Model Paint - Brand Cross-Reference Color Calculator

Last updated March 1, 2026

Paint Cross-Reference Charts

Introduction

Every modeler eventually faces the same problem: the instructions say one paint, you own another. You’re building a P-51 Mustang and the Hasegawa instructions call for Mr. Color C304 Olive Drab — but your paint rack is all Tamiya. A YouTube tutorial uses Vallejo Model Air throughout, but you’ve just invested in AK Interactive 3rd Generation. Or you’re switching brands entirely and need to rebuild your palette from scratch.

That’s what cross-reference charts solve. They map equivalent colors across manufacturers so you can substitute confidently — grab the Tamiya XF-62 when the instructions call for Vallejo 70.887, or the AK11863 when the tutorial uses Mr. Color C304.

One important caveat: cross-references are approximate, not identical. Every manufacturer interprets military color standards slightly differently. Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab leans greener than Vallejo 70.887 US Olive Drab, even though both claim to be OD. Mr. Color C304 targets FS 34087 precisely, while Mission Models MMP-091 targets the same standard but through a different polymer chemistry that can shift the final appearance. The differences are usually small — close enough for any build — but competition modelers and accuracy obsessives should be aware that “equivalent” means “close,” not “identical.”

This page provides both an interactive search tool and static quick-reference tables for the most common WWII US aircraft color conversions.

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How to Use This Page

The tables below cover the most common WWII US aircraft color needs — USAAF OD/NG, USN Tri-Color, NMF, and cockpit interiors — plus the 20 most-searched Tamiya-to-Vallejo and Tamiya-to-AK conversions. Click any manufacturer name in the table headers to visit their full reference page.

Match quality key:

  • Exact — Manufacturer specifically targets this military standard; color is within tolerance of the specification
  • Close — Visually very similar; minor hue or value difference that most modelers won’t notice
  • Approximate — Recognizably the same general color but with a noticeable shift in hue, value, or saturation; may require mixing or adjustment

WWII US Aircraft Quick-Reference Tables

USAAF Olive Drab / Neutral Gray — All Brands Compared

The most common WWII American aircraft scheme: Olive Drab upper surfaces over Neutral Gray under surfaces, with standard insignia. Used on all camouflaged USAAF aircraft from 1941-1943 including P-40 Warhawks, P-47 Thunderbolts, P-51B Mustangs, B-17 Flying Fortresses, and B-25 Mitchells.

Color / Standard Tamiya Match Vallejo Match AK Interactive Match Mr. Color Match Mission Models Match
Olive Drab ANA 613 / FS 34087 XF-62 close 70.887 exact AK11858 exact C304 exact MMP-091 exact
Neutral Gray ANA 603 / FS 36173 XF-53 close 70.992 exact AK11862 exact C13 close MMP-084 close
Medium Green ANA 612 / FS 34092 XF-67 close 70.893 close AK11861 exact C302 exact MMP-058 close
Dark OD ANA 631 / FS 34079 XF-62+XF-1 mix approx 70.893 close AK11860 exact C38 close MMP-025 close
Interior Green ANA 611 / FS 34151 XF-4+XF-5 mix approx 71.137 exact AK11870 exact C351 exact MMP-059 exact
Insignia Blue ANA 605 / FS 35044 AS-8 spray only close 71.091 exact AK11863 close C326 exact MMP-062 close
Insignia Red ANA 619 / FS 31136 XF-7 close 70.957 exact AK11865 exact C327 exact MMP-101 exact
Insignia White ANA 601 / FS 17875 XF-2 close 71.279 exact AK11864 exact C316 exact MMP-104 exact
Black ANA 622 / FS 37038 XF-1 exact 70.950 exact AK11027 exact C33 exact MMP-047 exact

Notes: Tamiya XF-62 leans slightly greener than true ANA 613 — if accuracy matters, Vallejo 70.887, AK11858, Mr. Color C304, or Mission Models MMP-091 are all closer. Tamiya has no single-bottle Interior Green match; all other brands do. For Insignia Blue, Tamiya only offers AS-8 as a spray can — for brush work, mix XF-17 + XF-8.

USN Tri-Color Scheme — All Brands Compared

The standard USN camouflage from 1943-1944: Sea Blue upper surfaces, Intermediate Blue fuselage sides, Insignia White under surfaces. Used on F6F Hellcats, F4U Corsairs, SBD Dauntless, and TBF/TBM Avengers. Also includes Glossy Sea Blue for late-war overall schemes (F4U-4, F8F Bearcat).

Color / Standard Tamiya Match Vallejo Match AK Interactive Match Mr. Color Match Mission Models Match
Sea Blue ANA 607 / FS 35042 XF-17 close 71.295 exact AK11868 exact C14 close MMP-062 exact
Intermediate Blue ANA 608 / FS 35164 XF-18 close 71.299 exact AK11867 close C366 exact MMP-071 exact
Insignia White ANA 601 / FS 17875 XF-2 close 71.279 exact AK11864 exact C316 exact MMP-104 exact
Light Gull Gray ANA 620 / FS 16440 XF-19 close 70.951 close AK11866 exact C315 exact MMP-069 exact
Glossy Sea Blue ANA 623 / FS 15042 X-3+XF-17 mix approx 71.300 exact AK11869 exact C365 exact MMP-065 exact

Notes: Tamiya XF-17 Sea Blue has a well-documented greenish tint — add a drop of XF-8 to correct, or use Vallejo 71.295 / AK11868 / MMP-062 for accurate color out of the bottle. For Glossy Sea Blue, Tamiya has no direct match; every other brand offers a purpose-made product. Mr. Color C14 also has a slight green cast similar to Tamiya’s.

Natural Metal Finish — All Brands Compared

For bare-metal USAAF aircraft from January 1944 onward: P-51D Mustangs, late P-47D Thunderbolts, B-17G Flying Fortresses.

Role Tamiya Vallejo AK Interactive Mr. Color Mission Models Notes
Aluminum (base) XF-16 Flat Aluminum / X-11 Chrome Silver 77.701 Aluminum (Metal Color) AK477 Xtreme Metal Aluminium C218 Aluminium (Metal Color) MMM-003 Aluminum Vallejo 77.701 and Mr. Color C218 are best-in-class. MMM-003 is best water-based option.
Gun Metal (engines) XF-56 Metallic Grey 70.863 Gunmetal Grey AK11212 Gun Metal C28 Steel MMM-002 Cold Rolled Steel All brands are close. Vallejo 70.863 and Mr. Color C28 are exact.
Tire Black XF-85 Rubber Black 70.306 Dark Rubber AK11027 Black (approx) C137 Tire Black MMP-040 Tire Black Warm black for rubber — don’t use pure black. AK lacks a dedicated tire color.

Notes: NMF is more about technique than exact paint matching — surface preparation, gloss black base coat, and panel-by-panel tonal variation matter more than which brand of aluminum you use. That said, the dedicated metallic lines (Vallejo Metal Color, Mr. Color Metal Color, Mission Models MMM) produce significantly better results than general metallics. See each manufacturer’s reference page for detailed NMF workflows.

Interior Colors — All Brands Compared

Cockpit and interior colors for US and British WWII aircraft.

Color / Standard Tamiya Match Vallejo Match AK Interactive Match Mr. Color Match Mission Models Match
USAAF Interior Green ANA 611 / FS 34151 XF-4+XF-5 mix approx 71.137 exact AK11870 exact C351 exact MMP-059 exact
Zinc Chromate Yellow FS 33481 XF-4 Yellow Green close 71.033 exact AK11859 exact C352 exact MMP-067 exact
USN Cockpit Interior ANA 611 XF-71 — WRONG (IJN) — 71.137 exact AK11870 exact C351 exact MMP-059 exact
RAF Interior Grey-Green BS283 XF-71 close 71.126 exact AK11844 exact C364 exact — N/A

Critical warning: Tamiya XF-71 “Cockpit Green” is IJN Nakajima interior green — a completely different, much bluer shade than US Interior Green. Do NOT use XF-71 for American cockpits. This is one of the most common mistakes in the hobby. Tamiya’s label doesn’t specify Japanese, and modelers grab it thinking it’s universal. For USAAF/USN cockpits, use the Interior Green equivalents listed above. XF-71 is correct only for Japanese Nakajima-built aircraft interiors and is a reasonable approximation for RAF cockpits.

Most Common Conversions

Top 20 Tamiya-to-Vallejo Conversions

The most frequently searched paint conversion pair. Vallejo Model Color (MC) and Model Air (MA) equivalents listed — MA is preferred for airbrushing.

Tamiya Color Name Vallejo MC Match Vallejo MA Match
XF-1 Flat Black 70.950 Black exact 71.057 Black exact
XF-2 Flat White 70.951 White exact 71.001 White exact
XF-3 Flat Yellow 70.953 Flat Yellow exact 71.002 Medium Yellow close
XF-5 Flat Green 70.967 Olive Green close 71.006 Camo Light Green close
XF-7 Flat Red 70.926 Red close 71.084 Fire Red close
XF-8 Flat Blue 70.930 Dark Blue close 71.004 Blue close
XF-10 Flat Brown 70.872 Chocolate Brown exact 71.041 Armour Brown close
XF-16 Flat Aluminum 70.997 Silver close 71.063 Silver RLM01 close
XF-19 Sky Gray 70.989 Sky Grey exact 71.046 Pale Blue Grey close
XF-24 Dark Gray 70.994 Dark Grey close 71.314 Seaplane Grey close
XF-49 Khaki 70.879 Green Brown close 71.116 Camo Grey Green close
XF-52 Flat Earth 70.921 English Uniform exact 71.029 Dark Earth exact
XF-55 Deck Tan 70.986 Deck Tan exact 71.027 Light Brown close
XF-56 Metallic Grey 70.865 Oily Steel close 71.072 Gunmetal close
XF-58 Olive Green 70.890 Reflective Green close 71.092 Medium Olive close
XF-62 Olive Drab 70.887 US Olive Drab exact 71.016 USAF OD close
XF-63 German Gray 70.995 German Grey Dark exact 71.048 Engine Grey close
XF-64 Red Brown 70.984 Flat Brown close 71.039 Hull Red close
XF-69 NATO Black 70.862 Black Grey exact 71.251 NATO Black exact
XF-85 Rubber Black 70.306 Dark Rubber exact 71.315 Tire Black exact

Tip: For Vallejo, Model Color (70.xxx) is formulated for brush painting and Model Air (71.xxx) for airbrushing. Both work in either application, but MA thins more easily and has less tip dry through an airbrush.

Top 20 Tamiya-to-AK Interactive Conversions

AK Interactive 3rd Generation equivalents for the most common Tamiya colors.

Tamiya Color Name AK Interactive Match Notes
XF-1 Flat Black AK11027 Black exact —
XF-2 Flat White AK11001 White exact —
XF-3 Flat Yellow AK11048 Yellow close AK is slightly cooler yellow
XF-5 Flat Green AK11145 Deep Green close AK is slightly deeper
XF-7 Flat Red AK11085 Red close —
XF-8 Flat Blue AK11050 Blue close —
XF-10 Flat Brown AK11107 Brown close —
XF-16 Flat Aluminum AK11207 Aluminium close AK metallic is slightly different sheen
XF-19 Sky Gray AK11011 Sky Grey close —
XF-24 Dark Gray AK11024 Dark Grey close —
XF-49 Khaki AK11125 Green Brown close AK is slightly greener
XF-52 Flat Earth AK11117 Earth Brown close Vallejo is closer match than AK
XF-55 Deck Tan AK11038 Deck Tan close —
XF-56 Metallic Grey AK11212 Gun Metal close —
XF-58 Olive Green AK11152 Olive Green close —
XF-62 Olive Drab AK11863 ANA 613 OD close AK Air Series — dedicated WWII color
XF-63 German Gray AK11025 German Grey exact —
XF-64 Red Brown AK11105 Red Brown close —
XF-69 NATO Black AK11029 NATO Black exact —
XF-85 Rubber Black AK11027 Black (approx) approx AK has no dedicated tire black — use black + tiny brown

Tip: AK 3rd Generation paints are ready to airbrush with no thinning — just pour and spray at 15-20 PSI. The general range (AK11xxx below 11800) covers basic colors; the Air Series (AK11800+) covers military-specific colors.

Cross-reference data compiled from manufacturer specifications, Federal Standard color chips, and hands-on comparison. Last updated early 2026. For detailed coverage of each manufacturer’s full range, see the individual reference pages: Tamiya | Vallejo | AK Interactive | Mr. Color | Mission Models

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