Early WW2 French Air Force paint set

The camouflage of the French squadrons of 1940

In 1938 the French Air Force adopted a regulation that divided the upper surfaces of its aircraft between several earth and green tones, while the underside was given a light blue-gray. The result was irregular patches with soft transitions, of the kind carried by Morane, Dewoitine, Bloch and Potez aircraft during the fighting over France. The shades also differed slightly between factories, so period photographs show a somewhat different combination every time.

What the set is made up of

The box holds six bottles: two brown variants for the upper surfaces, a green and a khaki tone for the same scheme, a dark blue-gray for the upper sides of land-based aircraft and a light blue-gray meant for the underside. Together they cover the whole regulation finish without having to buy further paints.

Properties of the range

These are water-based acrylic paints, set up for the airbrush straight from the bottle. They thin with water or with the manufacturer's own thinner, dry to a matte surface, and tools clean up with plain water while the paint is still wet. Shake the bottle thoroughly before use, because the pigment settles.

Working recommendation

Lay thin coats on and let the surface flash off between them; that is how you get an even finish without graininess. For soft transitions between the patches, lower the pressure and bring the nozzle closer to the model. Clear coat the surface with gloss before the decals, as matte acrylic would let silvering show under the film.

Who the pack is for

The set makes sense for anyone taking on the machines of the 1940 fighting who does not want to put the palette together bottle by bottle. It will last for several models, because the earth tones are used up unevenly in this scheme and the blue-gray for the underside lasts longest.