LF Thai F-16 Early Colors

[bdt13]

Considering entering a Thai F-16A done in the early scheme for the Far East group build.

Can anyone tell me if this scheme is 36373/36320 as reported by decal maker Zotz (described as "Korean Air Force"), or 36375/36270 as reported by wings-aviation.ch? These are enough different that even in 1/72 I think the difference will be visible. Perhaps it was even something else?

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

Okay, I could be wrong, but I'd be very surprised if it was not 375. It's a standard US color.

Besides, even if it wasn't, I don't think anyone could hardly tell the difference, especially in that scale.

[bdt13]

Thanks, Andrew. The difference between 36373 and 36375 is not that much, so I'm willing to go TLAR (that looks about right) with the lighter of the two grays. The difference between 36320 and 36270 is a tad more noticeable, 36320 being bluer and lighter to my eye. Maybe I'm getting a little too much AMS here?

Edited March 26, 2016 by bdt13

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

Nah, 320 and 270 are very different. I suspect 373 was a typo, anyway.

[bdt13]

Thanks again. Absent other information I'm going to use the two ghost grays, 36375 and 36320. Looking at multiple pictures of this scheme it seems the darker of the two grays is still lighter than the radome, which should start out as 36270 (neutral gray).

[toadwbg]

Lots of color profiles here, probably got the one you want:

http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/f-16/f-16_all.shtml

[bdt13]

toadwbg-

Thanks, Cybermodeler was one of of my first stops to look. The colors they list for Thailand are 36373, 36176, and 36081. I think I might believe this for this specially-painted aircraft flown by a prince, and maybe even for the more standard Hill-pattern birds, but not for the early two-color pattern.

The prince's aircraft was in a scheme similar to this F-5:

Anyone who was at G-D / Lockheed back in the day when these were built, or even with the Thai Air Force?

[Jim Barr]

Anyone who was at G-D / Lockheed back in the day when these were built, or even with the Thai Air Force?

The colors were 36375 & 36320

Regards

Jim Barr

[bdt13]

OK, Jim, thank you! I'll proceed as planned. I'll also confirm the other color callouts on this decal sheet before I paint the models.

[ReccePhreak]

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Edited June 19, 2016 by ReccePhreak

[Jim Barr]

The Siam Scale 1/32 decal sheet instructions for that bird show the tail & nose as Gunze H-306 (FS36270), and H-305 (FS36118) for the center fuselage.

And that is also true. Thailand was a little unique in that they had two different camouflage schemes for their F-16s and if I remember correctly the different schemes depended on which Squadron you are referring to and the time frame involved. The colors 36270 & 36118 where for aircraft that were painted in the "standard" F-16 scheme. The photo that bdt13 posted was the the other aircraft painted in an "F-15" scheme and they used the 36375 & 36320 colors.

Regards

Jim Barr

Edited April 3, 2016 by Jim Barr