Fw-190D Propeller color?

[Mark V]

Sorry if this has been beaten to death already but a search didn't really turn up a straight answer.  Maybe there is no definitive answer?

I'm in the latter stages of finishing the Eduard 1/48 Fw-190D-9 weekend edition.  I have conflicting references for the prop color.  Seems there are 3 choices, RLM 70 Black Green, RLM 71 Dark Green, or a nebulous "blue-gray" (possibly RLM 66?).  For the wooden propeller blades it seems that they should be RLM 71, but most photos of the real aircraft and models show blades that look darker than RLM 71 due to the low contrast with the, usually black/white spiral or RLM 70, spinner.  I'm sure that, like all things late-war Luftwaffe, there is some leeway and builder discretion here.  

This question would also apply to late model Me-109s also.  Wooden props versus metal prop colors.

[MACALAIN]

For me, it's black green RLM 70.

 

Alain

[Rolls-Royce]

IIRC, the blue gray was a protective sheathing on the wooden blades. As with all things WWII, photographic references of your actual subject are your best bet rather than generalized assumptions.

Edited October 26, 2020 by Rolls-Royce

[Graham Boak]

I wouldn't describe RLM66 as a blue-grey.  I've not seen any mention of other than RLM 70 for prop blades, and certainly wooden blades were in use in the Luftwaffe before the late war period.  However, as the 70-series greens were dropped from production due to supply shortages, it would seem very likely that some other colour replaced 70 on the props.  Can anyone who has seen a better description of just how dark this blue-grey was, or just how blue, please describe it?

[Werdna]

As Graham says above.

 

I'm no great expert on the issue, but I'm not aware of any RLM directive which supercedes using anything other than RLM70 on prop blades.  Even when the colour was withdrawn from camo use, from what I've read I believe it was still specified for prop use.

[dogsbody]

I posed this question on various forums about 12 years ago. Here is what I got:

 

 

In "The Official Monogram Painting Guide To German Aircraft 1935-1945" it states that the blades of metal propellers were painted 70 Black-Green and that wooden blades were painted 71 Dark-Green. Is this true? Most other sources I have say all props were 70 Black-Green or do not say directly. 

Any one know of any documentation?

In "Luftwaffe Colours 1935-1945" by Michael Ullmann, the author has 1 1/2 columns on the painting of metal propellers, from LDv 521/3 (1937 Edition with amendments 1-3), on page 247. So, applying paint to the propellers was NOT a casual affair.

On page 53 there is a photo of an early 109E with the comment "It is clear that the spinner and the propeller blades were painted in RLM 70 in accordance with the regulations (see page 247)."

On page 71 there is a photo of probably a 109 G-14 (wooden props) with the comment "... gives a good view of the different colours of the propeller blades (RLM 70) and the black spinner."

It would seem to be common sense to use the same colour for all prop blades. And Michael Ullmann would seem to be pretty knowledgeable on the subject of aircraft colours.

" Some interesting aspects may appear if you read your reference material thouroghly...

Quoting "L.Dv 521/1 Behandlungs- und Anwendungsvorschrift für Flugzeuglacke 1941"
Flieglack 7146 (Luftschrauben-Anstrich) (Prop blade painting)
...
Verarbeitungsvorschrift (instruction for processing)
1. Careful degreasing of the propeller blades
2. Thinly spraying laquer 7142,- in one layer...(a primer of no particular colour)
3. Spraying laquer 7146.71 in one layer crosswise... (1st layer pigmented in RLM 71)
4. Spraying laquer 7146.70 in one layer crosswise... (2nd layer pigmented in RLM 70)

So metal prop blades show two different pigmented layers of colours with blackgreen RLM 70 painted over dark green 71. The reason is evident - to control the amount of necessary paint layers. This significates that an ageing prop blade will show more and more of RLM 71 and thus appear brighter. Btw, only the airscrew manufacturer was allowed to paint the prop blades because of the imminent danger of unbalance.

What does this mean for the wooden prop blades? As I´ve stated before, the Lackkette for wooden parts is quite different with different laquers and primers, most of them in transparent colours. Given the fact only one pigmented layer would be necessary to cover the basic layers this might be RLM 71 dark green. But that´s a first theory - I´ve found no special description for wooden props up to now.

[Jerry Crandall]

I've seen many propeller blades from Focke- Wulf D-9s and a few wooden VDM 9-12176 A blades from late A-8s and A-9s. They are all RLM 70 Black-Green.

    Cheers, Jerry

[Mark V]

Thanks guys.  Dogsbody, your thread was one of the very few that turned up in my search. I’m just going to stick with RLM 70. Seems to be the consensus opinion.  

[jackroadkill]

21 hours ago, Jerry Crandall said:

I've seen many propeller blades from Focke- Wulf D-9s and a few wooden VDM 9-12176 A blades from late A-8s and A-9s. They are all RLM 70 Black-Green.

    Cheers, Jerry

That's a relief - I painted mine in 70 this morning!