Korean War Painting Guide
The following notes are only a rough guide, when it comes to depicting the models in their fighting colours it has to be remembered that they are only 1/600th scale (i.e. about 2cm long) so there's no point in going all out for accuracy and authenticity. Impressionism is the way to go, stick with the basic overall scheme and only add the odd flourish if you feel up to it.
THE UNITED NATIONS
Except for the all black nightfighters
and long range Twin Mustangs, the great majority of UN land-based
planes operated in bare metal. The weight saved by not using paint
could increase a plane's maximum speed by two or three percent and
with almost overwhelming air superiority keeping a low profile was
not considered necessary. Most US Air Force planes had colourful
unit markings and personalised badges in the form of cartoons, sharkmouths,
aircraft names etc.
Sabres had broad yellow recognition stripes outlined in black near the wing tips and diagonally round the rear fuselage. The 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing's Sabres instead started the war with D-Day style black and white stripes (black, white, black, white, black). Some squadrons had their jet intakes lined in squadron colour (blue, red or yellow) and 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing Sabres had black and metal checkerboard fins.
US Navy planes looked smart in dark blue with white markings, (as per the F-3D on the Interpid museum ship in New York above). Fleet Air Arm aircraft had dark grey across the top and light sky-blue (with quite a green tinge) sides and undersurfaces and wore the distinctive D-Day style recognition stripes (white, black, white, black, white).
COMMUNIST
MiG-15s generally operated in bare metal. A bright red nose was quite fashionable and some, in particular those given the nightfighter role, were camouflaged in sand and dark green. Piston fighters were either olive green or light grey.
Most other aircraft came in
standard olive green with light blue/grey undersides. Though North
Korean markings were the norm some jets flew with their original
Soviet or Chinese red stars.
North Korean MiG-15 at the Fleet Air Arm
Museum in Yeovilton, Somerset
To The Right:
US, Australian/British, South African,
South Korean, North Korean, Soviet
and Chinese national insignia
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