US Army Helicopter Drab (FS34031)

The color

This shade from the Orange Line range by Hataka is named after the finish of US Army helicopters and carries the designation FS34031. The abbreviation FS refers to the American Federal Standard, which describes shades by a numerical code; using it, the paint can be compared with reference material on the real subject. It is a muted dark olive, that is a color meant to suppress a machine against the terrain rather than to make it stand out.

Where it is useful

The closest use is on models of helicopters and other vehicles in a uniform olive finish. Because it is a dark, unsaturated tone, it works on transport vehicles and equipment as well, where a bright green would look toylike. A single-color machine is more demanding on the painter than camouflage: the whole impression rests on how the surface ages, so it pays to prepare shades for lightening and dirtying in advance.

How to apply the paint

Stir the contents of the bottle thoroughly before work, so that the settled pigment disperses. Apply it in two or three thin coats; thin coats preserve the engraving and the panel lines, whereas one heavy coat floods them. For an airbrush, thin the paint with the thinner made for the Orange Line range according to the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging. On large single-color areas it helps to lighten the centers of the panels with the shade plus a drop of a lighter color. Coat the surface with gloss varnish before the decals; the matte varnish comes only at the end of the build.

• a muted olive shade under the designation FS34031
• a Hataka paint from the Orange Line range
• aimed at helicopters and other vehicles in a uniform olive finish
• applied in two or three thin coats
• the thinner and the thinning ratio follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging

Terms of supply

The delivery contains the paint shade named. The model, the thinner, brushes and varnishes are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.