Panzer Dark Gray 17ml

Vallejo Panzer Dark Gray 17 ml — German Tank Gray (RAL 7021)

A dark gray matte shade from Vallejo in a dropper bottle with a volume of 17 ml. It is a water-thinnable acrylic from the Model Air range, which the manufacturer makes specifically for spraying — the paint is thin enough to be loaded into an airbrush straight from the bottle with no thinning. The same manufacturer's thicker brush range would need thinning before spraying; here that step is unnecessary. You can, but do not have to, adjust it further with airbrush thinner or a flow improver.

About the Shade — Panzergrau

This is not simply another shade of gray, but a specific historical shade. The manufacturer states a match to standard RAL 7021, that is, the shade known as Dunkelgrau / Panzergrau — the base camouflage color of German armored equipment. German tanks, self-propelled guns and armored vehicles carried this dark gray finish from the prewar period through the first half of the war. During 1943 it was replaced as the base shade by dark yellow (Dunkelgelb), over which camouflage patches were then applied directly by the units. In practice this means: if you are building a German vehicle from the early phase of the war, this gray is the correct paint; later vehicles already belong with a dark yellow base.

Use

• A base coat for German armored equipment from the early phase of the Second World War — tanks, self-propelled guns, armored personnel carriers.
• German vehicles, guns and equipment in a uniform dark gray scheme.
• Historically accurate builds where you need to follow the period shade, not just any dark gray.
• A base for modulation, washes and pigment weathering — dark gray tolerates lightening of upper surfaces well.

How It Differs from Anthracite Gray

Tank gray and anthracite are the most commonly confused — both are dark grays, but they have completely different purposes. Tank gray is a historically specific camouflage shade tied to particular equipment and a particular period. Anthracite, by contrast, is a universal technical dark gray that replaces plain black on a model (tires, running gear, shadows). Mix them up, and the model will either be historically wrong, or you will paint tires with a camouflage color.

Who the paint is for

For modelers of military equipment building German vehicles from the early phase of the war who want the period-accurate shade. Spray a primer first and apply the paint in several thin coats; only then come washes, filters and pigments.

The paint is water-thinnable and contains no organic solvents, yet spraying still creates an aerosol: work in a ventilated area or at an extraction booth and protect your airways. Keep out of the reach of children.