I mainly use Model Master paints and would like to know what color do I use for Israeli Merkava Mk.IID, Mk.IIID (LIC) and Mk.4M. Are they different colors or are they all the same? I was thinking of using Model Master 2138 Israeli Armor Sand/Gray. Would this be correct for all three versions? Academy and Hobby Boss doesn't give Model Master colors. Thanks for your help.

I can't comment on MM's IDF color accuracy as I've never used them, however all IDF AFVs these days (and most soft-skins for that matter) use the same color. The recommended Tamiya mixture (or its slight variations) tends to work out for lot of modelers.

http://idfmodelling.free.fr/article01.html

Modelmaster 2138 is good for vehicles up to the mid 70's (Six Days War, Yom Kippur, War of Attrition etc).

The vehicles you want to paint are all painted in the color used after 1982, which is a more greyish-greenish shade than the previous color.

If you add some nato green to 2138 (about 15-20%) you will get a nice shade. If you do not like mixing paints try Lifecolor UA903 or UA902, depending on your references and the specific vehicle you are modelling.

Thanks for the replies.

Is Vallejo Sinai Grey a good match? I prefer not to mix and I didn't find any LifeColor in my search.

What is the Vallejo color number?

I knew I forgot something. It is Vallejo IDF Sinai Grey 82 71.142

You need to add some green to that too... About 10-15%

Thanks again!

How about MiG Acrylic Color IDF SINAI GREY '82 17ml #0066?

I also saw MiG Real IDF Sinai Grey 82 Acrylic Paint 17ml #131. Is this a suitable match?

Modern IDF color has a little more greenish shade than the 82 color. I have never used Mig colors and have not seen them so I cannot comment on that.

Hello
I saw a few IDF vehicles in Paris military shows (every two years) but never saw one with greenish tone.
The paint change with sun (i saw a MK3D and another year a Puma twice days in the same week):
Under sunny days the vehicles looked really brownish and the grey days they looked more greyish.
personnally i likes the n°4814 israeli armor
sand grey from model master.
Michael Mass said that 83 humbrol is a good paint but it's enamel (humbrol have some enamel but not all the range).
stephane

IDF paint is interesting. The current color has been around for a fair while. There is a picture out there of three Merkavas in a row all painted the "same" color there are very different colors in the photo. There is a photo of a Merkava where the side skirts are painted the "same" color as the tank but are different than the tank.

Where I am going with this is that I suggest you look at the color of paint you are considering and compare it to pictures on the internet and decide if it looks right to you. The paint varies immensely either with age or lot. Just do it.

IDF color is a tricky issue.
"There is a photo" is my photograph here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1989548304630863&set=a.1478384349080597.1073741838.100007271371085&type=3&theater
According to IDF instructions to the US manufacturers of Namer components in the US, the color is FS 33303:
Top COAT POLYURETHANE NBC RESISTANT per MIL-C-53039 ISRAELI TAN

Thanks for all the replies, greatly appreciated!

I went ahead and got a bottle of the Mig Acrylic Color IDF SINAI GREY '82 #66. Will be a while before I get to use it though. I just wanted to get the paint now for when I am ready to build the Merkava kits.