I'm about to embark on my ambitious M551 Sheridan project. My question is: I prefer to use Humbrol paint. I want my Sheridan to be the standard army dark green. Could someone recommend a Humbrol number which will put me in the ballpark?
Thank you.

Quoted Text

---

I'm about to embark on my ambitious M551 Sheridan project. My question is: I prefer to use Humbrol paint. I want my Sheridan to be the standard army dark green. Could someone recommend a Humbrol number which will put me in the ballpark?
Thank you.

---

To expand a bit, the M551 was semigloss Olive Drab until 1974. Humbrol 66 is an approximation of the color, though a bit on the gray side. Add a touch more green and overspray with a semigloss coat, unless the vehicle is supposed to be quite dirty. Some tank units mixed black with the issue Olive Drab simply because the commander liked the look (a common--but not universal--practice in the 1950's and 60's). Humbrol 155 is good for Vietnam era helicopters, but it's too warm and green for ground vehicles.
From 1974, the 4-color MERDC cammo was in use, and the specific colors depended on where the vehicle was supposed to be deployed (there were 12 colors available). By the 1980's many units were no longer applying the patterns and left the vehicles in overall FS-34079 Dark Green. Eventually, the three color NATO scheme was adopted in the late 80's, but by then, the Sheridan was in very limited use with the 82nd Airborne and as a simulate Soviet tank in training outfits.

Quoted Text

---

Quoted Text

---

I'm about to embark on my ambitious M551 Sheridan project. My question is: I prefer to use Humbrol paint. I want my Sheridan to be the standard army dark green. Could someone recommend a Humbrol number which will put me in the ballpark?
Thank you.

---

To expand a bit, the M551 was semigloss Olive Drab until 1974. Humbrol 66 is an approximation of the color, though a bit on the gray side. Add a touch more green and overspray with a semigloss coat, unless the vehicle is supposed to be quite dirty. Some tank units mixed black with the issue Olive Drab simply because the commander liked the look (a common--but not universal--practice in the 1950's and 60's). Humbrol 155 is good for Vietnam era helicopters, but it's too warm and green for ground vehicles.
From 1974, the 4-color MERDC cammo was in use, and the specific colors depended on where the vehicle was supposed to be deployed (there were 12 colors available). By the 1980's many units were no longer applying the patterns and left the vehicles in overall FS-34079 Dark Green. Eventually, the three color NATO scheme was adopted in the late 80's, but by then, the Sheridan was in very limited use with the 82nd Airborne and as a simulate Soviet tank in training outfits.

---

to further expand on your post:
There appeared to have been at least two different O.D. colors used in RVN. I well remember touching up paint chips here and there, and sometimes the new paint was a touch lighter in color (maybe more green). I think I remember somebody posting on M.L. two different FSM numbers as well. Where the color change starts and stops I don't really know for sure
Also remember what will rust and what won't rust on the Sheridan
gary

Quoted Text

---

Quoted Text

---

Quoted Text

---

I'm about to embark on my ambitious M551 Sheridan project. My question is: I prefer to use Humbrol paint. I want my Sheridan to be the standard army dark green. Could someone recommend a Humbrol number which will put me in the ballpark?
Thank you.

---

To expand a bit, the M551 was semigloss Olive Drab until 1974. Humbrol 66 is an approximation of the color, though a bit on the gray side. Add a touch more green and overspray with a semigloss coat, unless the vehicle is supposed to be quite dirty. Some tank units mixed black with the issue Olive Drab simply because the commander liked the look (a common--but not universal--practice in the 1950's and 60's). Humbrol 155 is good for Vietnam era helicopters, but it's too warm and green for ground vehicles.
From 1974, the 4-color MERDC cammo was in use, and the specific colors depended on where the vehicle was supposed to be deployed (there were 12 colors available). By the 1980's many units were no longer applying the patterns and left the vehicles in overall FS-34079 Dark Green. Eventually, the three color NATO scheme was adopted in the late 80's, but by then, the Sheridan was in very limited use with the 82nd Airborne and as a simulate Soviet tank in training outfits.

---

to further expand on your post:
There appeared to have been at least two different O.D. colors used in RVN. I well remember touching up paint chips here and there, and sometimes the new paint was a touch lighter in color (maybe more green). I think I remember somebody posting on M.L. two different FSM numbers as well. Where the color change starts and stops I don't really know for sure
Also remember what will rust and what won't rust on the Sheridan
gary

---

You may have received some stocks of the lighter, warmer OD introduced for helicopters in 1965. It didn't replace the other paint--they were used concurrently until 1974. The FS-595 paint chip for FS-34087 was altered to match the aviation paint in 1967 (which made a hash of its numerical color system), and this is the chip most hobby paint makers have used for their Olive Drab paints, so most brands are incorrect for ground vehicles. Recent editions of the FS-595b color book dodge the issue by omitting FS-34087 altogether. Tamiya's color is a better match for the original Dark Olive Drab.