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Modern (1975-today)
Discuss the modern aircraft age from 1975 thru today.
F-22 raptor Colors
Plastic
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Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined: April 11, 2007
KitMaker: 10 posts
AeroScale: 5 posts
Posted: Monday, October 29, 2007 - 10:35 AM UTC
Gentlemen and Ladies. Is there anyone out there who can tell me what FS. numbers the F-22 Raptor is painted?
I've been fighting, (literally!), the nightmarish Revell/Italeri 1/48th model but am still uncertain as to the colors.
Various companies give different refs. as do some sites on the web.
PLEASE, does anyone know the actual colors???
I would be very grateful for any help on this one people.
fantacmet
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Oregon, United States
Joined: March 09, 2007
KitMaker: 104 posts
AeroScale: 37 posts
Posted: Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 10:03 AM UTC
Try contacting appropriate people in the airforce or Boeing. That information is not classified. Alot of the airbases have museums that should at the least have the information on who to contact to get the info for certain. I am sorry I don't know which bases have museums other then McChord AFB in Tacoma Washington.
Trigger
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Tennessee, United States
Joined: April 12, 2005
KitMaker: 15 posts
AeroScale: 14 posts
Posted: Friday, November 16, 2007 - 04:08 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Gentlemen and Ladies. Is there anyone out there who can tell me what FS. numbers the F-22 Raptor is painted?
I've been fighting, (literally!), the nightmarish Revell/Italeri 1/48th model but am still uncertain as to the colors.
Various companies give different refs. as do some sites on the web.
PLEASE, does anyone know the actual colors???
I would be very grateful for any help on this one people.



The TwoBobs decal sheets list the same colors as the ModEagle F-15 scheme, FS36231 and FS36176. Those numbers are probably right, but having seen a Raptor up close on a couple of occasions, I can say that the LO coatings on the F-22 give it a unique finish. Depending on the lighting and the angle you're viewing it, it can appear either flat or metallic. Sometimes both and the darker gray is not as blue as the dark Mod Eagle gray. The best way to replicate this would be to mix 36231 with aluminum as your base and mix graphite with Dark Gull Gray for the darker colors and apply them in thin layers. Of course you would need an airbrush to apply such a finish. The dialetric panels (radome, intakes, wings and tails) you can use Light Ghost Gray or Neutral Gray (depending on how dark your light Raptor gray is)

You can find some great Raptor shots on af.mil as well as DVIC.
Plastic
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined: April 11, 2007
KitMaker: 10 posts
AeroScale: 5 posts
Posted: Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 09:09 AM UTC
Thank you for your input Gentlemen. I have been experimenting with some test paint strips and to be quite honest, the best basic match I have found so far is--FS 36251 & FS 36081 for the main colors and FS 36375 for the edges, panels, nose etc.
They do not of course give that rather odd metallic sheen, (on the main colors only I notice), and I have found a couple of pics on the net of an F-15 in Mod scheme flying side by side with an F-22 and you can see they are quite different.
Observations would be welcome.
One of the pics is in my photo's section although, for some reason, it's appeared 3 times!
Trigger
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Tennessee, United States
Joined: April 12, 2005
KitMaker: 15 posts
AeroScale: 14 posts
Posted: Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:46 AM UTC
36081 will be too dark. Lighting and the angle of the viewer relative to the aircraft affect the appearance of the colors. Here's a great article on painting the F-22
Plastic
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined: April 11, 2007
KitMaker: 10 posts
AeroScale: 5 posts
Posted: Monday, November 19, 2007 - 09:14 AM UTC
Thanks Grant!! Very interesting article you gave me the link for. I'll do some practice work to get the feel for what's been done there before I commit to the beast! Superb my friend, thank's to all for your help.
Trigger
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Tennessee, United States
Joined: April 12, 2005
KitMaker: 15 posts
AeroScale: 14 posts
Posted: Monday, November 19, 2007 - 11:27 AM UTC
Anytime sir, glad I could be of some help.

FYI - TwoBobs will release their fourth Raptor sheet this friday. These will be F-22s from the 90th FS at Elmendorf AFB Alaska and will include markings for three jets.
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