AFV Painting & Weathering
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Matthew Toms
Antenna colors
guyonearth
Minnesota, United States
Joined: September 27, 2013
KitMaker: 3 posts
Armorama: 2 posts
Joined: September 27, 2013
KitMaker: 3 posts
Armorama: 2 posts
Posted: Friday, September 27, 2013 - 05:43 AM UTC
I'm curious how you guys handle your antennas on armored vehicles. My prime interest is WWII vehicles, but I'm never sure what color to make the radio antennas...are they usually the same base color as the vehicle?
retiredyank
Arkansas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2009
KitMaker: 11,610 posts
Armorama: 7,843 posts
Joined: June 29, 2009
KitMaker: 11,610 posts
Armorama: 7,843 posts
Posted: Friday, September 27, 2013 - 05:52 AM UTC
As far as I know, they are.
WARCLOUD
Jihocesky Kraj, Czech Republic
Joined: March 31, 2012
KitMaker: 280 posts
Armorama: 274 posts
Joined: March 31, 2012
KitMaker: 280 posts
Armorama: 274 posts
Posted: Friday, September 27, 2013 - 06:33 AM UTC
Yeah, just about everything in the US Army inventory in WW2 was specified in Olive Drab. it's probably the #1 reason modellers give for buying and building so much more german WW2 stuff..the german stuff is just more interesting to paint.
I don't happen to agree completely with this...but it takes a bit of study to find WHY the US stuff is actually interesting and deserves a fair shake.
I don't happen to agree completely with this...but it takes a bit of study to find WHY the US stuff is actually interesting and deserves a fair shake.
panzerbob01
Louisiana, United States
Joined: March 06, 2010
KitMaker: 3,128 posts
Armorama: 2,959 posts
Joined: March 06, 2010
KitMaker: 3,128 posts
Armorama: 2,959 posts
Posted: Friday, September 27, 2013 - 08:55 AM UTC
I would expect that most German WWII AFV aerials (pole or staff antennae) were painted industrial dark gray, dark green, or a satin black by the OEM - these pole antennae were made of painted rigid copper tubing and were a removable/replaceable item (and vehicles often carried a spare) that was obtained from the fitting depot and equipment factories. Like other items attached to German tanks - tools, extinguishers, gas-cans, spare track, etc., antennae were not part of the panzer to get painted at time of assembly but were installed later onto a finished vehicle, so seems likely that they went on in the color they were made with.
Other antenna - WWII US stuff, and those appearing on more-modern equipment - were and are made of various non-metal materials and generally flexible. These, like the aerials found per my experience on US tanks ca 1975 for example, were not painted - they came in dark olive or greenish or near-black colors not at all like the OD a vehicle was painted in. Being flexible whips, they would not hold paint very long. The most-recent stuff, which includes fiber-glass and various plastics, probably comes with dyed-in colors. All of these items are also added post-assembly and painting to the tank, and so I doubt that they would generally be the tank's painted color.
Just some thoughts!
Bob
Other antenna - WWII US stuff, and those appearing on more-modern equipment - were and are made of various non-metal materials and generally flexible. These, like the aerials found per my experience on US tanks ca 1975 for example, were not painted - they came in dark olive or greenish or near-black colors not at all like the OD a vehicle was painted in. Being flexible whips, they would not hold paint very long. The most-recent stuff, which includes fiber-glass and various plastics, probably comes with dyed-in colors. All of these items are also added post-assembly and painting to the tank, and so I doubt that they would generally be the tank's painted color.
Just some thoughts!
Bob