FW190d colours please?

[Doggy]

Once again, sorry for the paint question.

 

I have an old airfix starter kit, a fw190d 1945. Airfix suggest Hu27 and Hu 78 for the camo and mottling.

 

I have got Hu27 as RLM 74. Some websites say RLM 75.

 

And Hu78 as RLM02.

 

As its late war I think RLM 78 on the underside.

 

This kit

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fw190D-A50082-Airplane-Airfix-Hornby/dp/B00M9Z5LB2

 

Thank you all.

[Graham Boak]

This is not a simple question.  There are two thick books covering the changes in camouflage between different batches from different factories at different times.  The third book needed to complete the story was never finished because the author/publisher died.  There is another single volume on the subject but I only have room for so many books on the subject.  I gather that there are differences in opinion as to the colours used on certain examples between the two books - this seems more than likely but obviously I can't confirm that.

 

Production may have started with the standard RML 74/75/76.  Before too long these will have been replaced by the dark green 81 and medium green 82, as on an example shot down during Bodenplatte.  Often only one colour was replaced, depending upon stock of the old colour and supply of the new.  Undersides will have been left natural metal with the leading edge and movable controls in 76, possibly a lighter version resulting from lack of pigment.   Fuselage sides may have been in 76 or the debatable "German Sky" - initially suggested as 84 but totally unproven.

 

Good luck.  Let the firing commence.

[Doggy]

Lol thanks.

[Vlad]

Having just done a test of Humbrol 27 and 32 as approximations for RLM 75 and 74 respectively (comparing against Xtracrylix as my baseline), I would definitely say Humbol 27 is usable as RLM 75, not 74.

Judging from the back of your started pack box though, that's trying to show an RLM 83 over 82 scheme, and you can bin those colour callouts. Humbrol have a new RLM range, the colours you would need are 253 and 252. If you're looking for approximations, try Humbrol 116 for RLM 83 and maybe Humbrol 117 for RML 82, although that might not provide enough contrast.

[Doggy]

45 minutes ago, Vlad said:

Having just done a test of Humbrol 27 and 32 as approximations for RLM 75 and 74 respectively (comparing against Xtracrylix as my baseline), I would definitely say Humbol 27 is usable as RLM 75, not 74.

Judging from the back of your started pack box though, that's trying to show an RLM 83 over 82 scheme, and you can bin those colour callouts. Humbrol have a new RLM range, the colours you would need are 253 and 252. If you're looking for approximations, try Humbrol 116 for RLM 83 and maybe Humbrol 117 for RML 82, although that might not provide enough contrast.

Thanks Vlad.

 

Do you think the scheme should be grey and green?

[Wulfman]

There were many variations in late war camouflage schemes, but if you used RLM 75 (Humbrol 246 , grey)

RLM83 (Humbrol 253, dark green) with RLM 76 (Humbrol 247, light blue) undersurfaces, you would not be far wrong .
 

Wulfman

 

 

[Doggy]

Thank you.

[Vlad]

1 hour ago, Doggy said:

Thanks Vlad.

 

Do you think the scheme should be grey and green?

 

The grey & green variation would most likely be RLM 83 over 75. I don't know what's correct for the machine shown in that box. Humbrol 116 over 27 will work fine for you there if you want that though, with 116 replacing the 27 in the kit instructions, and 27 replacing the 78.

 

EDIT: just as an aside, Hu 78 is nowhere near RLM 02. The closest to RLM 02 you will get in standard Humbrol is 224. I've used this and it looks good to me, but now switched to the very similar Revell Aqua 45 for my RLM 02.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Vlad

[Parabat]

You can also try Humbrol 90 for the greenish RLM 76 seen on some late war planes. Here's a nice alternative with the RLM 76 mix of blue on the ailerons and the greenish blue on the fuselage. You could even make this one with the decals in the Airfix kit, simply alter the yellow bar from horizontal to vertical. https://luftwaffeinprofile.se/Fw 190 D vs Tempest 3.html

[Doggy]

Thanks all.

 

I'm happy to go with a grey green combination or a 2 green combination.

 

Rlm 02 looks good but it doesn't look anything like hu78.

 

I have a lot of problems with these older starter kits, I bought them at least 8 years ago.

 

I think with starter kits airfix use any old colour schemes.

 

I've recently bought a few aircraft books but the don't show a lot of top camouflage.

 

I have most rlm colours in model air and I have most tamiya colours too. I've only got a few humbrol and maybe 15 revell aqua.

[Richard502]

15 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

There are two thick books covering the changes in camouflage between different batches from different factories at different times.

Well, 4 at least. Jerry Crandall and the team Deboeck/Larger/Poruba did two volumes each, covering the same ground and arriving at (mildly?) different interpretations.

Richard

[MDriskill]

As already noted, the Fw 190D was manufactured by 4 different companies over a period of 8 months, at a time when German aircraft finishes were in flux, so there is quite a bit of variation in their appearance.

 

If you can tell us the unit/marking/pilot/serial number of the machine you want to do, we may be able to narrow down the original German colors at least.

 

I'm guessing you are using the kit decal sheet? I might suggest that an easy way out would be get an aftermarket sheet, borrow a sheet from another kit, or similar. The sheet's instructions will likely have much better color directions than what you now have in hand.

Edited May 21, 2020 by MDriskill