Pre-war Luftwaffe Grey

[JOCKNEY]

I have a number of builds planned for aircraft of this period beginning with a Focke Wulf FW62.

What humbrol or revell colour grey can I use for the exterior of the aircraft ?

I originally believed this to be RLM02 but that is more a grey/green so if anyone has any idea I would be very grateful. 

 

Cheers Pat 

[Black Knight]

It would be RLM 63 Grey

Humbrol 64 is close I think

[JOCKNEY]

7 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

It would be RLM 63 Grey

Humbrol 64 is close I think

Hi Fred

Thanks mate, the only thing that makes me nervous about that, is that unusually for me I actually have that colour !

Cheers Pat 

[JWM]

I agree that for RLM 63 good is Humbrol 64, but if  it has to be RLM 02 the Humbrol paint is No 240. So Pat, just check what exactly (which RLM)  it should be on given machine. But I think in that case (Fw 62) it should be RLM 63. 

Cheers

J-W

[fightersweep]

@JOCKNEY

 

If my Gloy RLM 63 is anything to go by, it appears to be somewhere between RLM 02 and Humbrol 64. It certainly seems to have ever such a slightly greener tone. Having said that, I've read that it faded to quite a light colour anyway.

 

I think we must be building similar subjects at the moment, as all of my pre war Luftwaffe references are coming off the shelves. There's also the question of the usage of RLM 62 for very early 109s in Spain. That's according to my Jadgwaffe series of books anyway. Seems like a can o' worms to me.

 

 

[SAU]

I would go for L40/52 Hellgrau , lighter than RLM63

 

Of all different shades of RLM02 and RLM63 that I have, Xtracolor X221 RLM63 is the one closest to L40/52

 

Also check Luftwaffe SiG

[Troy Smith]

On 11/03/2021 at 20:58, JOCKNEY said:

RLM02 but that is more a grey/green

it's not a grey-green, despite often being portrayed as such.   RLM02 is like a darker version of the Japanese zero grey,  which is more an amber or olive grey.

see here

 

 

On 24/03/2021 at 12:10, fightersweep said:

There's also the question of the usage of RLM 62 for very early 109s in Spain. That's according to my Jadgwaffe series of books anyway.

If this floats your boat Steve, get the German Eagles in Spanish Skies, 

http://www.hyperscale.com/2019/reviews/books/germaneaglesspanishskiesbookreviewbg_1.htm

which has some very interesting information on the Condor Legions planes, and their camouflage. 

 

 I suspect it makes all the older work, if not obsolete,  certainly incomplete. 

 

some of the options. Some of the colours info is also from unit diaries, as well as the 235 photos in the book 

Sliberweiss

RLM 70/71

RLM 70/71 overpainted with patches of 62/63, and fuselages in 63 uppers, or overall 65

repaint into 61/62/63

70/71 repainted in silberwiess

uppers in in 63

And there are pics of line ups of planes in a multitude of finishes, which makes a very good case for all these finishes.

 

This is from memory, so I may have some slightly wrong,  but it's a lot more varied and interesting than previously I'd thought.   And great modelling subjects as a result  

 

[Graham Boak]

In those days, 02 was for interiors, and 63 for exteriors.  L40/52 Hellgrau was a civil colour, and only used around 1933 for military types.  But when 63 fades, then it does go to a purer grey more like L40/52 Hellgrau.  So it depends what you want to model - a nice smooth 63 or a matt light grey.  Colourcoats will do for both.

 

70/71 was introduced with the change of paint chemistry, and would only be seen late in the Condor Legion.  This is when 02 became used for exteriors too.  In my opinion, the available paints for 02 always look considerably darker than this colour in the photographs, despite being matched to the colour charts.  Possibly this also implies early fading.