PC-10 and PC-12

[NigelR]

    Do any pieces of PC-12 painted fabric still exist for comparison to PC_10?

Yes, plenty. Most are in the collections of museums and collectors (like Peter Jackson), who do not let ordinary people like us look at them!

But the biggest problem you have is that you do not know what you are looking at. The fabric is not stamped or marked with "this is PC10" or "this is PC12". We can only make educated guesses at what colours were used on each aircraft and therefore if it is PC10 or PC12.

Like I said earlier in this thread, late war Sopwith Snipes were "supposed" to be brown PC12 but Barker's Snipe has a distinctly green look to it, which really surprised me when I saw it. This is an original artifact that was recovered after his air combat and was designated an official War Trophy. It has been kept in the Ottawa museum ever since so is going to be pretty close to the original colour.

IMO it really isn't possible to say for sure what these colours actually were. And there would have been a lot of variation because of the production methods. So don't worry too much and make your own conclusions.

[Borsos]

(PS The Germans were so impressed at the chameleon possibilities of ChromaFlair PC10 that they tried to achieve something similar with Hex splodges of different colours: but the resultant 'lozenge' wasn't dynamic and you could only see the aggregate mixed tone, not the individual shifting colours.)

I can see the color shifting ? when I am completely drunk.

[Dirigible-Al]

I really wish they did use ChromaFlair and the paint was as also available for modellers. Imagine what the aircraft boats and armour subjects we make would look like if we painted them like that TVR!
Alan

[WD]

Through all of these posts I keep seeing folks refer to "brown-green" and "green-brown". Forgive me, but when I see those terms I think "olive drab". 

This is the stuff that makes modeling WWI aircraft fun!!

Warren

[macsporran]

"Forgive me, but when I see those terms I think "olive drab"." - WD

Yes, you'd think so Warren - also "khaki" - but that's the whole nub of the problem - neither quite nails it!

But, rather than perennially getting hung up on the old PC10 chestnut, let's just go with what we feel right at the time. I know my choice happily varies a bit with each kit.

Isn't it ironic that a directive (PC10) intended to standardise on a uniform colouring for all RFC aircraft should have caused such confusion and variety 100 years later!
Sandy

[the great waldo]

Looks definitely green in the Snipe photos.
I wish I'd kept the old Humbrol HB15 tins, though they were probably unusable after all the years.

Those old humbrol paints don't go off if they are properly sealed. I've got a set of Authentic colours from the fleet air arm (I think, I haven't seen the box for while) but last time I looked they were fine, just needed a good mix.
Cheers
Andrew

[drdave]

I use MRP lacquers now and they have pc12 and an early or late PC10 to choose from, based on new or aged appearance. They look about right to me. The Shuttleworth collection gives away strips of fabric from their restorations, which I know is new, but they do put a lot of thought into matching them. Looks OK to me. It?s inexact and I purposely vary my tone a bit on builds to represent that.

[IanB]

I think a lot of the problems occur because people mistake the tropical red-brown for PC12! The Shuttleworth Bristol M1 is tropical, not PC12.

Ian