Hobby color - světlá letadlová šedá BS381C/627

A Light Gray from the British Standard

The undersides of postwar British aircraft received a light gray coat whose shade is described by standard BS381C under item number 627, Light Aircraft Grey. Dark Sea Grey and dark green were usually added on top, which for two decades formed the typical look of Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm aircraft, from jet fighters to patrol types.

The same gray also covers training types, helicopters, and some transport aircraft, where it was applied over the entire airframe. The paint is light enough that dark bases and unevenly sanded filled joints show through it, so it is applied over a light base coat or a filler primer that unifies the surface.

Coverage and primer

Light shades demand more patience than dark ones, since covering power builds with the number of coats, not their thickness. Three to four very light passes from a greater distance, letting the surface tack up between them, work best. A single heavy coat, by contrast, will fill in engraving and build a ridge around rivets.

• a glass bottle containing ten milliliters
• a shade per the British standard for paints
• thinnable with water or the brand's own thinner

It is worth protecting the finished surface with a varnish: a light surface gets dirty from fingers easily, and on a model displayed in a case this shows up first. A fingerprint on bare paint is practically impossible to remove, while it wipes off a varnished surface with a damp cloth.