Shuttle Fuel Tank - Rattle Can Matching Color

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bguffer

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Any suggestions for rattle can paint color for Space Shuttle fuel tank? I'm getting close to painting North Coast Rocketry Shuttle stack, and need to settle on rattle can color for fuel tank.

Suggestions found so far.
A. Someone recommended Model Masters mango, but unsure if i can locate.
B. Someone specializing in plastic models recommended Rustoleum "2X Satin" Cinnamon.
C. About 10 years ago someone recommended Krylon Fusion 2442 Satin Terra Cotta.
D. Dr Zooch had a 3 color/layer approach, that looked more complicated than i would like to go through

I already skimmed through 10 pages of results when searching rocketryforum, by thread name, for 'shuttle'.

Curious if anyone has other suggestions

Bob
 
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Any suggestions for rattle can paint color that for Space Shuttle fuel tank? I'm getting close to painting North Coast Rocketry Shuttle stack, and need to settle on rattle can color for fuel tank.

Suggestions found so far.
A. Someone recommended Model Masters mango, but unsure if i can locate.
B. Someone specializing in plastic models recommended Rustoleum "2X Satin" Cinnamon.
C. About 10 years ago someone recommended Krylon Fusion 2442 Satin Terra Cotta.
D. Dr Zooch had a 3 color/layer approach, that looked more complicated than i would like to go through

I already skimmed through 10 pages of results when searching rocketryforum, by thread name, for 'shuttle'.

Curious if anyone has other suggestions

Bob
Some oreillys here will mix custom colors. If you just can’t find anything
 
The foam definitely changes color over time. It starts out a light yellow color and gets darker as it ages.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/images/content/99567main_ET-120_to_Cell_A_6.jpghttps://publicintelligence.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/sts-135-12.jpghttps://media.wired.com/photos/5c6f46d93e8add2cdb917279/master/w_2560,c_limit/spaceshuttle.jpg
So there isn't a single right answer here. Different shuttle launches have tanks that are somewhat different colors.
My opinion is that most models have been painted darker and browner than a typical real launch. People tend to paint dark brown when something more like terra cotta seems more accurate to me.

I'm thinking when I do this I'm going to start with a light yellow base coat, then a top coat of some kind of dark orange.
 
Another way to alter what the color looks like is the color of the base coat.
You can get a lighter color if the base is white and darker is base is black, grey, or other dark color.
Then adjust a amount of top coat thickness to achieve the desired darkness. Thinner coats allow the the base color to have a greater effect.
 
Zooch's method isn't bad. @Antares JS is right, about the tank changing color with UV exposure, I saw it up close. When I painted my Dr Zooch shuttle I used a mix of insignia red, insignia yellow and Afrika Brown (tan) if I remember right and was very happy with the results. But it looked very wrong in the mixing cup. It was around 2007 or 8. I don't know if I still have my notes on the mix ratio, or if it's in one of the many Zooch shuttle threads here in trf
 
Pick a winner. SOFI (spray on foam insulation) is kind of a desert tan color when 1st applied and the starts to get orange and eventually turns into a shade of brown.

I'd use Rustoleum Flat Red Automotive Primer (What used to be called red oxide primer), and then coat that with flat clear to remove any sheen.

Shuttle SOFI.jpgShuttle SOFI 01.jpg
 
Pick a winner. SOFI (spray on foam insulation) is kind of a desert tan color when 1st applied and the starts to get orange and eventually turns into a shade of brown.

I'd use Rustoleum Flat Red Automotive Primer (What used to be called red oxide primer), and then coat that with flat clear to remove any sheen.

View attachment 538220View attachment 538221
Believe Gassoway used for some of this shuttles.
 
I settled on Rust-oleum Painter's Touch 2x Cinnamon Satin. 7 dollars from Home Depot, for 12 oz can. Is paint and primer combo (believe that is what the 2x references). Might get a chance to spray the fuel tank tomorrow.
 
I used Red Primer for my STS-47 model. Becasue the tank was so old that it looked like a dark rust color. Choose a mission you want to model, and find a color that matches. Or just go for a mission with a dark tank like STS-47 so that red primer will work.

EyPuPr2.jpg


Now in my case I did not choose the mission to be easy to match the ET tank color. That was the only shuttle launch I ever saw in person (NAR Member Jay Apt was among the crew), and by happy coincidence red primer matched the tank color.

SG3g8qc.jpg


Now, the tricky thing is that other parts of the tanks usually had "newer foam", which was a lighter color (totally new & not exposed to sun, the foam would look butter yellow). So I either I found some orange bottle paint that was pretty close, or did a custom mix. I think I might have used "Reefer Orange" from bottled paints aimed at model railroading. But again, that was what matched STS-47. I used an airbrush to paint the parts that had that color. And I also sprayed two sheets of white decal with that color, to make decal paper of that orange color. Then I cut out pieces to go on places of the tank that had that color but were not individual parts.

G5zSjOq.jpg
 
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sorry if this is repetitive, but another choice would be krylon fusion 2750 satin spiced amber
 
1665197927359.png

Progress so far: Fuel tank has the Cinnamon paint applied, boosters have 2 tone paint job, and orbiter has base coat of white.
Got ahold of this prototype kit from George back in 2010 (ebay auction), got structurally together and on naked display back in 2016. Resumed earlier this year. Hope to get done by November.
 
View attachment 540837

Progress so far: Fuel tank has the Cinnamon paint applied, boosters have 2 tone paint job, and orbiter has base coat of white.
Got ahold of this prototype kit from George back in 2010 (ebay auction), got structurally together and on naked display back in 2016. Resumed earlier this year. Hope to get done by November.
That Cinnamon color looks really good and "close".
 
I have since hit the corrugated wrap with one slightly uneven coat of Painters Touch 2x Warm Caramel. I intended 2 coats, but thought the slightly uneven coat would look more realistic then 2nd coat making the Warm Caramel completely even/solid.

1665537189406.png



Reference photo of STS-5
1665537326945.png

Ignore the joint wraps on SRB boosters that shouldn't be present for STS-5...
 
Any suggestions for rattle can paint color for Space Shuttle fuel tank? I'm getting close to painting North Coast Rocketry Shuttle stack, and need to settle on rattle can color for fuel tank.

Suggestions found so far.
A. Someone recommended Model Masters mango, but unsure if i can locate.
B. Someone specializing in plastic models recommended Rustoleum "2X Satin" Cinnamon.
C. About 10 years ago someone recommended Krylon Fusion 2442 Satin Terra Cotta.
D. Dr Zooch had a 3 color/layer approach, that looked more complicated than i would like to go through

I already skimmed through 10 pages of results when searching rocketryforum, by thread name, for 'shuttle'.

Curious if anyone has other suggestions

Bob


Satin Cinnamon Rust-Oleum 2X ultra cover
 
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