Urban’s Colour Reference Charts, Poland


by Martin Waligorski


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Polish Air Force Colours

This chart covers the colours of Polish Air Force between 1919 and 1939.

Based on the book Modelarska Kolorystyka by Jaroslaw Pacewicz.

During mid-thirties Polish Air Force standardised camouflage schemes on all of its aircraft. This could be practically implemented on all aircraft since 1937, as the last foreign types were giving place to the aircraft of local production. There were four basic schemes:

  1. Upper surfaces of wings and elevators and entire fuselage in Khaki. Lower wing and elevator surfaces in Light Blue. definitely the most popular scheme.
  2. Upper surfaces camouflaged in three colours: Light Olive, Dark Olive, Khaki. Lower surfaces Sliver or Light Blue for fighter aircraft. colour edges feathered or splintered.
  3. Trainer aircraft were painted overall Khaki. Overall Sliver or Ivory White where also common.
  4. Sea aircraft were painted Light Green-Grey on the upper and Silver on the lower surfaces and floats.

Generally all aircraft produced by PZL and LWS carried scheme no. 1. Scheme no. 2 was typical for Lublin R-XIII where at least 2 colour variations were applied on different aircraft. There is also some photographic evidence that scheme 2 was applied in splinter version to at least one P.11 machine.

This chart has been last revised in September 2006.

1919-ca.1930
Colour name Comment FS Humbrol Tamiya Xtracolor Polly S Gunze Sangyo Model Master
Khaki Standard overall colour during period 1922-24 and 1926-35. FS:30097 5*Hu:100 + 1*Hu:33 + 1*Hu:10
Light Olive-Green (Jasny Oliwkowo-Zielony) Part of 3-colour scheme used 1924-26 FS:34151 Hu:151
Dark Borwn (Ciemnobrazowy ) Part of 3-colour scheme used 1924-26 FS:40040 8*Hu:10 + 2*Hu:33
Ochre (Ochra) Part of 3-colour scheme used 1924-26 FS:33245 Hu:63
Light Grey (Jasnoszary) Lower colour of 3-colour scheme used 1924-26 FS:36492 8*Hu:34 + 1*Hu:156 + 1*Hu:28
1939 Campaign
Colour name Comment FS Humbrol Tamiya Xtracolor Polly S Gunze Sangyo Model Master
Light Khaki (Khaki jasny) Upper surfaces of fighter and reconnaissance aircraft. Also present in Lublin R-XIII camouflage FS:30118 Hu:142
Dark Khaki (Khaki ciemny) Upper surfaces of bomber aircraft like PZL 37 Los FS:30097 5*Hu:110 + 1*Hu:33 + 1*Hu:10
Light Olive (Jasnooliwkowy) Upper camouflage of R-XIII FS:34151 Hu:151
Dark Green (Ciemnozielony) Upper camouflage of R-XIII FS:34097 2*Hu:80 + 1*Hu:116
Ochre (Ochra) Upper camouflage of R-XIII FS:33245 Hu:63
Light Blue (Jansnoblekitny) Lower surfaces of camouflaged R-XIII FS:35550 6*Hu:34 + 1*Hu:25 + 1*Hu:89 + 2*Hu:64
Light Blue-Grey (Szaroblekitny) Lower surfaces of fighter and bomber aircraft FS:36329 7*Hu:87 + 3*Hu:34
Sea Grey (Szary morski) Sea aircraft FS:34410 6*Hu:90 + 5*Hu:34 + 1*Hu:76 + 1*Hu:64
Silver (Srebrny) Lower surfaces of reconnaissance aircraft (even some R-XIII) and cockpit interiors. FS:17178 Hu:191

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