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ET2SN · 10-13-17, 01:32 AM

I think some Lantfleet (US east coast) boats were painted over-all black back in the 60's and 70's.
Under-hull paint really depends on where the sub was over hauled and where it was home ported.
Unfortunately, I had a lot of experience seeing boats in the Pearl Harbor shipyard

back in the 90's but they got a somewhat unique paint job:

- Black above the normal water line.

- Red on the lower half of the hull. (for modelers, Testor's Insignia Red is an almost perfect color match, not "hull red" or "red lead")

- "Purple Brown" between the red and black sections (the under water part of the upper half of the hull) as well as the tops of the stern planes. (for modelers, a 50/50 mix of Testor's Insignia Red and Insignia Blue looks about right)

The "purple brown" paint was unique to Pearl Harbor subs. You also didn't want to be anywhere near the dry dock when it was being sprayed, it was highly toxic even after it dried. Both the red and "purple" paints were used to combat the more aggressive sea growth on the hull in the warmer waters.

San Diego boats also used the same red, as I recall, but the "purple" might or might not have been used. It probably depended on where the boat was painted the last time.

I don't recall seeing green primer below the water line on US subs. Green primer was just generic Navy primer that the crew could paint on the hull (vs shipyard painters).

If you see color pics of a sub in dry dock, that gray stuff is dried out hull growth and its nasty to remove.

(As a bonus- If you're planning to build a model of a 688, keep in mind that 688's tie up to the pier at a 2 degree up angle. That angle also marks the "official" water line on the hull- including the upper rudder. If you want to be authentic when it comes time to paint it, be ready for a headache. That angle makes it a bear when you mask off the hull for the black top coat, especially aft of the engine room hatch where the hull starts to taper in.

)

10-13-17, 01:32 AM	#10
ET2SN ET2/SS Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 2,531 Downloads: 58 Uploads: 0	I think some Lantfleet (US east coast) boats were painted over-all black back in the 60's and 70's. Under-hull paint really depends on where the sub was over hauled and where it was home ported. Unfortunately, I had a lot of experience seeing boats in the Pearl Harbor shipyard back in the 90's but they got a somewhat unique paint job: - Black above the normal water line. - Red on the lower half of the hull. (for modelers, Testor's Insignia Red is an almost perfect color match, not "hull red" or "red lead") - "Purple Brown" between the red and black sections (the under water part of the upper half of the hull) as well as the tops of the stern planes. (for modelers, a 50/50 mix of Testor's Insignia Red and Insignia Blue looks about right) The "purple brown" paint was unique to Pearl Harbor subs. You also didn't want to be anywhere near the dry dock when it was being sprayed, it was highly toxic even after it dried. Both the red and "purple" paints were used to combat the more aggressive sea growth on the hull in the warmer waters. San Diego boats also used the same red, as I recall, but the "purple" might or might not have been used. It probably depended on where the boat was painted the last time. I don't recall seeing green primer below the water line on US subs. Green primer was just generic Navy primer that the crew could paint on the hull (vs shipyard painters). If you see color pics of a sub in dry dock, that gray stuff is dried out hull growth and its nasty to remove. (As a bonus- If you're planning to build a model of a 688, keep in mind that 688's tie up to the pier at a 2 degree up angle. That angle also marks the "official" water line on the hull- including the upper rudder. If you want to be authentic when it comes time to paint it, be ready for a headache. That angle makes it a bear when you mask off the hull for the black top coat, especially aft of the engine room hatch where the hull starts to taper in. )