\ said:
I use Vallejo 29 Dark Earth on some 32 scale desert air force models but I also tried their Green Brown 30 as it looked a better match on a 48 scale BoB Spit allowing for scale effect.For RAF Green Vallejo recommend US Dark Green 16.
It would be interesting to see how that compares with your test.
Here it is.
View attachment 63442
The two paints have been added to the previous test image. The colours on my screen are a good match with the samples (although the Humbrol Enamel Dark Green, 30, is in the paint sample a stronger green).
The Vallejo GreenBrown is very different from the other Dark Earths. It is a ginger-brown (the Memsahib says), a stronger colour and lighter. It also looks more interesting to me. As to authenticity (and I agree that we need not be slaves to that, especially in view of the scale effect), here is a picture of the Science Museum's Spitfire. Its Dark Earth seems to my eyes (and I visited it last monday) and in the picture to be similar to the Vallejo GreenBrown, allowing for fading. Perhaps a mixture of 60% 71.030 and 40% 71.029 would be good.
View attachment 63441
The Vallejo Dark Green, 71.016, looks the same as the
Tamiya RAF Dark Green XF-81 and the Xtracrylix RAF Dark Green, X 1001.
Although the Humbrol Enamel Dark Green, 30, is probably too strong a green, the green in the Spitfire picture has more green in it than the
Tamiya and Xtracrylix (which seem to me rather gungy and dull) and the Humbrol Acrylic Dark Green, 30, seems on the right track.
Samples ("Chips") of Federal colours can be got on the Internet from the US for $35 each, but none is offered as authentic British colours. It would be interesting although expensive to see them.
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View attachment 64783