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AFV Painting & Weathering
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
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Camo Question
Denimo
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Posted: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 - 04:11 AM UTC
Im building an M3 CFV as it appeared in GW1 and it like to base it on a camo'd version seen on the web.

It has broad dark stripes with a darker edge on either side.

Does anyone know what colors these are?

The main stripes look like NATO green.

Thanks
beerbryan11
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Posted: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 - 04:53 AM UTC
It would have Nato Green, Nato Brown and Nato Black. All of the M3's my regiment shipped over were Nato camo.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 - 06:05 AM UTC


I am assuming you are talking about this vehicle. If so, it is an M3A1 CFV from 24 ID during Operation Desert Storm (ODS '90-'91). The 24 ID had its Div Cav Squadron, 4-4 CAV, painted up as OPFOR (enemy) vehicles for maneuvers when the call came for them to go to Saudi Arabia for ODS. They left the vehicles in this unique scheme for the war. The colors are forest green and sand, with black outlines where the two colors meet.

Here is model of one I built a while ago.
Denimo
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Posted: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 - 01:51 PM UTC
Thanks very much Gino. That is the "wagon" and your reply tells me what I need to know.

I checked out your build and if mine* is 20% as good as that ill be happy.

(*Think Homer Simpson's bird feeder......)

Just a thought, but how would you do the black dividing line stripes?

I thought maybe gloss Vallejo varnish, black marker pen for the dividing line, then matt Vallejo over top, but the marker chemical might react.......

What did you do?

Thanks again.
Den
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 - 11:47 PM UTC
I used black paint and a small brush and outlined them by hand.
Denimo
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Posted: Wednesday, June 26, 2019 - 10:39 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I used black paint and a small brush and outlined them by hand.


I'll try it but my hand is not as steady as I'd like.............
tangodown
#494
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Posted: Wednesday, June 26, 2019 - 10:59 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

I used black paint and a small brush and outlined them by hand.


I'll try it but my hand is not as steady as I'd like.............


Black paint marker. You can get them at most hobby stores or Michael's for cheap.
TopSmith
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Posted: Monday, July 01, 2019 - 02:13 AM UTC
Humm... Paint your vehicles like enemy vehicles and go to war. I might have been worried about blue on blue incidents due to miss-identification. I know my M60A1 did not have thermals or anything high tech to determine friend/foe other than the eyeball.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, July 02, 2019 - 02:26 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Humm... Paint your vehicles like enemy vehicles and go to war. I might have been worried about blue on blue incidents due to miss-identification. I know my M60A1 did not have thermals or anything high tech to determine friend/foe other than the eyeball.


To be fair, no Iraqi vehicle had that style of camo on it. They represented the ever-feared Krasnovian (Soviet) OPFOR. Some coalition countries did have a similar brown/sand camo though.

Friendly fire was an issue though. Most US ground loses was to friendly fire, mainly at night when mis-identified in thermals as an enemy vehicle. These issues are why the CIPs (Combat Identification Panels) seen on vehicles in Iraq and since were developed. They show a distinctive reverse polarity square in thermals/night sights to ID the vehicle as friendly.

Abrams w/out CIP in thermal viewer.


T-72 in thermal viewer.


Abrams w/CIPs (turret front slope and side lovered panel) and thermal tape for the numbers.
Armorsmith
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Posted: Tuesday, July 02, 2019 - 04:23 AM UTC
Ahhh. So that's how the panels work. Also did not know that the numbers were thermal. Great info Gino.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, July 02, 2019 - 04:49 AM UTC
Yup, quite obvious when seen in thermals.


Quoted Text

Also did not know that the numbers were thermal.


Typically, they are not. On most vehicles, they are just painted on. This example has thermal tape applied for the numbers.
Denimo
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Posted: Sunday, July 07, 2019 - 04:16 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


Quoted Text

I used black paint and a small brush and outlined them by hand.


I'll try it but my hand is not as steady as I'd like.............


Black paint marker. You can get them at most hobby stores or Michael's for cheap.


Thanks. That should help.
Denimo
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Posted: Sunday, July 14, 2019 - 10:28 AM UTC
Hi Gino.

Can you advise on getting decals for that Bradley CFV build? I havent bought aftermarket decals, except ammo can markings.

Can you offer any advice on brands, sheet numbers etc?

Many thanks

Denimo
HeavyArty
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Posted: Sunday, July 14, 2019 - 10:35 AM UTC
Sorry, I don't know of any AM decals for it. I made my own using MS PowerPoint and computer/home printer decal paper.
Denimo
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Posted: Monday, July 15, 2019 - 06:31 AM UTC
Thanks for that. Does anyone know of an AM maker of suitable letters, numbers and unit markings?

 _GOTOTOP