Me. 163A prototype color?

[Jochen Barett]

56 minutes ago, IanC said:

Seems very reasonable.

 

I'm glad you escaped from that particular rabbit hole. If I had a pound for every hour I've spent researching (aka pointlessly agonising over) RLM 02, RLM 76, late war greens, Dunkelgelb, olive drab, panzer grey, RAF Dark Earth, 3BO, Khaki Green 3, SCC.15 etc etc...

 

Well, you get the idea. 😄

We'd all have our private Learjet on 7x24 standby (including female crew in Daisy Dukes serving cold drinks!) if that was the case.

[Fukuryu]

On 9/23/2021 at 3:44 AM, Hook said:

These were RAL 6013 Schilfgrün.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

I have that as MNO 2036 Smalt Khaki Avion. 

Edited September 26, 2021 by Fukuryu

[Shorty84]

Hi @RainierHooker,

 

what a coincidence as I was asking myself the same question just a few days ago as I've just purchased the Flashback Me 163A. As you may have discovered, too, sources give a variety of possibilities. Older publications seem to favour RLM02, while more recent ones suggest KE+SW as RLM76 and later prototypes in RLM02. MMP's SpotlightOn for the Me 163 even suggests RLM76 for all A-series and B-series prototypes: https://www.super-hobby.de/products/Messerschmitt-Me-163-Komet-29791814.html

 

I've tried to look at photographs of various nightfighters to get a "feel" for the contrast between the RLM76 and the white of the markings, but even there one can observe quite a range of contrasts. 

Looking at various pics of A-series airframes, they consistently look very light coloured which could suggest RLM76. But most of them were polished to a mirror-like finish which would reflect more light and make the colour appear lighter than it is in photographs. So RLM02 is still possible.

 

You've already made your choice with a considerably lightened RLM02 and this is the route I will go too. While RLM76 is still a possibility, RLM02 is much more probable considering it was used as a colour on various prototypes across different manufacturers. And as the A-series machines surfaces were carefully polished it would explain why it looks so light in a lot of photos.

 

 

Cheers

Markus

 

 

 

[Troy Smith]

On 26/09/2021 at 15:26, Fukuryu said:

I have that as MNO 2036 Smalt Khaki Avion. 

 

The link below, and following posts give some more info on this and RAL 6013,  sorry can't edit out the blank quote.

On 26/09/2021 at 15:26, Fukuryu said:

 

 

[Fukuryu]

Thank you, Troy. Yoaf Efrati's article in Hyperscale is my initial source for the colour name; I do have the Alex Yofe & Lawrence Nyveen book on the S-199 which include colour pictures of the famous fuel cap together with the RAL deck that includes 6013 and indeed, it is a match... a visual one, and for a 50-year old paint at the time. While not exposed to sun light in that period, the paint indeed oxidized and suffered other natural transformations that time alone brings. So, a definitive answer...? That is something that each one must decide; for me, the historical reference to a late 1940's Czech paint makes sense.

 

Sorry for getting lost on a tangent, but somehow, is still about RLM 02... kinda sorta.

[Mike Starmer]

Volume 1 page 167, of Merrick's books has an image of an Me 262A-1a which he states is overall RLM 76 and several of the V series were an overall light colour.  However this is noticeably non-reflective.   Might the Me 163 be finished in an RAL colour rather than an RLM shade?  The Luftwaffe used this range on ground equipment and buildings.

[Graham Boak]

Yes, but you don't paint aircraft other than in paint designed for the job, not something you can slap on buildings or equipment.  In the harsh economic conditions, and strict control over production in Nazi Germany, it seems incredibly unlikely that any suitable paint will have ben produced other than in standard colours.  And these were very important prototypes, no one is going to mess about with them just because they fancy it.

[Mike Starmer]

I wasn't suggesting that the paint was to building specs, simply that it may have been a colour to aviation specs.  My own opinion is that the actual colour was RLM 76 and highly polished for maximum speed.