US Navy Glossy Sea Blue ANA 623 (1947–1955)

Following the end of World War II, the United States Navy continued using the famous Glossy Sea Blue ANA 623 camouflage across nearly all frontline naval aircraft.

Although many modelers associate Glossy Sea Blue exclusively with late World War II aircraft, the color actually remained dominant throughout the immediate post-war years and deep into the Korean War era.

However, the post-war version of ANA 623 was not exactly the same paint used during World War II.

This detail is extremely important for scale modelers seeking historical accuracy.

The Evolution of Glossy Sea Blue After World War II

During approximately 1947–1948, the pigment composition of Glossy Sea Blue ANA 623 was modified in order to improve durability and reduce fading.

The original wartime version of ANA 623 had a tendency to lose its glossy appearance relatively quickly under harsh operational conditions, especially aboard aircraft carriers exposed to saltwater, sunlight, and heavy maintenance cycles.

The revised post-war ANA 623 formula solved many of these issues.

The newer paint version became:

• Slightly lighter
• More saturated
• More resistant to fading
• Better at maintaining gloss

This change created a noticeable visual difference between wartime and Korean War naval aircraft.

Many scale modeling paint manufacturers unfortunately still base their colors primarily on FS 15042, which more closely resembles the darker wartime shade rather than the lighter Korean War appearance.

For serious US Navy aircraft modelers, this distinction matters.

Korean War Aircraft & Glossy Sea Blue

From January 2nd, 1947, under BuAer Specification SR-2f, Glossy Sea Blue ANA 623 expanded across nearly every major US Navy combat aircraft category.

This included:

• Carrier fighters
• Attack aircraft
• Patrol aircraft
• Seaplanes
• Early naval helicopters

The Korean War would later demonstrate how important helicopters and naval aviation had become to modern military operations.

Aircraft types commonly seen in ANA 623 during this period included:

• Grumman F9F Panther
• Vought F4U Corsair
• Douglas AD Skyraider
• Grumman F7F Tigercat
• Sikorsky HO3S

Although many Korean War aircraft became extremely dirty during operations, especially land-based aircraft operating from rough airfields, period color photography consistently shows surprisingly limited paint fading.

Unlike Pacific Theater World War II aircraft, Korean War Glossy Sea Blue airframes generally retained a much richer and cleaner appearance.

Why Most Model Paints Get ANA 623 Wrong

One of the biggest problems in aircraft modeling is the incorrect interpretation of post-war Glossy Sea Blue.

Most paint manufacturers attempt to match:

$FS15042$

However, FS 15042 more accurately reflects the darker wartime variation rather than the lighter and more saturated post-war shade.

As a result, many Korean War US Navy aircraft models appear too dark when compared with historical photographs.

This is particularly noticeable on:

• Grumman F9F Panther
• McDonnell F2H Banshee
• Douglas AD-4 Skyraider

The real aircraft often displayed a cleaner, brighter, and more vibrant blue appearance than most hobby paints currently reproduce.

Glossy Sea Blue FS-15042