[Andrew]

I've got a bit of a problem here.
I'm trying to paint my F/A-18F in low vis. I've only managed to find Tamiya Light Ghost Gray in the spray can. But I couldn't find one in their water based acrylics. Does anyone know what colour would match the AS Spray colour? I saw one called XF-19 Sky Gray, but has anyone used it? Would that be Light Ghost Gray as well?
I've tried 5 hobby shops here in Sydney Australia and for some reason, none of them stocked Dark Ghost Gray spray and I can't find much smaller water based acrylic Light Ghost Grays.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Shawn 507]

Originally Posted by Andrew

I've got a bit of a problem here.
I'm trying to paint my F/A-18F in low vis. I've only managed to find Tamiya Light Ghost Gray in the spray can. But I couldn't find one in their water based acrylics. Does anyone know what colour would match the AS Spray colour? I saw one called XF-19 Sky Gray, but has anyone used it? Would that be Light Ghost Gray as well?
I've tried 5 hobby shops here in Sydney Australia and for some reason, none of them stocked Dark Ghost Gray spray and I can't find much smaller water based acrylic Light Ghost Grays.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Did you try the Testors Model Master line? They have both enamel and acrylic lines in the same shades. I prefer them to Tamiya paint for ease of use.

[hworth18]

Unfortunately, Tamiya don't make their AS colors in anything but the spray can.. This is one complaint I have always had using Tamiya paints is their inconsistency in paint production, where they make one color in one type, but not the other and their lack of variety found in other lines.. Tamiya is my choice of paints though and I usually end up mixing custom colors to obtain the one I need.. If you don't have that option, I would say your best bet is as Shawn said and to use Testors Model Master paints, they typically make the same colors in sprays and in jars.. Testors also has a huge variety of color choices for military schemes..

[David Hingtgen]

I've noticed (and been annoyed by) that fact for years:

36375 Light Ghost Grey is the most common color in the aircraft world, and has been for years. It's been on every major US plane as the main camo color, and still is on most. It's the standard color for every weapon, pylon, bomb, rail, and tank in the US, as well as NATO. Even non-US planes are painted with it (I know SAAB has it for all Gripens).

Yet----Tamiya doesn't make it as a standard color, only spray! And Testors doesn't make it as a spray, only in bottles! Arrrrgh! You'd think the most common color of all would be enough for the major paint makers to have it available.

[Andrew]

Thats a really pitty that Tamiya doesn't do it as a standard acrylic. I like using Tamyia's water based acrylic.

Has anyone used XF-19?
If so, is it really like Light Ghost Gray?

[David Hingtgen]

::gets out actual Tamiya color chart:: (Actual meaning I made it myself using the actual paint) XF-19 is more like Dark Gull grey than anything else I think. Like if you mixed Dark Gull grey and Dark Ghost grey together. A bit light/more neutral than dark gull, not as brown. But still strikes me as a bit warm compared to the ghost greys, and darker than either. Lighter than what Witty calls light ghost grey though.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by David Hingtgen

::gets out actual Tamiya color chart:: (Actual meaning I made it myself using the actual paint) XF-19 is more like Dark Gull grey than anything else I think. Like if you mixed Dark Gull grey and Dark Ghost grey together. A bit light/more neutral than dark gull, not as brown. But still strikes me as a bit warm compared to the ghost greys, and darker than either. Lighter than what Witty calls light ghost grey though.

lighter than Witty's Light Ghost Gray?? Witty's Light Ghost Gray on my Royal Maces F/A-18E is even lighter than my Tamiya Light Ghost Grey
What would you recommend for ghost greys using Tamiyas standard colours?
I'm thinking about giving up on spraying on Tamiyas Dark Ghost Gray because for some reason, every Hobby store here don't have them anymore

[David Hingtgen]

Ack, I got my colors switched. I mean it's lighter than Witty's DARK ghost grey. But darker than their light ghost grey. (Witty makes everything too dark, by quite a bit---I think their light ghost grey is more like dark ghost grey, and their dark ghost grey is more like medium grey)

Either way, my "XF-19 looks kinda like dark gull grey" still stands.

[David Hingtgen]

More checking:

Tamiya Sky Grey is fairly close to MM Acryl Light Ghost Grey. A bit darker and browner, but overall pretty close. However, it's a near-pefect match to Hobby Master Light Ghost grey, and I'm going to use it on my HM A-10. (Missiles and planes tend not to match, even when they are "officially" the same color---every paint depot has different batches, the US govt isn't that strict on making paint manufacturers match the standard)

[Andrew]

Sounds good!
I have to travel 1.5hrs out of town just for some cans of Tamiya Dark Ghost Gray. Can't believe I have to go that far...