RLM colours

[ellis995]

Hi guy's

While looking on the internet i found this



Hier zählt TopHits

Start Archive Menue

zur deutschen Version
RLM - Colors of the German Luftwaffe
by Wolfram Bradac



The aircrafts of the German LW (Luftwaffe) in WWII were painted with standardized paints. The colors of this paints were registered as RLM# (Reichs Luftfahrt Ministerium). In certain regulations it was exactly determined where and when the colors had to be used. The sources as a whole are very poor and if you would like to know more about it, you'll find some books in the appendix. We have to make a distinction between paint and color in the following paragraphs.

Basically I can say that there is a difference between pre-war splinter camouflage until approx. 1938, splinter camouflage in RLM65/RLM70/RLM71 (just to read 65/70/71), attack camouflage of fighters until approx. 1944 and camouflage in the last months of battle. The aircrafts from production line were delivered in standardized camouflage which was modified at front line.





Examples for the camouflages of the German Luftwaffe in WW2:




pre-war camouflage until approx. 1938 61/62/63
early biplane-fighters, prototypes 02
splinter camouflage (green) - aircrafts except sea-aircrafts until the
end of 1939, later bomber, transport aircrafts and battle-aircrafts 65/70/71
3- color desert camouflage (Africa) 78/79/80
nightfighter (firstly black only) 75/76
fighters approx. since the end of 1939 65/70/71
fighters France and Battle of Britain often 02/65/71
attack camouflage of fighters from 1941 until 1944 74/75/76
fighters 1944-45 76(84)/81/82(83)

[Njaco]

Thanks ellis! Thats a good base to start. I have found that colors change slightly for several reasons: Sometimes hues change with scale - what works for 1/72 may not work for 1/32 and if weathering, some get faded. Also, in the "heat of battle" some paints were diluted and mixed hence a slightly different color.