Airfix 1:72 Douglas Dakota Mk.III

[SegaSaturnDude_05]

Hey y'all,

I'm thinking of getting the Airfix 1:72 Douglas Dakota Mk.III for my upcoming birthday. I have decided to, once I get it, I'm going to make it a camouflaged Rhodesian Air Force Dakota that was used during the Bush War. What I have came here today, is to ask, what paints should I use to make it look like the image below?

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Thanks in advance,

Russian_Bias

[Peter s]

What you're looking at is something that's sat in the sun too long and bleached. The black on the rudder is like Tamiya NATO black. Very matt, a bit like charcoal black rather than true black. The earth and green could be RAF colours again sun faded. Tamiya flat earth looks close. The green was probably an raf green but now looks more like xf70 dark green (good for green Mitsubishi zeros). The original raf colours mixed with some light grey or a yellow colour to lighten them would do it. That pic is very very matt. Mix some Matt medium in the paint and give the finished plane a few costs of good Matt varnish. Good luck! I keep meaning to start mine and never do.

 

Ps if you airbrush spray a slightly dark colour first then overspray very lightly with a slightly paler shade focusing on the centre of each patch. That'll aid the faded look. If you brush paint you can dry brush a lighter shade. I'm an acrylics person and favour tamiya/Vallejo .

[jopres57]

Apart from the dark tail fin, which could be a new replacement , the cammo scheme seems to be the same as many other Rhodesian a.f. aircraft; overall dark earth with dark green cammo on top. It is possible that the tail fin, if it is a replacement, could be in the original green colour that has faded on the rest of the plane. Xtradecal X48203 is a good sheet that gives markings for a Hawker Hunter in a similar scheme, the colours given there are X001 Dark green and X002 Dark Earth. I think the Humbrol equivalents are 163 and 29. This will give a new looking finish though, so as Peter s says you may want to lighten the colours to simulate wear, tear, and sun bleaching.

 

[SegaSaturnDude_05]

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I know it's a computer simulation but what should I colour the belly of the aircraft?

[SegaSaturnDude_05]

I also want to paint the underbelly, but I don't know what colour to paint it.

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[Peter s]

Looks like raf medium sea grey to me. The Tamiya and Vallejo versions are almost identical shades but the Tamiya gives a more Matt finish.

 

Interesting as I interpreted the original pic as black underside (like a Vietnam gun ship) but that's probably just heavy shadow. The engine cowlings must be filthy! They are dark.

[jopres57]

I think sometime in the early seventies the Rhodesian Air Force, on many of its aircraft,  started to replace the light grey or sky undersides with dark earth, similar to that used on the top surfaces. This was probably due to the fact that the planes were spending most of their time at low level, the RAF introduced a similar 'wraparound' cammo a few years later. So it looks like an option is available, handy if you don't like painting straight lines.

By the way Russian_Bias are you aware of this decal manufacturer; https://www.mavdecals.co.za

It looks like they produce decals for Rhodesian dakotas but I'm not sure if they'll be easily available here.

[Peter s]

Ps 're the rudder potentially being a replacement. I agree. it looks odd. Have you any idea where they got the DC3s from? The dark green used by the USAF in Vietnam is really dark. It's not ridiculous given 1970s colour photo stock further distorted by rounds of digital processes that it's not off black but very dark green possibly a bit sun faded.

[jopres57]

The rudder does complicate matters a bit for anyone keen on detail. I think it's unlikely to be a squadron identification colour because I understand the aircraft was only used by one squadron; only thirteen aircraft were purchased apparently. I don't know where they were bought from but it's likely that the Rhodesians managed to obtain spares destined for another air force, even the USAF. I do think that the part is painted in the original aircraft green, which gives an idea how much the rest of the plane has faded. Notice on your second couple of pictures how dark the green was on a factory fresh aircraft.

I suppose you could do more research on the rudder colour or just make an informed guess. As I've said before on this forum, the only thing that matters is that you're happy with the model at the end. One way to solve the problem is to colour the plane like a real one thats just been painted. 

[Peter s]

Allegedly one of the swordfish that attacked bismarck had a primer red rudder (also a replacement). It's these little touches that make things fun even if you can never quite prove it.

[jopres57]

I only thought today that the rudder on the dakota could have been damaged and repaired using any suitable paint available, who knows. I remember during my army days, attached to a Chieftain  tank unit in the late seventies, we received a lot of spare parts that had obviously been diverted from a middle east customer, probably Iran. These parts mainly included stowage bins, mudguards, and armoured side skirts and were painted in a colour very similar to light stone. I've never seen a picture of a tank with additions in this colour, mainly because they usually received a coat of black and green cammo shortly after being fitted. I do wonder though what people would make of such a picture now, especially if it was in black and white?