[WWI] "Accurate colours"

[michael wuyek]

OK, enough about comics,  I've been reading a lot about "Accurate colours" and "documentation" for those colours, especially for IPMS contents and such. and how models at such contents should be judged for accurate colours AND documentation, especially for WWI models. And I wonder how many of us have a copy of the Methuen book for a reference guide. ( I don't, by the way).
   This accuracy seems a bit moot when I remember an article (In WWI Aero I believe) in which someone went to three different garment districts (in England or the U.S, can't remember) and acquired three different copies of the Methuen book. Lo and behold, when he compared them, the colour chips were all slightly different, no doubt due to the variations of ink used at various times. Has anyone thought of comparing FS colour standards in the same way?
   Memories of colour change. Pigment on fabric changes, even the pigment itself varies. Where is MisterKIt's documentation? Where are any of the paint makers documentation when it comes to "WWI colours"? Speaking of colours, here's a little story about our old friend MvR and his "red" Albatros:
   In an article on Richthofen's Albatros D.III in Scale Models, August 1982, several members of Jasta 11 told the author that the colour red used was " very dark..blood red, 'coagulated blood'". Ecck..
   Now remember that Italian book Colour Profiles of World War One Combat Planes. In the Albatros section, it mentions that all British pilots knew of the "Pink Lady" a German pilot of rather effeminate features in a pink Albatros, supposedly a woman pilot out to avenge the death of her pilot husband?
   One of the recent (within 10 years) books on MvR (Once again can't recall which one)stated one of the British officers RvM shot down survived and was taken to field headquarters. The officer insisted he had been shot down by the "pink lady" and demanded to meet her. MvR was in headquarters and simply stated "I shot you down!" So much for the "Blood Red Colour"  I could imagine the coat of red pained faded in the sun would appear pink. I can also imagine MvR storming off to his mechanics and demanding that the colour red be reapplied much thicker, so thick that the black crosses were painted out and white outline to these crosses had to be repainted on the still wet paint (which, by the way, would look......PINK). In a humorous vein, I can imagine the mechanics and pilots before hand discussing among themselves "Are YOU gonna tell him it looks pink?" "I'm not gonna tell him. YOU tell him!" "Not me!" 
   This would make an interesting model for the IMPS judges to look at: Von Richthofen's PINK Albatros???!!?? Now all we need to figure out is WHICH colour pink.
    And speaking of CDL, whenever I'm in my local hardware store (here in Maryland, USA), I go to the spray paint section and check out the colours. The latest I've found was the brand "Premium Decor" Gloss, made by a company GPM, PDS-16 Almond. Used it on my Eduard early Spad XIII and it looks good. By the way, I'm preparing a group of photos of my models, including the Spads, on my web site. Will let you when as I am not going to post anymore photos on this list.
  Excuse me, sorry for the rant; I woke up very early this morning (while it was still dark) and now I see it getting light out side. I'm going back to bed!
   
  Mike W

 
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