KC-135A

[Unglued]

I'm building a 1/72-scale KC-135A of the Vietnam era and unsure of the color of the exterior. As near as I can tell from photos, most were painted a light gray overall, except for some natural metal on the engines and some flat-black on the nose. The paint instructions for the kit I'm building (AMT/ERTL 8048) are for 2 later-period tankers. One, 71423, is supposed to be painted "Light gray" FS 16473 overall, according to the kit instructions. According to TO 1-1-4 (page B-16), FS 16473 is the color No. listed for the C-135 under "Standard System" for "All exterior areas except as specified." That's all well and good. HOWEVER, TO-1-1-4 (page B-16) lists a lighter shade of gray, FS 17178, under the "Former System" for the C-135. I don't know when the "former" ended and the "standard" began, but to me the gray in the photos of KC-135As in Vietnam looks a little lighter than the KC-135s of the 1990s. The TO is dated 14 May 1994 (change 7 - 17 July 1998). Am I right in assuming that at some point a darker shade of gray was specified for the C-135s, and that my Vietnam-era model should be painted the lighter shade, 17178? Is there a grizzled old E-6 out there somewhere who spent 20 or 30 years of his career painting KC-135s who remembers switching to a darker gray? :P

[Devilleader501]

You are probably correct in asking if the lighter gray should be painted for your Vietnam era C-135. What you are reading could actually be the Navy MIL Spec text on the whole matter. The newer KC-135's have a dark Gray much like the C-17. As close to this color as I have come is the MM #2035 Air Mobility Command Gray. This gray is a lot darker after it is sprayed and mimics Air Force dark gray colors as of now. If your looking for the correct Gray and not the natural metal finish of the 60's and 70's then I would assume that the numbers you listed above as being the lighter gray would be correct. Hope this helps.

[Devilleader501]

One more thing to consider is the FS 17178 is what they call aluminum/silver. You may actually be looking at aircraft that still look the natural finish only painted the silver they used to to protect them. Upon glance the paint looks natural finish but they are actually painted a metal gray color.

[Jennings]

During the era from around 1965 through the early 1980s KC-135s were finished in Corroguard paint. It doesn't have a "color" per se. The actual paint is a clear carrier into which a specified amount (weight per unit volume) of aluminum powder is added. The result was a painted aluminum look. When you see a Vietnam era KC-135 that looks very patchy and blotchy, that's why. Spot touch-ups on Corroguard were impossible to match, so they ended up looking like this. Corroguard had a very rough surface texture (vs. glossy paint), and accumulated dirt and gunk. It was also draggy, but when JP-4 was $.30 a gallon, that wasn't a big deal. In later years it became an issue.

The overall "ADC Gray" (FS 16473) didn't come until after Vietnam was long over.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Jennings

[Unglued]

During the era from around 1965 through the early 1980s KC-135s were finished in Corroguard paint. It doesn't have a "color" per se. The actual paint is a clear carrier into which a specified amount (weight per unit volume) of aluminum powder is added. The result was a painted aluminum look. When you see a Vietnam era KC-135 that looks very patchy and blotchy, that's why. Spot touch-ups on Corroguard were impossible to match, so they ended up looking like this. Corroguard had a very rough surface texture (vs. glossy paint), and accumulated dirt and gunk. It was also draggy, but when JP-4 was $.30 a gallon, that wasn't a big deal. In later years it became an issue.

The overall "ADC Gray" (FS 16473) didn't come until after Vietnam was long over.

Thank you Devilleader501 and Jennings! Now I'm getting somewhere (he said, just before falling off the cliff). If I had looked a little further, I would've seen that the modeling paint names for FS 17178 aren't gray, but are "silver," "gloss silver," "chrome silver" and "chrome metallic." Jennings, I was so happy when I read in your reply that Corroguard had a "very rough surface." I've become quite good at creating those, but never thought I'd be doing one on purpose.

OK, what paint do you suggest I use, and do you have any tips for giving it a used look? I usually use acrylics, but I could make an exception with this one because summer is coming, so it will be warm enough to paint in my garage.

[Jennings]

I'd start with a matt aluminum color, and darken it with some dark grey (depending on what look you're going for). It shouldn't have any "shine" to it at all. If you look objectively at photos of the real thing, it really looks like a very flat grey color. The touch-ups could be done with a brighter color of aluminum paint, or just add some white or light grey to your base color.

I can't find the one photo I have somewhere of a KC-135A landing in Thailand, but the thing literally looks like a patchwork quilt. It was nasty looking. There was more touch-up than paint.

[Unglued]

I'd start with a matt aluminum color, and darken it with some dark grey (depending on what look you're going for). It shouldn't have any "shine" to it at all. If you look objectively at photos of the real thing, it really looks like a very flat grey color. The touch-ups could be done with a brighter color of aluminum paint, or just add some white or light grey to your base color.

I can't find the one photo I have somewhere of a KC-135A landing in Thailand, but the thing literally looks like a patchwork quilt. It was nasty looking. There was more touch-up than paint.

Thanks, Jennings. Looks like a plan. I'd like to see that photo of "nasty looking" aircraft. Without even trying, I'm usually able to master that look. :D

[Jennings]

Here's what a freshly painted Corroguard airplane looks like. Note the date - this was a very early use of Corroguard on a KC-135. This happens to be a testbed, but it's the same as regular tankers of the day.

[ikar]

Here's a couple more shots of tankers during the war: