YF-23 Black Widow

[flybywire]

Hi! I'd just like to ask if the right color to use for the USAF YF-23 Black Widow ( not the two-shade gray scheme) is really black or is it on the darker gray tone just like one of the manufacturers suggested FS36118? Please advise. Thanks in advance!

[my favs are F`s]

I assume that it was dark gray, cause here is how it looks next to the Nighthawk, which in theory is black (with indigo blue nuances, like the SR-71). At first glance they look very similarly on these pics, but have quite a difference indeed. 

 

[habu2]

I don’t know the exact shade of dark gray but it was definitely not black.

 

The dark scheme was on PAV-1 only (tail 800).  There were numerous detail differences between PAV-1 and PAV-2, mainly the exhaust area and the weapon bay door shapes, but all kits released to date have so many shape inaccuracies that these  real differences are trivial by comparison. 

[Slartibartfast]

I see in the modeling section of the Air Force Legends book a modeler went with FS36118 for 87-800.

[Rob de Bie]

3 hours ago, Slartibartfast said:

I see in the modeling section of the Air Force Legends book a modeler went with FS36118 for 87-800.

 

Maybe you saw my Revell 1/144 YF-23A ? The photos on my website are lightened a bit, so it might look different from photos of the real thing. I used FS 36118 full strength, despite the small scale, so there's no compensation for 'scale effect' which sounds like fake science to me anyway.

 

Rob

 

 

[Slartibartfast]

Yes, sir. I referred to your build.

[Rob de Bie]

15 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said:

Yes, sir. I referred to your build.

 

Thanks! Here are two more photos with other backgrounds and lighting conditions. They show the relatively dark 36118 better than the photo posted above.

 

Rob