn't cover uniformly - Suncorite never did=
>..
>> Also be aware that Suncorite wore off in service, so if you are portrayin=
>g
>> an aircraft that has been in service for some time, you need to be very
>ure
>> the application is different because no two aircraft were the same.
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>>
>> --
>> Enzo
>>
>> I wear the cheese. It does not wear me.
>
>Enzo,
>
>Thanks for your quick reply.
>
>You've answered all my questions and another, the undercarriage doors,
>that I didn't think to ask. I have very little reference material on
>the Jaguar so your help is especially welcome. Did you work on these
>aircraft during your RAF service?
>
>Gordon McLaughlin
Enzo Matrix
>
> Very interesting, Enzo. Thanks again for the colours. I can see
> myself asking further questions about stores as the model progresses.
By all means. I've posted here about various stores before. I'll see if I
can track them down in the Google archive and I'll repost them.
NORT...@googlemail.com
Enzo,
Thanks. I remember your masterly coverage of the Sidewinder.
After looking at the kit instructions, my questions are these:
The instructions show the 2(AC) Sdn aircraft carrying two fuel tanks
on the inboard pylons, a recce pod under the fuselage and two items on
the outer pylons that I'm not familiar with. There is a PHIMAT under
the starboard wing and an AN/ALQ-101 under the port wing. Both of
these are shown as Dark Green. As far as you know, are they in the
right places and are they the right colour? In addition, what do they
do?
If you can remember, do the air brakes hang down when the aircraft is
parked on the ground? If so, what colour is the inner surface? Is
the well that they retract into Zinc Chromate or another colour?
Finally, was anything else normally open when the Jaguar was parked
for any length of time?
As you will have gathered, as far as modern aircraft are concerned,
I'm rather out of my depth.
Gordon McLaughlin
Enzo Matrix
> On Sep 26, 7:12 am, "Enzo Matrix" <enz...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> NORTH...@googlemail.com wrote:
>>
>>> Very interesting, Enzo. Thanks again for the colours. I can see
>>> myself asking further questions about stores as the model
>>> progresses.
>>
>> By all means. I've posted here about various stores before. I'll see
>> if I can track them down in the Google archive and I'll repost them.
>>
>> --
>> Enzo
>>
>> I wear the cheese. It does not wear me.
>
> Enzo,
>
> Thanks. I remember your masterly coverage of the Sidewinder.
>
> After looking at the kit instructions, my questions are these:
>
> The instructions show the 2(AC) Sdn aircraft carrying two fuel tanks
> on the inboard pylons, a recce pod under the fuselage and two items on
> the outer pylons that I'm not familiar with. There is a PHIMAT under
> the starboard wing and an AN/ALQ-101 under the port wing. Both of
> these are shown as Dark Green. As far as you know, are they in the
> right places and are they the right colour? In addition, what do they
> do?
They are Deep Bronze Green, as are most stores. This colour is matched by
Xtacolor X814 / Xtracrylix XA1814. Once Jaguars started to carry
self-defence stores, the munitions were always carried on the centreline
pylon, so the Phimat and ECM locations are correct.
The Phimat pod is a chaff dispenser. The AN/ALQ-101 is an ECM pod. There
should also be ALE-40 flare dispensers on the engine bay doors.
> If you can remember, do the air brakes hang down when the aircraft is
> parked on the ground? If so, what colour is the inner surface? Is
> the well that they retract into Zinc Chromate or another colour?
The air brakes don't actually droop when power is off. If the aircraft shuts
down with the brakes retracted, then they stay retracted. However, the
linies will open the brakes for access to various gauges during the
turnround. The pilots know this and so they rarely bother to retract the
brakes as they taxi in. In service the brakes will be mostly open when the
jet is parked, although I have seen them closed at airshows.
The inner surface of the brakes is zinc chromate. As for the bays, the
forward portion is also zinc chrmate. The rear portion is very shallow and
follows the line of the fuselage. This section is painted in the adjacent
camouflage colour.
> Finally, was anything else normally open when the Jaguar was parked
> for any length of time?
Flaps and slats are usually deployed on the deck. The nose gear main door
closes after the gear has cycled down but is also opened by the linies again
for access.
NORT...@googlemail.com
Enzo,
That's great; it's exactly what I needed to know. There's nothing
like first hand knowledge of these things!
Thanks again.
Gordon McLaughlin
Pip Moss
enz...@hotmail.com wrote on 9/28/08 7:45 AM:
(snip)
>
> The inner surface of the brakes is zinc chromate. As for the bays, the
> forward portion is also zinc chrmate. The rear portion is very shallow and
> follows the line of the fuselage. This section is painted in the adjacent
> camouflage colour.
>
>
Hi Enzo.
Would that be yellow (untinted) or green (tinted) ZC?
Pip Moss
Enzo Matrix
It is yellow zinc chromate.
The best match I have seen is Humbrol Acrylic 81, Pale Yellow.
avna...@yahoo.com
On 25-Sep-2008, "Enzo Matrix" <enz...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> The cockpit interior is Dark Admiralty Grey.
Enzo, are you certain? I remember looking at the cockpit of a Jaguar GR.1 in
the hangar at Decimommannu back in 1984 or 85 and being surprised that it
was pretty much all flat black; floors, seat, sidewalls and all. The Jags
were all in the wrap-around grey and green scheme back then. Maybe my memory
is faulty, just how dark is Dark Admiralty Grey? The hangar was well-lit by
the way. I wish I could have taken photos. Didn't one of the Lock-On series
feature the Jag?
Scott Wilson
Enzo Matrix
> On 25-Sep-2008, "Enzo Matrix" <enz...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The cockpit interior is Dark Admiralty Grey.
>
> Enzo, are you certain? I remember looking at the cockpit of a Jaguar
> GR.1 in the hangar at Decimommannu back in 1984 or 85 and being
> surprised that it was pretty much all flat black; floors, seat,
> sidewalls and all. The Jags were all in the wrap-around grey and
> green scheme back then. Maybe my memory is faulty, just how dark is
> Dark Admiralty Grey?
Dark Admiralty Grey is the standard colour for cockpits of UK built military
aircraft. Newly applied Dark Admiralty Grey is very dark, but it fades very
quickly. The paint wasn't very hard wearing at all and would flake off to
reveal bare metal on the floors, which also tended to lighten the appearance
of the cockpit area. It is possible that the jet that you saw was one of
the later production aircraft and so was relatively new. On my squadron we
had the first production Harrier, XV738, which was built in 1968. We also
had a couple of the Falklands attrition replacement jets which were built in
1985 (ZD667-670). Their cockpits were darker than the rest on delivery but
within a matter of six months or so you couldn't tell the difference between
them and the jets that were twenty years old.