Colours for older Tamiya kits.

[DanGermain]

Afternoon!

Many Tamiya kits will list paints by code, X-10 and suchlike. The Flakvierling has the typical "gun metal", "matt black" with no code. This is fine. BUT there is no general colour for the entire kit. It seems to suggest not painting the majority. I'm not a stickler for detail (I am!), but what colour is the 'go to' German Grey (or other for this kit)? thanks!

[Tim Marlow]

I would say it’s XF-63 German grey looking at the paint range…..not sure how accurate it is though.

[DanGermain]

I would say it’s XF-63 German grey looking at the paint range…..not sure how accurate it is though.

Thanks so much, I have done a Google search and the sketchy suggestions hinted at this. I bought it but was unsure if I should go in 'gung ho' and find out in Germany 1940 this was 'so last year, liebling', LOL!

[Tim Marlow]

Thanks so much, I have done a Google search and the sketchy suggestions hinted at this. I bought it but was unsure if I should go in 'gung ho' and find out in Germany 1940 this was 'so last year, liebling', LOL!

It’s a colour that’s discussed to death anyway, so I wouldn’t worry too much, especially as colour matching at the time was done by eye and greys are very difficult to match perfectly.

[Guest]

Many Tamiya kits will list paints by code, X-10 and suchlike. The Flakvierling has the typical "gun metal", "matt black" with no code.

Tamiya’s colour names mostly match the numberless ones in their older instructions, AFAIK, so if it says “gun metal” they essentially mean X-10 Gun Metal, for example.

BUT there is no general colour for the entire kit. It seems to suggest not painting the majority. I'm not a stickler for detail (I am!), but what colour is the 'go to' German Grey (or other for this kit)? thanks!

The Flakvierling 38 was produced from 1940 through 45, so for the first half of that it would have been Panzer grey — Tamiya XF-63 like Tim says. From early 1943 on, they would have been dark yellow (XF-60, or better: the newish XF-88), possibly with green and/or brown camouflage over that, while in Africa I’d think they would be finished either in one of the African schemes or in Panzer grey with mud camouflage, while in snowy conditions they could have had a whitewash over the grey or dark yellow.

So I’d say: just choose what you prefer

[DanGermain]

Tamiya’s colour names mostly match the numberless ones in their older instructions, AFAIK, so if it says “gun metal” they essentially mean X-10 Gun Metal, for example.


The Flakvierling 38 was produced from 1940 through 45, so for the first half of that it would have been Panzer grey — Tamiya XF-63 like Tim says. From early 1943 on, they would have been dark yellow (XF-60, or better: the newish XF-88), possibly with green and/or brown camouflage over that, while in Africa I’d think they would be finished either in one of the African schemes or in Panzer grey with mud camouflage, while in snowy conditions they could have had a whitewash over the grey or dark yellow.

So I’d say: just choose what you prefer :smiling3:

Very much appreciated:thumb2: