Mr. Color - FS34092 zelená

The green FS 34092 and the Europe One scheme

The five-digit number FS 34092 comes from the American federal standard FS 595, which describes shades by an unambiguous code instead of a verbal name. This dark green tone became one of the three pillars of the Europe One camouflage, introduced in the late 1970s on the machines of the US forces stationed in Europe. A second green and a dark gray complemented it, and together they formed an inconspicuous pattern meant to hide an aircraft against a background of woods and fields.

In this form flew ground-attack machines for close support of troops, tactical fighters and twin-engine transports, so the shade covers a large part of the subjects from the 1980s. It also finds use on ground vehicles, where it forms the green component of three-color finishes.

Working with the paint

The range is synthetic, that is nitro based, not a water-thinnable acrylic. It dries by evaporation of the solvent and leaves a hard film that takes sanding, polishing and the sticking of masking tape. It is intended for the airbrush; the manufacturer does not recommend brush application. The contents of the bottle have to be stirred thoroughly before work and thinned with the thinner of the same brand, depending on consistency in a ratio of roughly one to one up to two to one.

A light base improves the covering power, and on it the shade looks cleaner and does not gray. Ten milliliters is enough for several medium-sized models. The solvent has a sharp smell, so work in a ventilated area and with respiratory protection.

Any unused remainder keeps in good condition if you wipe the neck after every session and tighten the cap properly. Dried residue on the thread will in time mean that the bottle stops closing and the paint thickens into an unusable mass.