Mr. Color - FS36622 šedá

The light gray of undersurfaces

The shade under the number FS 36622 is a pale, almost white gray with a neutral tone. It was used on the undersurfaces of American machines and, in the postwar period, on the whole airframes of transport and training types. Because the shade is standardized, the number lets you compare it across paint manufacturers, which helps when one bottle runs out in the middle of a build.

Paint properties

The binder is a lacquer, not a water-thinnable one. Only the product from the same line is used for thinning, commonly at one to two parts per part of paint. The bottle holds 10 ml and the surface stays smooth and hard once dry.

Advice on application

• Pale shades reveal every unevenness of the surface below, so sand the filler smooth before painting
• Apply thin coats, because a heavy coat of a light tone easily creeps into the panel lines
• Choose a wash only slightly darker; a strong one would look coarse on a pale gray
• Do the highlighting with white added to the remaining paint, not with gray

It is a good idea to even out the surface with a light sprayable filler primer. Over a dark base the shade would lose the paleness it is supposed to have.

Where you will meet the shade

• Undersurfaces of American machines of the postwar period
• Transport and training types with a light overall finish
• The inner sides of the landing gear covers and doors

Standardized numbers are worth following when buying add-on decals as well, because manufacturers often state on them which shade the schemes relate to. That way you match the paint and the decals without a lengthy search.