So, what color is Blue Angels blue?

[ScottsGT]

I’ve been reading this subject online for years now.  It’s almost like walking into a discussion on religion or politics.  There are some very passionate folks that take this seriously.  
Way back in the early days the BA’s mixed paint they had on hand. I think it was Insignia blue and white. Cannot remember the ratios though.  
But I think it was with the Phantoms they went with a commercial paint color.   Seems that no one will share the actual paint code. It has been discussed that the BA’s ground crew uses an off the shelf Krylon spray bomb for touch ups in the field. 
A few years back I went rummaging through the Krylon rack at the local Ace hardware and found it. Gloss true blue.  Yep, perfect.  Went home, started my A-4 Skyhawk project and even got the Krylon applied after decanting and airbrushing. 
One slight problem with Krylon.  It’s very brittle when it cures all the way. It wants to chip off in flakes if you slightly bend the plastic.   Crap. Skyhawk is still on the SOD.  

Back to the internet for more reading.  It seems that there were some mixing formulas using the now defunct Testors Model Masters lineup. Besides, speaking of religions, mine is now lacquers only! It seems that all of the BAB paint offered  by our favorite manufacturers is based off FS15050. This is incorrect. Even my Yellowhammer Models decal sheet says, and I quote “ One thing is for sure, FS15050, the accepted “Blue Angels” blue is completely wrong……”

They suggested FS15052. Of course no one makes that.  Of course they suggest mixing Testors enamels.  Yuk!  
So back to the Internet.  Someone suggested Tamiya spray bomb lacquer TS15. So for giggles, I ordered Mr. Color FS15050, SMS Blue Angels Blue, Tamiya bottled lacquer LP-6 “pure blue” and a can of Tamiya TS-15 spray. 
I also bought a paint mule kit. An old crusty 1/48 Phantom.  I’ll just say, I never had to open the LP-6.  I divided the model into three parts.  Back end I sprayed with the Mr. Color FS15050, wing and center of fuselage with SMS FS15050 and the front end with decanted Tamiya TS-15. 
all were laid on with 4 coats and then a good wet coat of about 98% Leveling Thinner to smooth it out. 
Not sure how good you can see in the pic, but the SMS looks pretty good.  Still a little too gray as Yellowhammer said. Almost a green shade to it.  The Mr. Color on the tail, just not right looking at pics online. 
But the front end with the decanted TS-15, I think we have a winner!  
It’s more of a true blue color that looks like online pics. 
Here’s the pic in my paint booth. 

I’ll take it outside and get more pics in the sunlight.  Wish me luck. We’re having 25 MPH winds today. 

[ScottsGT]

Here we go. 
 

[Lusitanian]

In recent decades, and this came from the Blue Angels maintenance officer back in the 1990s, from his mouth directly to my ear, standing on the ramp at Pensacola:  “We don’t use FS595 paint, we use commercial aircraft paint”.  So anyone who tells you that Blue Angel blue is FS15050 doesn’t know what they’re talking about.  The actual paint used is *similar* to 15050, but that’s not what it is.  They’ve used several different brands and specific colors over the years, and the color has varied slightly.