by Urban Fredriksson & Martin Waligorski
Royal Air Force Colours, Word War I to Modern
World War II period examples:
Munich crisis to initial war period | Dark Green / Dark Earth / Sky(or Black); |
1941 onwards | Dark Green / Ocean Grey / Medium Sea Grey |
Desert scheme | Middle Stone / Dark Earth / Azure |
Night fighters | Dark Green / Medium Sea Grey / (Smooth Black) Medium Sea Grey |
Bombers | Dark Green / Dark Earth / Matt Black |
Temperate Sea Scheme | Extra Dark Sea Grey / Dark Slate Grey / Sky |
Modern period examples:
Early Harriers | BS 638/641 (early, semigloss) /627 |
Jaguar, Harrier GR.3, Tornado GR.1 | BS 638/641 |
Harrier GR.5/7 | Nato Green/Lichen Green |
Buccaneer S.2B, Hawk | BS 637/626 |
Phantom FGR.2 air superiority scheme | BS 637/626/627 |
Hercules | BS 637 |
Tornado F.3, Sentry | BS 626 |
This chart has been last revised in September 2006
1914-1919 | ||||||||
Colour name | Comment | FS | Humbrol | Tamiya | Xtracolor | Polly S | Gunze Sangyo | Model Master |
NIVO (Night Invisible Varnish Orfordness) | Very dark grey-green. Used on night-flying aircraft from 1917 | 6*Hu:116 + 6*Hu:117 + 1*Hu:163 | X:X20 | |||||
RFC doped natural fabric | X:X21 | |||||||
RFC green | 47*Hu:80 + 19*Hu:33 + 17*Hu:73 + 15*Hu:34 | T:XF-51? | X:X22 | |||||
PC-8 | Top camouflage until ca. 1915 | FS:10266 | 3*Hu:81 + 2*Hu:26 | |||||
PC-10 | Top camouflage from 1916 | FS:14087 | 3*Hu:163 + 4*Hu:108 + 3*Hu:33 | |||||
PC-12 | RNAS top camouflage from 1916 | FS:10166 | 6*Hu:113 + 1*Hu:178 | |||||
Clear doped linen | FS:13617(33717) | Hu:74 (5*Hu:34 + 3*Hu:103 + 2*Hu:148) | ||||||
1919-1938 | ||||||||
Colour name | Comment | FS | Humbrol | Tamiya | Xtracolor | Polly S | Gunze Sangyo | Model Master |
Earth Brown | RAF | FS:30118 | Hu:142 | |||||
Leaf Green | RAF | FS:34079 | Hu:116 | |||||
Cerrux Grey | All FAA aircraft until 1936 | FS:16440 | Hu:129 | |||||
Sea Grey | All FAA aircraft after 1936 | FS:35622 | Hu:23 | |||||
Sky Grey | Flying boats 1937 onwards | FS:36463 | 3*Hu:34 + 2*Hu:126 | |||||
Extra Dark Sea Green | Coastal Command | FS:34092 | Hu:149 | |||||
Dark Sea Green | Coastal Command | FS:34172 | 4*Hu:120 + 3*Hu:76 + 2*Hu:78 | |||||
Light Sea Grey | Coastal Command | FS:36373 | 5*Hu:34 + 1*Hu:156 + 1*Hu:64 | |||||
1938-1945 | ||||||||
Colour name | Comment | FS | Humbrol | Tamiya | Xtracolor | Polly S | Gunze Sangyo | Model Master |
Dark Earth | Standard RAF camouflage until 1941, and mediterranean camouflage | Hu:29 (Hu:142) | T:XF-52 | X:X2 | P:PCE76 | GS:H72 | ||
Dark Green | Standard RAF camouflage until 1941 | FS:34079 (34096,34064) | 21*Hu:80 + 6*Hu:33 + 2*Hu:99 + 1*Hu:34 (Hu:116) | T:XF-61 | X:X110 | P:PCE75 | GS:H73?/309 | |
Sky | Often reffered to as Sky Type S. Lower surfaces of RAF aircraft until 1941 | 160*Hu:34 + 5*Hu:101 + 4*Hu:99 + 1*Hu:60 (5*Hu:90 + 4*Hu:65 , Hu:23, Hu:90) | T:XF-21 | P:PCE72 | GS:H74? | |||
Ocean Grey | Standard RAF fighter camouflage from 1941 | FS:36152 (36176, 36187) | Hu:106 (Hu:165, 4*Hu:156 + 3*Hu:106 + 1*Hu:112 + 1*Hu:34) | T:XF-54 | X:X6 | GS:H335 | ||
Medium Sea Grey | Standard RAF fighter camouflage from 1941, lower surfaces | FS:36270 (36440) | 30*Hu:140 + 16*Hu:34 + 3*Hu:27 + 1*Hu:109(1*Hu:156 + 1*Hu:34) | T:XF-53 | X:X3 | GS:H335/306 | ||
Mid Stone | Mediterranean camouflage | FS:30266 | 51*Hu:24 + 17*Hu:186 + 9*Hu:34 + 2*Hu:101 (Hu:84, 3*Hu:81 + 2*Hu:26) | T:XF-60 | X:X9 | P:PCE73 (PCA818) | GS:H71 | |
Azure Blue | Mediterranean camouflage, lower surfaces | FS:35231 | 49*Hu:34 + 10*Hu:25 + 1*Hu:33 (14*Hu:34 + 13*Hu:25 + 1*Hu:68 + 1*Hu:109) | T:XF-18 + X-14? | X:X26 | P:PCE74 | ||
Dark Mediterranean Blue | Seen on some Beaufort bombers in the Mediterranean | FS:35050 (35109) | Hu:190 | T:X-03 | X:X123/124? | GS:H328 | ||
Light Mediterranean Blue | Seen on some Beaufort bombers in the Mediterranean | FS:35177 | 6*Hu:109 + 3*Hu:157 + 2*Hu:34 | |||||
Extra Dark Sea Green | FS:34092 | Hu:149 (30) | T:XF-27 | X:X114 | P:PCG862 | GS:H302 | ||
Extra Dark Sea Grey | Temperate Sea Scheme (FAA) | FS:36118 (36099) | 16*Hu:25 + 7*Hu:70 + 6*Hu:150 + 5*Hu:34 (Hu:125) | T:XF-63 (24) | X:X130 | P:822 | GS:H305 | |
Dark Slate Grey | Temperate Sea Scheme (FAA) | FS:34096 | Hu:102 (6*Hu:116 + 6*Hu:117 + 1*Hu:163) | T:XF-11 + 63? | X:X25 | |||
PRU Mauve | Early photo-recce. comouflage | X:X035 | ||||||
PRU Pink | Early photo-recce. comouflage | X:X034 | ||||||
PRU Blue | Standard recce camouflage from mid-war | FS:35164 (35190, 35189) | Hu:144 | X:X008 | ||||
Sky Blue | FS:35622 (35550) | |||||||
Light Earth | Overside lower wings on biplanes ”Shadow shading” scheme, RAF | FS:30257 | 1*Hu:94 + 1*Hu:63 | T:XF-59 | P:PCA828 | |||
Light Green | Overside, lower wings, ”shadow shading”, RAF | FS:34096(34172) | 6*Hu:116 + 6*Hu:117 + 1*Hu:163 | T:XF-22? | ||||
Light Slate Grey | Overside, lower wings, ”shadow shading”, FAA aircraft | FS:34159 | 6*Hu:78 + 1*Hu:161 | T:XF-65 | X:X118 | |||
Dark Sea Grey | Overside, lower wings, ”shadow shading”, FAA aircraft | FS:36173 (36099) | 5*Hu:34 + 4*Hu:27 + 1*Hu:106 | T:XF-24 (54) | GS:H75? | |||
Grimmy white | Lower surfaces on FAA aircraft, 1943 onwards | Hu:41 | ||||||
Sky Grey | FAA aircraft between 1938-1939 | FS:36463 | 3*Hu:34 + 2*Hu:126 | |||||
Night Black | Lower surfaces of night aircraft | FS:37038 | Hu:33 | |||||
White | Lower surfaces of Coastal Command aircraft | FS:37778 | Hu:34 (10*Hu:34 + 1*Hu:121) | |||||
Trainer yellow | Trainer and experimental aircraft. Also referred to as Identification Yellow (used in insignia) | FS:33538 | X:X11 | |||||
Interior Grey-Green | Interior finish | FS:34226 (34128, 34373, 34227) | Hu:78 (6*Hu:78 + 3*Hu:34 + 1*Hu:72) | X:X11 | ||||
Dull Blue | Insignia | FS:35044 | ||||||
Dull Red | Insignia | FS:30109 | ||||||
Identification White | Insignia | FS:37875 (37778) | ||||||
Aluminium | FS:37178 | Hu:191 | ||||||
1945- | ||||||||
Colour name | Comment | FS | Humbrol | Tamiya | Xtracolor | Polly S | Gunze Sangyo | Model Master |
105 Oxford blue | Helicopters, VIP aircraft | FS:15050 | T:X-03? | X:X23 | ||||
106 Royal blue | FS:15044 | |||||||
110 Roundel blue | X:X30 | |||||||
210 Sky | FS:24424 | 5*Hu:95 + 2*Hu:64 (Hu:90) | T:XF-21 | X:X7 | P:PCE71 | GS:H74 | ||
220 Army helicopter olive | X:X27 | |||||||
283 Aircraft grey/green | X:X10 | |||||||
285 NATO green | X:X18 | |||||||
298 RN helicopter olive drab | FS:24098 | X:X28 | ||||||
356 RN helo Rescue yellow | FS:23538 | X:X19 | ||||||
361 Light stone | FS:23448 | T:XF-60? | X:X29 | |||||
450 Dark Earth | FS:20118 | Hu:29 | T:XF-52 | X:X2 | P:PCE76 | GS:H72 | ||
537 Red Arrows Red | FS:11350 | X:X14 | ||||||
626 Camouflage Grey | FS:36314 | 6*Hu:167 + 4*Hu:87 (Hu:167) | X:X17 | GS:H334 | ||||
627 RAF Light Aircraft Grey | FS:26440 | Hu:166 (Hu:129) | T:XF-20 | X:X15 | P:PCA825 | GS:H332 | ||
629 RAF Overall Camouflage Grey | Hu:156 (matched) | |||||||
633 Blue/grey | FS:16044 | X:X13 | ||||||
636 PRU Blue | 15*Hu:34 + 10*Hu:25 + 7*Hu:101 + 4*Hu:70 | X:X8 | ||||||
637 Medium Sea Grey | FS:26270 | Hu:165 (1*Hu:156 + 1*Hu:34) | T:XF-53 | X:X3 | GS:H335 | |||
638 Dk Sea Grey, -1975 (semigloss) | FS:26173 | Hu:164 | T:XF-24 (54) | X:X4 | GS:H331 | |||
638 Dk Sea Grey, 1975- (matt) | FS:26173 | Hu:164 | T:XF-24 (54) | X:X4 | GS:H331 | |||
640 Extra Dk Sea Grey | FS:36118 | Hu:123 | T:XF-63 (24) | X:X5 | GS:H333 | |||
641 RAF Dk Green, -1975 (semi-gloss bluish) | FS:16064 | Hu:163 | X:X1? | GS:H330? | ||||
641 RAF Dk Green, 1975- (matt brownish) | FS:34079 | Hu:163? | T:XF-27 | X:X1? | GS:H330 | |||
642 Night black | FS:37038 | Hu:33 | X:X12 | |||||
BS 2660:4-049 Hemp | (early variant?) | FS:30450? | T:XF-57? | |||||
BS 4800:10-B-21 Hemp | FS:30450 | 44*Hu:34 + 32*Hu:94 + 6*Hu:109 + 3*Hu:186 (Hu:168, 1*Hu:118 + 1*Hu:34) | T:XF-57? | X:X16 | GS:H336 | |||
BS 4800:18-B-21 Barley Grey | Now known as 626 Camouflage Grey | FS:36314 | Hu:167 (6*Hu:167 + 4*Hu:87) | |||||
BS 4800:12-B-25 Lichen green | X:X24 | |||||||
BS 4800:2-B-53 | Matt black | |||||||
High Speed Aluminium | Lower surfaces of jet aircraft until mid-50’s | FS:17178 | ||||||
Desert Sand (1991-92) | AKA Desert Pink | FS:30279 | Hu:250 | X:X31 | P:PCA826 (810) | GS:H346? |