Thank you James,
I think its the 13% I need for Hood (if I have read everything correctly!).
I presume this is a full matt paint, even at the 13%, or is the 13% NARN20 supposed to be the example with enamel in the mix, hence the greater reflectivity? In which case it really ought to be the 10% by 1941, NARN21... shouldn't it?
But then again, maybe I am overthinking everything... weathering and shading will result in variation on the model, even if less so than on the prototype, (Hood was repainted just before Denmark Strait, so should be reasonably 'clean'... especially on all the vertical surfaces).
Then there is 'scale effect'... which inclines me toward the 13% if fully matt... with heavy weathered 507A/Home Fleet Grey NARN21 (10%??) on decks... not that any of the steel decks will have a pure colour anyway...
Like EJ...
I am beginning to realise that the steel decks and the rest of the ship are much the same colour, with the variation on horizontal and vertical surfaces only due to heavy weathering/wear on the decks... and the fact the decks were mixed with more or less a 'paste', making them very rough/non-reflective/prone to holding dirt/grime/wear. So any difference is likely to be the state they were in, not the actual 'colour'.
(If you look at photos of HMS Cornwall (F99) which I'm building at the moment, none of the decks look close to the base colour due to wear/grime/weathering, so I cant see Hood being a great deal different!
)
Anyway... there is a question in there somewhere amongst all the waffle... lets see if I can extract it.
Which should I order? NARN 20 or NARN 21?
(And when will there be some thinners available?)
We've made both 13% and 10% versions, NARN20 and 21 respectively to give a degree of freedom. The 3% does make a difference and for what it's worth I'd choose the NARN20 for an overall HFG scheme on a model and NARN21 for part of a camouflage scheme.
The 13% certainly reconciles better with photographs of overall HFG ships pre/early war.
I dare say that with suitable modelling toning (I won't say weathering because that implies rust and dirt) on a model either would look good and convincing. Unlike armour and aircraft modellers most ship modelers tend to paint in flat, solid colours with no attempt to hint at more going on.