This page provides reference material for the color and camouflage schemes of combat aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica (RA) and the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR).

Prewar Period : 1923 - 1938

The Regia Aeronautica was formed as an independent service on March 23, 1923. From 1923 to about 1936, most Italian fighters of the prewar period such as the Fiat CR.32 were finished in alluminum (G2 Camo Scheme, Table 3) or silver dope (fabric covered aircraft). With the commencement of large scale warfare in Ethopia and Spain, the Regia Aeronautica began experiementing with complex camouflage schemes that incorporated between 1-5 differenet colors.  The war in Ethopia was characterized by complete aerial suprermacy and a distinctive radial red strip anti-camouflage scheme was adopted to help identify crashed aircraft. Colonial bombers such as the Ca.133 and SM.81 were painted Bianco Avorio (G1 Camo Scheme, Table 3), with contrasting red stripes applied to the top wings. In the Spanish Civil War, more complex camouflage schemes were adopted to conceal fighters, bombers and ground attack aircraft. Two and three tone camouflage schemes with hard edged and mottled schemes were common.

Serie Mimetica : 1938 - 1941

With the arrival of large scale warfare, the Regia Aeronautica began investigating the use of camouflage to conceal its aircraft, both in the air and on the ground. The beginnings of this process can be traced back to 1936 when an Italian air-theorist on the use of ground attack aircraft, Amedeo Mecozzi, first suggested the use of camouflage for low flying aircraft; to avoid being spotted and attacked by aircraft from above. The Regia Aeronautica accepted these suggestions and in the following year a series of colors, the so-called "Serie Mimetica" was adopted. These colors were applied to fighters, bombers and ground attack aircraft as large wavy hard-edged stripes (A-B Series Camo Chips, Table 3). Initially camouflage was only applied to the wing areas, however later, camouflage colors were also applied to the fuselage. The first colors of this scheme were Giallo (Yellow) Mimetico (Camouflage), Verde (Green) Mimetico and Marrone (Brown) Mimetico.

The shades of these colors varied from one paint supplier to another and four yellows are known to have been used:

Giallo Mimetico 1 FS 33531

Giallo Mimetico 2 FS 33481

Giallo Mimetico 3 FS 33434

Giallo Mimetico 4 FS 30266

The Verde (Green) colors were:

Verde Mimetico 1 FS 34258

Verde Mimetico 2 FS 34092

Verde Mimetico 3 FS 34102

The Marrone (Brown) colors were:

Marrone Mimetico 1 FS 30118

Marrone Mimetico 2 FS 30109

Bruno (Dark Brown) Mimetico FS 30227

Aside from these colors, two other shades were in common use:

Verde Mimetico 53192 (FS 34227)

Marrone Mimetico 53193 (FS 30140)

These two colors are named after the the Arson SISI catalogue numbers because the actual chips of these paints were found enclosed to the original catalogue of the paint manufacturer, instead of found on preserved aircraft or parts. Thus the color of these two paints could be identified exactly.

For aircraft under surfaces, Grigio Mimetico FS 36231 was the standard underside color from about 1937 up to 1941, although lower surfaces were sometimes left unpainted Aluminium, even till the early beginnings of WWII.

The Regia Aeronautica had learnt from its experiences in the Spanish-Civil that a camouflage scheme with hard-edged, contrasting colors and a semi-gloss finish were only moderately successful. From 1937 the Regia Aeronautica adopted a new scheme which was formally put into effect through a directive issued by the DGCA (Direzione Generale delle Custuizioni Aeronautica) on 14.3.1938, Foglio D'Ordini n.8571, beginning with the aircraft of the "Aviazione Legionaria" (the Italian Volunteer Air Force in Spain), followed by subsequent production aircraft. The new camouflage scheme, the so-called "Honeycomb Camouflage Scheme" used existing colors, however, were now applied in a more complex, soft-edged mottling scheme (Schema C, see Table 3). It is important to note, at this time only the camouflage scheme was standardized and not the colors. The standardization of colors would only come later with the appearance of the Tavola X colors.  This of course led to interpretations of the three primary upper surface colors stipulated by the directive (Giallo Mimetico, Verde Mimetico and Marrone Mimetico) by each of the paint suppliers. It is interesting to point out, in each of the paint catalogues, the paint suppliers referred only to Giallo Mimetico, Verde Mimetico and Marrone Mimetico, not Giallo Mimetico 1, Giallo Mimetco 2, Giallo Mimetico 3 ... etc.  The index following the primary color (1, 2, 3 ...) corresponds to a modern means (CMPR Method) of identifying the origins of the color itself.   For example Giallo Mimetico 1 was produced by Inves, Giallo Mimetico 2 was produced by Masciadri while Giallo Mimetico 3 was produced by Arson-Sisi (Table 1).  Since Inves was a paint supplier to Fiat, Giallo Mimetico 1 appeared on the early mottle schemes of Fiat CR.32s and early G.50s together with Verde Mimetico 1 and Marrone Mimetico 1 (also produced by Inves).

The basic application of the "Honeycomb Camouflage Scheme" varied with each of the aircraft manufacturers, the unit and in some cases with the individual aircraft. This scheme could use as a base color Giallo (Yellow) or a Verde (Green) over which a contrasting color mottle, was applied. The mottle might be applied in various shapes, proportions and sizes. Examples of these variations were a Giallo mottling painted over a Verde background or Verde Chiaro (Light Green) splotches over a Verde Scuro (Dark Green) or vice versa. The third color, Marrone Mimetico or Bruno Mimetico was added to the two basic colors. Finally instead of using Marrone as the third color, two Greens and a Yellow were sometimes used.

As far as the "Honeycomb Camouflage Scheme" goes there were two basic types:

• continuous mottling, usually Dark Green over a Yellow
• sparse mottling, Yellow or Light Green over a Dark Green base and vice versa with, sometimes, a light mottling of Marrone or Bruno

*Always cross check with photographs or specific references.

In addition to the variations of the standard camouflage schemes, the choice of colors and the application of these paints varied with the aircraft manufactures, depending on the paint supplier (Table 1):

• SIAI (e.g. Savoia Marchetti S.79 and SM 81) used Verde Mimetico 1, Giallo Mimetico 3 and Marrone Mimetico 3
• Breda (Breda 65) used Giallo Mimetico 3, Verde Mimetico 3 and Bruno Mimetico with hard-edged, large sized mottles instead of the wavy bands used by other manufacturers
• Breda (Breda 88):
  
  NOTE: Correction for the Warrior Model 1/48 Ba.88 Decal Instruction Sheet for aircraft of 7° Gruppo, 5° Stormo based at Castle Benito, Libya in 1940:
  
  Breda Ba.88s in North Africa did not have camouflage schemes with Niccola Chiaro and Verde Oliva Scuro mottles in Libya early 1940, nor did any plane wear the white band: this is confirmed by Notiziario Club Modellismo Plastico Ravenna number 2/2004, issue dedicated to Breda 88, page 11 and can have a further confirmation by the dedicated issue by Ali d'Italia; it is to be considered that the white band was introduced at the end of 1940 and that Nocciola Chiaro was introduced in the second half of 1941; the photo that appears in the CMPR-GAVS-GMT camouflage book at page 55 refers to a Breda 88 modificato (modified) (the wings were modified) and is dated summer '43. No modified Breda was flown in Africa.
  
  Notiziario CMPR 2/2004:
  
  Colori e Insegne
  La mimetica dei Breda 88 rilevabile dalle foto dellarchivio del Club è praticamente di un solo tipo ed è costituita sulle superfici superiori da piccole macchie in giallo mimetico 3 (probabile), abbastanza fitte e sfumate, su fondo verde mimetico 3 (probabile) e su quelle inferiori in grigio azzurro chiaro 1. Questo tipo di mimetica viene mantenuto anche sugli aerei inviati in Africa.
  
  Camouflage and Markings
  The Breda 88 camouflage as it appears in photos of the Club archive, is practically of an unique type and is constituted on the upper surfaces by small mottles in giallo mimetico 3 (probable) very close to one another and with no sharp edges, on a surface of verde mimetico 3 (probable) and on the lower surface by grigio azzurro chiaro 1. This kind of camouflage was maintained also on the planes sent to Africa.
  
  It is also noted that the corresponding Ba.88 profile contained in the reference : Dunning, C., "Courage Alone - The Italian Air Force 1940-1943", Hikoki, 1998, is also in error. Please use the following reference profile for North African Ba.88s [Tauro Models Decal Sheet TM 72/522]:
  
  
  
  Riccardo Trotta
  
  
• FIAT, CMASA and CANSA used Giallo Mimetico 1, Verde Mimetico 1-53192 and Marrone Mimetico 1
  • FIAT used Giallo Mimetico 1, Verde Mimetico 1 and Marrone Mimetico 1 on early CR.32s and the first production batch of G.50s (enclosed cockpit)
  • FIAT used Giallo Mimetico 3, Verde Mimetico 3 and Marrone Mimetico 2 on later production G.50s and CR.42s
• Caproni, Aeronautica Predappio used Marrone Mimetico 2, Verde Mimetico 3, Giallo Mimetico 3, Bruno Mimetico, Marrone Mimetico 53193 and Verde Mimetico 53192
• IMAM used Giallo Mimetico 3, Verde Mimetico 3, Marrone Mimetico 2 and Bruno Mimetico
• Macchi used Verde Mimetico 2, Verde Mimetico 53192, Giallo Mimetico 4 and Bruno Mimetico
  • Macchi used Bruno Mimetico, Giallo Mimetico 4 on Verde Mimetico 2 background on MC. 200s and early MC.202s
• Piaggio used Giallo Mimetico 2, Verde Mimetico 2 , Marrone Mimetico 2 and Bruno Mimetico
• Reggiane used Giallo Mimetico 3, Giallo Mimetico 4, Verde Mimetico 2, Marrone Mimetico 1 and Marrone Mimetico 2.
  • Reggiane used Marrone Mimetico 2, Verde Mimetico 1 on Giallo Mimetico 3 base on Re. 2000s

Table 1. Paint Suppliers and Aircraft Manufactures

Colori Mimetici	Paint Supplier	Aircraft Manufacturer
Giallo Mimetico 1	Inves	FIAT
Giallo Mimetico 2	Masciadri	Piaggio
Giallo Mimetico 3	Arson-Sisi	Breda, Caproni, CRDA, FIAT, IMAM, SIAI
Giallo Mimetico 4	Max-Mayer	Aermacchi, IMAM
Verde Mimetico 1	Inves	FIAT
Verde Mimetico 2	Max-Mayer	Aermacchi, Piaggio
Verde Mimetico 3	Masciadri	Breda, Caproni, FIAT, IMAM