MERDC colours?

[Stuart]

Hi all,

Does anyone know what colours are used for MERDC camo? Or more specifically, what humbrol colours?

Cher!

[Stikpusher]

I think that there are twelve total colors to be used in all the different schemes in combinations of four. Which scheme are you looking to do? Humbrol makes all of them.

https://sites.google.com/site/merdccamo/home/merdcpic

[jeaton01]

And I thought airplanes were complicated to paint!

[Stikpusher]

Yes, MERDC was complicated. But it was also highly effective. Not to mention there many local variations from the schemes shown in the pattern illustrations. By the early/mid 80’s, some units in Europe were covering the sand highlights with black in the fall temperate scheme. And vehicles in the gray desert scheme substituted Forest Green for Field Drab at location like Ft Irwin and 29 Palms in the Mojave Desert.

But to answer Stuart’s question, Humbrol Paints for at least the most common MERDC schemes of:
Temperate Fall-
Dark Green/Forest Green FS 34079 is 116
Field Drab FS 30118, use 142 (exact) or 29 (acceptably close)
Sand FS 30277 is 187
Black FS 37038 is 33

Temperate Spring-
Dark Green FS 34079 is 116
Light Green FS 34151 use 151 or 226
Sand FS 30277 is 187
Black 37038 is 33

Gray Desert-
Sand FS 30277 is 187
Field Drab FS 30118 use 142 or 29
Earth Yellow FS 30266 is 225
Black FS37038 is 33

Other colors
Earth Red FS 30117- 186
Medium Green FS 34102 - 117
White FS 37875 - 34

[Stuart]

First off - Can I just say thank you Carlos for an awesome amount of information, that's really useful, as was that link

Secondly - Can I just apologies for taking so long to reply, I've just seen this thread and rather worryingly I have absolutely no memory of posting this question It just goes to show how out of it I must have been before I went to sleep last night.

As it is I have this Space Tank thing - that I resurrected from the SOD and obviously thought it would be fun to paint in a MERDC scheme for a bit of practice.

[Stikpusher]

You’re welcome Stuart. Happy to help! That space tank look very similar to a M113. You could probably adapt the pattern from a 113 to your vehicle. And just a thought, but you could use more “spacey” colors in various grays. Green grays, blue grays, and brown grays could give a very unique look.

[Stuart]

Thanks Stik.

Yeah I was thinking M113 too - it actually has a twin cannon mounted on the hull that reminds me of the M901 ITV.

I didn't like painting it in the bright 'canon' schemes, which is one of the reasons it ended up on the SOD for 18 months. But I thought the MERDC would suit it well - and I like you idea about using different colours.