Mr. Color - barva kachních vajec zelená

The pale green-gray of undersurfaces

The shade known as duck egg is a very pale green-gray. The Royal Air Force used it on the undersurfaces of its machines in the first years of the war and it appears on some naval types as well. The color is so light and unassuming that people often underrate it on a model, yet it is exactly what gives a period scheme its proper character.

Properties and thinning

The paint belongs to the solvent-based Mr.Color lacquer line, so it is not a water-thinnable acrylic. Only a thinner of the same brand can be used, in a ratio of between one and two parts of thinner per part of paint. The volume is 10 ml and the dried film stays hard and smooth.

Advice on application

• A base of light gray or white will support the resulting paleness of the shade
• Keep the border against darker colors on the sides of the fuselage hard, because the machines of the period had it sharp
• Apply several light coats, because pale tones easily go blotchy
• Stir the paint thoroughly before work, because the pigment settles at the bottom

Given the paleness of the shade it is advisable to avoid strong washes, which would look unnaturally harsh on the undersurfaces.

Combinations for a period scheme

• With two dark colors on the upper surfaces and the border along the side of the fuselage
• With a dark green and a brown on the machines of the first years of the war
• With metal areas on the engine cowlings

Pale shades take only very gentle accenting. A strong wash or pronounced shading of the panels looks harsh on them and takes their character away.