British Military Colours 1940 to date

Most colours used on British military aircraft have been produced in tinlets for use by modellers. For many years one of the most popular and and widely available tinlets have been manufactured by Humbrol, originally the Humber Oil Company. A complete list of colours by FS sequence, where known, is set out below. Any additions would be welcome.

Colour FS595a Methuen BS(381C) Humbrol
Ident. red dull 30109 8D7 - 60
Dark earth 30118 5(E-F)4 450 HB.2/29
Light earth 30257 - - -
Mid stone 30266   362 HB.12/84
Hemp 30277 4(D-E)3 (4880-10B-21) 168
Desert sand (Gulf pink) 30279 - 361 250
Ident. red bright 31105 10C8 138 60
Post Office red 31136 10D8 538 -
Red Arrows red 31350 - - -
Signal red 32190 9A8 537 -
Signal red (Red Arrows) none 8B8 537 174
Orange 32203 8C8 - 82
Pale red 32356 11A5 - -
Brown 32473 7G8 - -
Light stone 33434 (4-5)C6 361 -
Ident. (golden) yellow 33538 (4-5)A8 356/368 24
Cream 33697 2(A-B)4 (4800-10C-33) -
Dark green 34079 30(F-G)2 641 HB.1/30/HX1/163
NATO green none - - -
Extra dark sea green 34092 - - 30/149
NIVO 34096 29F2 - -
Dark slate grey (slate) 34096 28(E-F)3 634 HB.8/102
Olive drab/olive green 34098 30F7 298 -
Medium green 34151 3B6 - HD5
Light slate grey 34159 26E3 639 -
Grey-green primer 34226 29D3 283 HD1
Sky 34424 30(B-C)2 210 HB5/90
Sky blue 34583 30(B-C)2 210 HB.5/90
General blue gloss 35042 - - HB9/181
Ident. blue dull 35044 20F5 105 25/189
Oxford blue 35050 21F8 105 -
Dark medium blue 35053 21(E-F)6 - -
Ident. blue bright (roundel) 35056 20E8 108 25
Dark blue 35056 20F8 110 25
Azure blue 35183 23A7 104 HB.13/157
PRU blue 35190 (23-24)(D-E)4 - -
Medium blue 35231 21B5 (4800-20C-37) HB13
Pale blue 35450 23A4 - -
Ident. blue pale 35488 22A5 112 -
Extra light blue 35622 (23-24)A2 - -
Night black pale 36008 22G3 - -
RAF Blue grey 36044 22F3 633 -
Dark green pre-1975 36064 - - 163
Extra dark sea grey 36099 21F3 640 HB.7/123
Dark sea grey 36118 21E3 638 HB.7+white/HX2/164
Dark Admiralty grey 36132 20(E-F)2 632 -
Dark grey/Mixed grey 36173 22E3 - -
Ocean grey 36187 24D(2-3) - HB.3/106
Pink 36188 10(A-B)2 - -
Camouflage grey 36237 - 629 156
Medium sea grey 36270 22D3 637 HB.3/165/HX4
Barley grey (camouflage grey) 36314 24(C-D)2 (4880-18B-21) 167
Flint grey (F-4J) 36329 - - -
Light aircraft grey 36357(36440) 22(C-D)1 627 HX5/166
Sky grey medium 36463 22C2 - HB.6
Night/black 37038 - 642 HB.10/33
Aluminium 37178 - - HB.14/11/56/191
Ident. white 37778 - 302 HB.11/34
Underside white 37875 - - HB11/34
Fluorescent red/orange 38903 - - -
         
Ident pink none - - -
Ident. red pale none 10B4 111 -
Lemon yellow (Yellowjacks) none - 355 -
Lichen green (Harrier under) none - (4880-12B-25) 120
Sea blue gloss none - - HB.9
Silver none - 56 -
PRU blue none (23-24)(D-E)4 - -
Deep sky (Welkin) none - - -
Ident. green (Hunter 12) none - - -

Note - FS begin 1xxxx for full gloss, 2xxxx for semi-gloss and 3xxxx for matt, non-specular, finish.