Colour of Catapultabile Re.2000

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 3:56 pm

Hi,

Does anyone know what colour the Catapultabile version of the Reggiane Re.2000 was painted? In my copy of Reggiane Fighters in Action it says, "The fighter was painted overall Sky Blue (FS35526)". Is this correct?

Thanks
Martin

Post by **Editor** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:13 pm

Hi Martin and welcome.
Good question, there isn't a whole lot of information available on the exact color match for the upper surfaces of the Re.2000 Catapultabile however an approximate match would be upper surfaces RLM 78 FS.34414 or a lighter shade FS.35526 is acceptable, lower surfaces Grigio Mimetico (FS.36231). Below a scan from AC #6 Caccia Reggiane:

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 4:28 pm

Thanks for the great pictures. I've dug out my Lifecolor paints for 36231 & 35526 and the grey is darker than the blue, opposite to what is shown in the drawing. I've never seen an aircraft with the top side lighter than the underneath. The blue, 35526 would be a good match but 36231 looks way to dark.

Martin

Post by **Editor** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:49 pm

Hi Martin,
I'm only guessing here so I've asked Stefano and Riccardo to weight in if they could. Anyway, Grigio Azzurro Chiaro FS.36307 would have been a better match for the undersurfaces since as you pointed out GM sprays on with a darker shade. Unfortunately, GAC didn't appear until late 1941 - early 1942 and the Re.2000C flew well before that. I'm guessing there are two possibilities, one the plane was painted entirely in light blue or the undersurfaces were left unpainted. Its not untypical that undersurfaces were left unpainted in the Serie Mimetica planes (1938 – 1941). Often there is some debate whether the undersurfaces of these planes were Grigio Mimetico or Alluminio (e.g., BR.20, CR.42). Click on the color guide and examine Table 3 - CMPR Color Chips. Hopefully, Stefano and Riccardo have more to add.

Stefano · Post by **Stefano** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 4:04 pm

As far as I know, the only things we are sure about the colours of the first Re.2000 Catapultabile (MM 8281) is that uppersurfaces were light blue, as described by several direct eyewitnesses, and undersurfaces were a lighter tone, as shown by several photos.
About the hues, we can just suppose them.
For uppersides, Maurizio Di Terlizzi in his book (ISBN 88-86815-81-6), surely the best reference for modelers, talks of a “Reggiane grey blue”, with no other details. Vitocharts has chip 29 “Azzurro Celeste O.R. (Organizzazione Roma, the Italian carrier project)-Reggiane 1940-41” which is FS35240. It is also logical to suppose that a Regia Marina blue has experimentally been used: in the RM palette there is an Azzurro FS35352 which was tested in that period; a profile in the rear cover of the above mentioned book is a good rendering, even though it lacks of paler undersides. About the latter, we know that colour photo, Swedish J.20 relics and museum aircraft state the use of light grey. Note that is quite sure that the greys used for undersides, before 1941-42, had more tones than FS36321, as the lighter FS36463 and perhaps the same FS36307, later become standard as Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1. Vitocharts indicates chip no. 7 (slightly lighter than FS 35414) for Macchi and Reggiane undersides; while it has been evidenced for early Macchi-built fighters, it has not, until now, for Reggiane. Another chip by Vitocharts' author (and not listed in it), states FS36622 for a Re.2000 of battleship CAVOUR (I don’t know if for undersides, and I’m in doubt if CAVOUR ever had Reggianes aboard). Looking at the images, some of which shows shiny undersides, Italian researcher Pierluigi Moncalvo hypothesizes the use of Alluminio, which was officially used by several factories well into 1941. It could be, as well as the use of a gloss varnish coat for undersides. Here’s to you an image by Di Terlizzi’s book, so you can judge by yourself.

Sorry if I can’t be more precise. I hope someone else has more documented info.

Stefano

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 4:48 pm

Vince\Stefano,

I had been wondering whether they had used Regia Marina colours myself. I found several charts today showing Azzuro, a light blue. The only lighter colour being Bianco Sporco Opaco, an off-white, perhaps that was the undersides.
http://home.att.net/~ShipModelFAQ/smf-q046h.jpg

The photo showing the shiny undersides seems to indicate either a gloss finish or Alluminio. Would aircraft at this point been given a gloss finish? I'd bet on the Alluminio.

Martin

Post by **Editor** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:14 pm

Some additional comments: if the RM used its own colors then the RM painted these planes itself ie., field modified. Reggiane painted factory fresh aircraft using specific colors e.g., GM3, GM4 that originated from certain paint suppliers such as Arson-Sisi, Max-Mayer etc. that did not include a light blue (aside from Azzurro 11) - that we know of

! There are paint supplier sheets from Arson-Sisi for example (CMPR Reference) that don't indicate a Marine blue. So Stefano's suggestion seems reasonable – ie., RM colors were used. Later Re.2000Cs were left in the RA Colors ie., Olive Green. The RA dropped the use of semi-gloss finishes after the Spanish Civil war. My guess, Alluminio undersides.

How could I forget about Maurizio's reference, below are a few scans of from his book which as Stefano mentioned is the standard for RA modeling. Note the catapult arms at 90 degres before launch and fully extended after launch (ref. Reggiane Re.2000, Aviolibri Special #6, IBN Editore):

Capitano · Post by **Capitano** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:35 am

Great pictures and color plates. Thanks for the information.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:00 pm

Thanks for the info and pictures. They've been a great help. I'll be going with light blue top surface and Alluminio underneath.

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:14 am

Sorry for my delay but I was not at home during the Easter holidays; the lonely mentioned in official documents light blue color is Celeste 2 mentioned at page 384 of the manual of Breda 65 K14, to be used for the front surfaces of the propeller blades; the researcher Pierluigi Moncalvo suggests the references FS 15526 -15540, we are not sure this was the color used by Reggiane, but is the only known official light blue; a precisation about the use of Grigio Azzurro chiaro: at page 21 of the first issue of camouflage CMPR book (1979) (at page 40 of the new issue) there is reported a document dated March 20th 1941 in which it is declared that the Grigio Azzurro chiaro was already in use (già in uso).
Hoping this can help
Riccardo

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:17 am

I want to add two images of the RE2000 catapultabile built by my friend Roberto Bianchi from the 1748 Italian Classic kit; I hope you will appreciate

Riccardo

Stefano · Post by **Stefano** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:21 am

Excellent model, Rick. Has been the cat strut scratchbuilt? If so, great work!
The real thing should have been something very close to it, but what about the model's undersides? And which colour did Roberto use for uppersides?

Ciao

Stefano

m.lacivita · Post by **m.lacivita** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:59 am

For my model, I simply went with Grigio Azzurro Chiaro overall.

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:50 pm

Themodel has been built several years ago and was published on Air Kit news n°13 Gugno/Luglio 2003; I remember that the strut was scratchbuilt, but I don't remember anything about the used colors but they were in line with the information received by Moncalvo and according to the witnessing of Tullio Marcon, referenced on an old issue of Storia Militare, that the RE2000 was painted in light blue
Ciao
Riccardo

Post by **Editor** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:50 pm

Beautiful work on both models! And thank you both for your comments - as always!

Colour of Catapultabile Re.2000

Colour of Catapultabile Re.2000

RE2000 light blue

Re2000 model

Answer to Stefano