MRP-A112 SEA Camouflage FS36622

SEA Camouflage FS 36622 — Mr.Paint, the Aqua range

This is a modeling paint, not a kit. The abbreviation SEA stands for South East Asia, not for the sea. It is an American camouflage scheme introduced in the 1960s and made famous by the Vietnam War, where it was worn by machines such as the F-4 Phantom II, the F-105 Thunderchief, the A-1 Skyraider, the F-100, the A-7 and the F-5, as well as by observation and transport aircraft. In this scheme the shade FS 36622 is the light gray of the lower surfaces — a warm yellowish gray that in period photographs often looks more like a dirty white.

Where this paint sits in the scheme

The scheme uses four colors. The upper surfaces are made up of two greens and a brown in irregular soft fields: the dark forest green FS 34079, the medium green FS 34102 and the brown FS 30219. The lower surfaces were given precisely this light gray FS 36622. That means you need all four shades for one model — the gray on its own will only paint the belly of the machine. The exceptions are aircraft for night operations and gunships, which had a black underside instead of the gray. The first digit of the FS code gives the sheen and a three means matte — which fits camouflage.

The chemistry: the Aqua range is an ACRYLIC, not a lacquer

The name of the Aqua range means a water-thinnable acrylic for brush and airbrush alike. Watch out for a mix-up: the manufacturer carries the same shade names in its renowned lacquer (cellulose) range as well, which is intended for the airbrush only. You cannot tell these two ranges apart by the name of the shade. This paint belongs to the acrylic range and is thinned with water or with the acrylic thinner of the same range — never with cellulose thinner, which would curdle it.

Use

• The lower surfaces of American aircraft from Vietnam in the SEA scheme
• Airbrush and brush alike — the paint is ready to spray and the consistency can be adjusted with water or with the acrylic thinner of the range
• Stir the bottle thoroughly before spraying, the pigment settles to the bottom
• Light shades cover better over a light primer; apply them in several thin coats
• Once it has dried, go over it with a gloss clear coat under the decals, then knock it back to matte

Who the paint is for

For modelers who build American hardware from the Vietnam War and want a documented shade to the FS standard instead of a guess. Count on this being one of the four colors of the scheme — without the remaining three (both greens and the brown) you will not finish the model.

This is a modeling paint, not a kit. A water-thinnable acrylic. Keep out of the reach of children, ventilate when spraying and use a respirator. Do not thin with cellulose thinner.