im building dragons 1/35 M51 Sherman and i was wondering which tamiya paint color is correct for the Israeli desert cam ? thanks

Rob, IIRC there is a color scheme chart on one of the IDF armor modeling sites that was pretty good.Don't think the ' correct' shade is in one bottle though. You'll have to do some mixing to get close. Also, I think there was one color for them in '67 when they were Front line equipment and another shade of 'sand' in '73 when they were reserve status. Others closer to the Sinai would know more.
I did the Academy kit and was very happy with it. My sand was done with a sandstone base with successive washes of pale greens and grays.





cheers!
Rick

Hi buddy,over here in the UK a company called White Ensign Models does a tinlet colour called Israeli sand grey.Although they principally do ship stuff they do a sideline in armour and i know they ship worldwide.
Hope this helps.

Hi Rob,
What I use is Poly Scales Aged Concrete..This has worked for me for years.
I use it for the years 61-72, and for 73-82 I add a about 5% Brown to 95% Aged Concrete.
One good thing is you can shoot it right out of the bottle with no thinner needed.
Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Mike

hi guys that helps a lot.thank you for the info. that M51 looks great,nice dio !!

Lifecolor has a Israelian sand grey number UA020. For 61 to 73. Hope this helps.

heres the link for the color mixtures. hope this helps.
http://idfmodelling.free.fr/article01.html

though, I used Model Masters Israeli armor sand I dont remember the # though
http://panzercreations.fotopic.net/c1494140.html

that last one hit the nail on the head, thanks pzcreations.

I've got the same problem, only I always use Tamiya paint. Can anyone recommend a mix?

kenneth

Ups! just read the last one

IDF Sand Grey varied a great deal oer the years. I've seen pictures of paint chips that show four distinct tones. Some tend more towards the yellow, others more towards the grey end of hte spectrum. I use Testors Model Master enamels, and use a base of Afrika Dunkelgrau or Armor Sand and lighten it with FS 35662 Camouflage Gray until I like it. One mix is more tan/grey, the other more yellow. Why all the variants? I've heard several explanations and all are likely true to some extent: Different manufacturers and batches for paint over time. Different shades mixed at unit level based on projected deployment areas in wartime. Changes in paint composition over time to add IR screening caracteristics. My White Ensign stuff hasn't arrived yet, so can't comment on that. Don't obsess too much over the "correct" color for IDF armor between '61-'82. Obviously, the paint itself wasn't constant and weathering affected it's appearance greatly. HTH
Greg

Rogers, build the Academy kit for fun but realize that it is substantially flawed. The hull texture is awful (they thought badly chipped paint was casting texture) and it only represents (sort of...) a post-'73 tank. Their HVSS is only fair as well. The one to get for a better start is the DML M51 Premium kit. Even that one needs a fair bit of help, and to do it right you should use the upper hull from the DML Operation Cobra M4A1 kit. A better looking turret can be had by using a recent DML or CMD resin 76mm turret and grafting on the rear bustle and mantlet. The Accurate Armour resin update set is worth getting for any of these kits, and the Aber M50 P/E set has a lot of useful stuff too. I know, I've got an M51 project percolating that I've been documenting over at www.idf-in-scale.com. Foolish me; I've scratchbuilt the whole interior. Waiting for my White Ensign paints to arrive via a buddy of mine so I can start painting it.
Greg