RAAC Centurions in Vietnam....color?

[jdmcm]

Thank you Tony

I am wondering how to best go about this paint color hunt, I am thinking Flat OD 139/2 is what I am after, now need to still figure out what color that will be close to here in North America

John

[Mike Cecil]

Hi John

I could send you an official colour standard plate for each:

Olive Drab Full Gloss: Ref 7650/ADE(M) 146-1/2 issued Nov 1967
Olive Drab Semi-Gloss Ref 7650/ADE(M) 146-1/3 issued June 1987
Olive Drab Lustreless Ref 7650/ADE(M) 146-1/1. issued Nov 1967

The initial batches of Centurion tanks were deployed to South Vietnam painted in Lustreless. From about the end of 1968, replacement Centurions arrived painted in semi-gloss to decrease the maintenance requirements. Re-painting in SVN was undertaken with lustreless in the first instance, until stocks ran out, then semi-gloss. There is an outline of paints used on Aust vehicles in SVN in the appendices of 'Mud & Dust - Aust Vehicles and Artillery in Vietnam'.

As Tony noted, repair parts direct from the UK and from stocks held in Australia (and some sourced from New Zealand) were finished in Deep Bronze Green BSC381, and as far as Centurion was concerned, were often bolted on without repainting. Bins, barrels, etc have all been noted in DBG.

Mike

[jdmcm]

Hi Mike

Of the three colors is there one that represents the mission in Vietnam more than the others? I would really like to find a close match. Would it be too much to ask to have you send the color plates? It's kind of like building a full size Airfx model of an RAAC centurion in Vietnam, would be great to do it right! And yes I am sure one day the tank will get a facelift to Canadian turnout, but currently I am fascinated with the Vietnam war era and specifically armor from that period hence the desire to build a Mk5/1 RAAC Centurion

Regards
John

[Mike Cecil]

For ease of maintenance (just like Aust MVs in SVN), I'd use the semi-gloss. The colour is the same for all three, just the degree of gloss changes (at least, that's the theory). Anyway, decide when you receive the colour plates.

I forget the origin of your Cent - it's one of the ex-'Courage Under Fire' movie vehicles, isn't it?

Given your interest, you may learn a lot from Stephen White's thread on the Armortek forum about researching & building his 1/6th scale Centurion that model's 169064, a Cent that served in South Vietnam. He has gone to extraordinary lengths to get every detail right. Much of that research will be applicable to your restoration.

http://www.armortek.co.uk/Forum3b/vi...61bbce95a21fd8

Mike

[jdmcm]

Hi Mike

thank you that would be awesome, and I appreciate the thread, very helpful! My Centurion began life as a Mk3 gun tank, then upgraded to Mk5 (Brownings vs Besa), then it had the turret removed and it became a bridge layer, then finally a test bed for huge cannon.
FB_IMG_1459768537926.jpg.f2cda7a199c927dba378b635b5fb607a.jpg

Following this and the MOD losing interest it languished in the contractors compound until saved by outlaw UK tank rescuer and general fellow tank nut, Rick Wedlock. Rick installed a Mk3 turret back on that came from Melvin Cordwell's auction. So now we are back at the start. The Courage Under Fire tank is owned by my friend here and it is once again getting lots of work as an ersatz Abrams. You can see it very clearly in Battle for the Planet of the Apes (new version) Thanks again Mike, you are an irreplaceable source for Centurion info and especially Aus Centurions

Best Regards
John

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks John,

Envelope went into yesterday's mail.

Regards

Mike

[jdmcm]

Awesome Mike thank you! That thread with the fellow building the Amortek Centurion is incredible. Strangely I face several similar problems. My Centurion is a Mk5 hull, not a Mk5/1 so no up-armoring on the glacis plate. Of course this can be done, relatively easy from mild steel I would think, but does one want to needlessly add that weight for purely aesthetics? Also my turret being a Mk3 has a different position for the loaders hatch, though I am confident I have read of at least one RAAC Centurion that went to Vietnam that way.

Regards
John