USAF Strata Blue and Insignia Yellow

[RangerBob]

I've seen a few stray posts discussing the correct USAF blue and yellow colors, so I thought I'd post the definitive answer here, with samples and links to the federal standards and a source for chips.

Strata Blue
FED-STD-595 Federal Standard 595 Color FS 15045

Insignia Yellow
FED-STD-595 Federal Standard 595 Color FS 33538

Samples
FED-STD-595C COLOR CHIP (INDIVIDUAL) - Federal Standard 595 Fed-Std-595 Color Specification, Fan Deck, Paint Chips, Etc

 

[RangerBob]

Just found an interesting page regarding painting of USAF support (ground) equipment...

U.S. Air Force Colors for Support Equipment

 

[Nonotagain]

You might try this website http://www.fed-std-595.com/FS-595-Paint-Spec.html for your paint chip needs.

I purchase new color standards every two years or whenever the specification changes revisions.

In order to accurately evaluate colors you need a light booth with the correct light temperature.

There is a company in Florida, Paul N Gardner that sells to industry all types of coatings testing items. They have an on-line catalog if you are interested.

If I had to perform accurate color matching, I'd go with Pantone colors over the 595 colors since the graphics world out numbers DoD suppliers thousands to one.

Also check out the PPG Aerospace website for suppliers in Europe not automotive.

I used PAC-33 that's only produced in Europe for aerospace.

 

[RangerBob]

The fed-std-595 site is the one I posted in the first post for chips.

I suspect the 2yr for new sample requirement/recommendation may be over concerns of sample fading with time and not necessarily due to revisions. Do you have older chips or fan decks you'd like to be rid of?

Don't modern spectrophotometers have their own calibrated/broad spectrum light source?

I will check into the Gardner source.

The portable spectrophotometer I had been considering is a Pantone-marketed unit that gives Pantone numbers first, and then RGB/CIELAB second.

I've checked the PPG site. They don't list strata blue there, but somewhere else on the web I found their 'stratta blue' 17634 number. I don't know if it is a flat, semi-gloss, or gloss.

 

[BillF]

I used the paint on my m38. The number you have is the correct one for ppg. If you take it to a paint shop they should be able to use that number.