Well isn't this
THE question?
I don't know that many, if even 2 WW1 color experts can agree on exactly what the exact colours were! Mostly it's the fact that surviving samples always have a shadow of doubt on them because of aging and weathering. You're mostly interested in RFC colours for now and it just so happens I've done a bit of studying on this subject...I can even tell you how to mix 50 gallons of PC10 dope
Just a note, in case you're not familiar with the nomenclature;
PC-10 is the standard color used on RFC planes, kind of an olive green to olive brown shade. There is also PC-12, a red brown, used mostly in the middle east, although it's thought that many more planes on the western front were painted this colour due to new research.
Here are 2 samples jpegs I made-
This is a scan of an actual piece of WWI PC-10 doped fabric I have, a RGB match that I did by eye, an average RGB I got from using Photoshops eyedropper, and 3 VASTLY different RGBs of FS colors quoted from online sources. I think the last of the 3 online FS colors must be PC-12 but it was marked as PC-10
These are FS conversions, the larger chips use FS numbers quoted from Windsock sources, the smaller of the chips are FS numbers from online.
Left to right, top to bottom they read "PC-10 (Windsock)/PC-10 (online), PC-12 (Windsock)/PC-12 (online), VB2 (Windsock)/VB2 (online), VR3 (Windsock)/VR3 (online)" The blue and red are the ones that were used from late 1916/early 1917 through to the end of the war. Other versions were used beforehand that are probably different shades but I didn't research them.
Basically, the rule is that PC-10 generally starts out more green-ish brown earlier in the war and ends up more brown toward the end of the war. I have a feeling anything goes here as long as you feel it looks right based on your experience. I tend to prefer the browner shades myself. Fox used a more green version for his Camels. He also used a darker blue and red for his cockades, maybe because of the stories of the national colors weathering darker after time.
I personally prefer the brown-ish shades my self for aesthetic reasons
As far as the natural fabric? Anyone's guess here too. I think as long as it's not too light, or too dark, you're pretty safe. It should be a bit yellow though, blue-ish natural fabric wouldn't seem right
Here's a sample of what I'm using now-
Misterkit paints have these chips-
http://www.misterkitusa.com/95b2ba67...23f874e-9.html
The PC-10 and 12 look kind of gray and washed out to me.
