SPANISH AIR FORCE (LAGARTO CAMO)

The lizard over the Iberian Peninsula

The nickname Lagarto, Spanish for lizard, belongs to the mottled camouflage that the Spanish Air Force introduced in the 1970s. Irregular brown, sand and green areas were meant to hide the aircraft both over the parched inland plateau and over the greener north of the country. It was worn by Mirage F1 fighters, F-4C Phantoms, RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft and, in variations, by other types in service.

The four tones in the set match the individual fields of the scheme. Brown to FS 30140, sand FS 20400 and forest green FS 34079 form the upper blotches, while Camouflage Grey FS 36622 covers the lower surfaces of the fuselage and the wings. Because these are commonly used standard tones, the set is useful for other air forces that drew on the same range as well.

It is worth noting that the blotches were not exactly the same on every aircraft. Spanish workshops transferred the pattern using templates and individual machines differ in detail, so the modeler has a freer hand than is usual with schemes that have a firmly prescribed layout. A photograph of the particular aircraft is always the guide.

How to handle the hard edges

The blotches of this scheme have sharply cut edges, so they cannot be sprayed freehand. Masking with a soft modeling putty or with thin tape laid slightly above the surface works well, which gives only a very gently softened edge. Work from the lightest tone to the darkest and each layer has to be perfectly dry before it is taped over.

What is included are bottles with four shades. Masking material and models are not in them.