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Ju 52 SCW


styreno

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Starting to plan the paint for a Ju 52 in SCW period. I have the Owl decals, and am using a 1/72 Heller kit as the basis. I plan on doing 22*101.  https://eshop.owl-czech.eu/detail/1-72-ju-52-spanish-transport/

 

I have not been able to find a photograph of the specific airplane.
 

The Owl instructions seem to indicate RLM 63, but I wonder if L40/52 would be a better match? I've checked the  the M. Ullmann book as a reference, without much joy.
 

Any assistance or help much appreciated.

 

KE

 

 

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I have tried to find information of the L40/52 and how to translate it into model paint. As the 22*101 was an ex Lufthansa plane the L40/52 was my guess to.

I have found one pic of it here: https://tinyurl.com/yb6pvbsb  I hope the link works. Good luck with replacing the large cargo door. I have done it four times with Italeri kits as the corrugation could be rebuilt with 0,4 plastic rod. I never tried it with a Heller kit as it has finer corrugation. We sure need a civilian Ju52 in 1/72 scale. It has only been done in 1/48 and in 1/144.

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If that's of any help, those ex-DLH planes were used by Iberia right at the war's end. The official records say they were ex-DLH palnes, so no doubt here. They were overall aluminium, with black areas around the engines, undercarriage legs, etc...exactly like well known DLH scheme....

The main issue here is that the original aluminium paint turned into a dull colour under the sunny spanish weather very soon, looking like a light grey in pics.

RLM63??? Don't think so. They where civilan planes, L40/52 would be possibility, but most probably, they were aluminium.

5811440722_b1e414f5ee_b.jpg

 

 

20449140_1104095833023331_64861608507241

this is a very interesting pic. Los Rodeos aerodrome, 1940, near my home. You can see a Junkers (2*whoknows) still in military dress, but used by Iberia.

 

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That's right, but we must make a difference between the military and civilian examples. The DLH planes were surely left in their original colours. Just after the war, when they were put into Iberia service, they were aluminium.........It wouldn't make sense to "re-repaint" them again. Some sources say that a few  "civilian" Junkers were repainted in RLM77 (look alike), during the war, but no photographic evidence can prove it....

The Legión Cóndor examples are another story...

After the war, all the military examples were repainted in "mouse grey" for some time, just to be repainted in aluminium over light blue undersides.

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Orso:

I used the Heller kit as it was in my stash 😊 I've robbed an Airfix kit of the spats. This is a project that started life as a Ju 52 bomber, but stalled for several years as I could not find aftermarket resin to do the ventral gondola (I know, Owl had it included in another set,, but now OOP). I'd still like a Ju 52 bomber in my collection.

 

The cargo door was not a problem. Owl included a resin passenger door (not used) and replacement panel for the starboard freight door. Although the corrugatiions are not a perfect match, they are close, and I can live with them.  Scribing the starbord door is a simple job, using the PE template supplied. Heller has given the modeller the option of clear rear windows, or clear pieces with corrugations and a clear circular centre. I think a small amount of thinned putty and paint will work well here.

KE

 

 

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There's a list of colours used by Lufthansa in Ullmann's Luftwaffe colours.  It includes L40/52 Hellgrau (which is available from Colourcoats) amongst other light greys and Aluminium for use on the Ju52.  It is often said that all Lufthansa airliners were Aluminium in the late 30s but I'm not convinced this was true: it certainly wasn't true earlier.  There are some photos of Lufthansa aircraft with the reflective appearance of metal  paint, but most of them lack this. I've tried mixing light greys with Aluminium but have not been over-impressed by the result.

 

From the photo, I think it is pretty clear that the Ju52 in the picture is not in Aluminium, whatever its original scheme.  I would suggest from the tone (always dangerous!) and other known examples of SCW military aircraft that it probably was painted in 63, a colour similar to 02, but which faded/chalked pretty rapidly to a plainer light grey.  Hence possible confusion with L40/52 Hellgrau on a lot of late 1930s German types, but remember that L40/52 is a particular manufacturer's range of paints, and was not necessarily used even where a civil light grey can be confirmed.

 

The tone suggests that the aircraft could even be in 61 green, but I think I'd go with fresh 63, or a fairly matt light grey for one less "mint".  I'd steer away from 02 because this paint is almost always represented as too dark and too green in model paints.  In the 1930s this was only used on interiors, until the late changes in Luftwaffe colours, and paint compositions, brought it into use on exteriors.  Given the date and appearance, the aircraft could be in fresh 02 but given the repetition of light grey as the standard colour for the Spanish Air Force then this seems less likely than the known continuation of the 60-series colours.

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