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Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon question


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Would anyone know if the Spanish Typhoons carry the Meteor and IRIS-T missiles? If I chose the Spanish markings would I be able to load out my RoG 1/48 Typhoon with those missiles?

Also, what is the correct color grey used for the Spanish aircraft? Would they use a FS number? I prefer Model Master paints if someone can direct me to their FS number.

Thanks for any help.

Edited by twong
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They do carry IRIS-T missiles, and that is the standard short range missile currently in use. A usual outfit for a Spanish Eurofighter currently is two IRIS-T missiles on the outermost pylons, maybe two fuel tanks, and nothing else.

The Meteor has been test fitted on Spanish Eurofighters. But the missile has just (as in only a month ago) been cleared for use on Eurofighters. Spain did sign a contract to buy them (they were the first export customer) so you will probably see them regularly on their Eurofighters starting 2015.

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Spanish Air Force - FS36492

I've seen that recommendation, but I really don't think that is the right color. It's just too light. A Spanish Eurofighter is almost as dark as a German one, but less blue. It's certainly darker than a UK example, and a bit more in the violet direction.

Here are some color swatches taken from an image of the Eurofighters when they were sitting within feet of each other at the same angle to the sun. Don't take these as absolute colors, but you can use them to compare one against another. Personally, I would first try FS36270 (Dark Gull) for a Spanish Eurofighter.

3DYQw.png

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The Meteor has been test fitted on Spanish Eurofighters. But the missile has just (as in only a month ago) been cleared for use on Eurofighters.

Meteor has not been cleared for use on Eurofighter as it is still being tested and integrated - they've only just started the safe separation drops for the weapon.

Air-to-Air weapons for a Spanish Typhoon (or C-16 as they are known in Spain) are IRIS-T on the integrated launchers / chaff dispensers and AMRAAM on the fuselage eject launchers, but I've not seen too many images of them flying with AMRAAM.

3DYQw.png

I don't think that grey is light enough as it's closer to the Italian jets. The colour I quoted in my thread was from Eurofighter, however that's no guarantee that it is correct (I was told the Italian and Spanish aircraft are the same colour when they are not). The best bet for anyone is to look for reference photos and match them rather than trying to dig around for the "exact" shade, as scale effect can be quite dramatic.

Edited by Bobski
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Meteor has not been cleared for use on Eurofighter as it is still being tested and integrated - they've only just started the safe separation drops for the weapon.

The safe separation drops were completed in June. That's what I meant by 'cleared', which I admit was a mistaken turn of phrase. There's still lots of electronic stuff to do. But as long as Spain still has money in 2015, that's when the missiles should be in use.

I don't think that grey is light enough as it's closer to the Italian jets. The colour I quoted in my thread was from Eurofighter, however that's no guarantee that it is correct (I was told the Italian and Spanish aircraft are the same colour when they are not).

Like I said, don't take those as absolute colors. These are direct clips from an image, but depending on whether the clip comes from a shiny part or a part in shadow, you can get grays that are very light or very dark. The important thing is that they come from the same parts of Spanish, German, and UK Eurofighters in identical lighting conditions. If I took clips from bright or shaded areas they would all be equally lighter or darker but still have the same relative hues. Since we (roughly) know the color of German Eurofighters (FS35237), you should pick a paint that relates to FS35237 like how the swatches relate to each other (that is, pick a paint that is close to FS35237 but less blue while still not quite being neutral). I can't say that gives a definitive paint color, but it points in the right direction.

You can't match colors directly to images because orientation towards the sun and the time of day and weather conditions have drastic effects on what color is recorded by the camera. You have to compare it to objects with known colors within the same image. We could get a better match if we had images of Spanish Eurofighters next to more planes with known colors, but I can't find any pictures of that.

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Thanks for all the replies. The link to the Britmodeller site will come in handy. I plan to use the IRIS-T missiles and seeing the Meteor will be purchased by Spain I will add them as well. It may not be correct for this current time period but it will eventually be.

I read on Wikipedia that Spain also purchased the Taurus missile but Wikipedia isn't always the best source of information. I might add those too. It would be a shame to put all those nice weapons in the spares box.

As for the correct FS color I was just trying to get as close as possible because the RoG instructions are of no help to me with their color call outs. I don't have my paint jars out at this time but I will check out what the colors look like for FS36270.

One other question, what would be the color of the nose cone? I looked through the Britmodeller link but didn't see anything on the nose cone color.

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You can't match colors directly to images because orientation towards the sun and the time of day and weather conditions have drastic effects on what color is recorded by the camera. You have to compare it to objects with known colors within the same image. We could get a better match if we had images of Spanish Eurofighters next to more planes with known colors, but I can't find any pictures of that.

As and ye shall receive (it's not brilliant as I can't find the full sized version):

Eurofighter-formation-fligh.jpg

The RAF jets are RAF Camouflage Grey (aka Barley grey), the German aircraft are FS35237 and the Saudi aircraft are a two-tone scheme mixing both. Those colours are correct. Compare to those for a match.

As for matching to a photo, no, you can't get an exact correct shade, however if you have a photo of your chosen airframe and no other way of finding a match then matching that photo is the best option.

One other question, what would be the color of the nose cone? I looked through the Britmodeller link but didn't see anything on the nose cone color.

Radomes for all nations come out of the factory the same colour as the RAF jets - Camouflage Grey - however they weather quite quickly and are often a few shades darker than Camouflage grey. The same colour is applied to all the other unpainted areas on the jet.

My opinion all aircraft wear are different color. Look this pic.

My link

Levix

Yes, all the aircraft are different colours. See my photo above.

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I did a lot of delving into this subject last year and this is the conclusion I came to.

The Spanish Typhoons are painted in FS36492, but the paint was sourced from local manufacturers in Spain so varies in shade.

After a lot of research this is what I settled on.

FS36320 Dark Compass Grey upper surfaces with FS36314 Flint Grey Radome/Fin tip and Leading edges

FS36375 Light Compass Grey lower surfaces inc Drop tanks

This is one photo I found which is not taken in blazing Sun light

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/6/8/0/1452086.jpg

And the colours on the FS site

http://www.colorserver.net/showcolor.asp?fs=16320+16314

Look at this photo, the Drop Tanks are FS36375 Light Compass Grey I have seen this colour listed as being the undersides of Spanish Typhoons

http://www.airplane-pictures.net/images/uploaded-images/2009-10/22/66838.jpg

see here

http://www.colorserver.net/showcolor.asp?fs=16320+16314+16375

If you look closely at this picture you can see the demarcation line of the 2 main colours just infront of the 2 Red arrows

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t111/scotthldr/typhoon.jpg

Edited by scotthldr
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FS36375 Light Compass Grey lower surfaces inc Drop tanks

Look at this photo, the Drop Tanks are FS36375 Light Compass Grey I have seen this colour listed as being the undersides of Spanish Typhoons

Sorry, that's not correct. The aircraft are the same colour all over - that "demarcation" is either weathering or shadow - and your first photo shows this clearly. The only jets that carry a two-tone scheme are the Saudi aircraft.

As for the tanks, as far as I'm aware they are all RAF Camouflage grey, not 36375. if you look at your photo you'll note they are the same colour as the radome, which is RAF camouflage grey (albeit weathered)

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Your paint chart is a good match for that photo. The German colour is correct (I know it's 35237 for certain) and the Italian colour ties-in with what most of us already suspect. The RAF colour is incorrect, however. RAF Typhoons are RAF Camouflage Grey, not FS37200. That is straight off the painting chart for the jet. 37200 is an approximate match, but it is not a match.

The only way to know the colour of the Spanish jets (or any of the others) for certain is to check the painting drawings.

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Sorry, that's not correct. The aircraft are the same colour all over - that "demarcation" is either weathering or shadow - and your first photo shows this clearly. The only jets that carry a two-tone scheme are the Saudi aircraft.

He might have been confused because the first Spanish test Eurofighter did have a two-tone pain scheme for a while, although the demarcation was half-way up the fuselage.

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Yes i know RAF color is CG, but i dont skip RAF color, and 37200 was the closest match. I seen other group photo and IMHO the Austrian Typhoon color is not same than Luftwaffe color. Rather greyis than bluish.

If i build and paint a spanish Typhoon i would use 36231, for Italian 36251 (Close match and can buy this color), 35237 German, Cam, Grey for RAF and maybe 36270? for Austrian.

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Your paint chart is a good match for that photo. The German colour is correct (I know it's 35237 for certain) and the Italian colour ties-in with what most of us already suspect. The RAF colour is incorrect, however. RAF Typhoons are RAF Camouflage Grey, not FS37200. That is straight off the painting chart for the jet. 37200 is an approximate match, but it is not a match.

The only way to know the colour of the Spanish jets (or any of the others) for certain is to check the painting drawings.

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Yes i know RAF color is CG, but i dont skip RAF color, and 37200 was the closest match. I seen other group photo and IMHO the Austrian Typhoon color is not same than Luftwaffe color. Rather greyis than bluish.

If i build and paint a spanish Typhoon i would use 36231, for Italian 36251 (Close match and can buy this color), 35237 German, Cam, Grey for RAF and maybe 36270? for Austrian.

You're quite correct that Austrian aircraft are not the same colour as the German aircraft, which is a common mistake. I'd go for somehing between the Italian and Spanish greys for that one. 36270 might work, but it would need lightening slightly to be correct.

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Saudi and Austrian Typhoon. Looks too low contrast between the Saudi colors. Maybe not 35237 the other color. Austrian aircraft darker and not bluish.

The darker colour on the Saudi jets is 35237. Fact. That has come from the drawings used to paint the real jets.

Edited by Bobski
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If 35237 sure, RAL 7000 my best tip for Austrian Typhoon.

Ok what we know

RAF Camouflage Grey BS 626

Italian 36280 same than other aircraft

Spain 36231 same than Harrier top color

Austria RAL 7000

Saudi Camouflage Grey BS 626 + 35237

Luftwaffe 35237 or German equivalen

For scale modeller this are enough good match. If you build all, all aircraft get individual grey colors.

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