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1/48 scale Bf 109's x 2

Mike and Christian,

Yes the late war Luftwaffe schemes are intriguing, I guess that's why I like making models of them. Will my models always be painted in 100% accurate colors? Perhaps not, but it sure is fun trying to get it right. :D

Matrixone
 
I agree completely on the fun part but it would be plain silly to argue about the accuracy since there is really no one left to verify anything .
Besides all the paint jobs were very much custom paint jobs.

Cheers, Christian B)
 
If my finished models have colors on them that can easily be recognized as the intended RLM paint shades for the aircraft type modeled its good enough for me. B)

On a different modeling site a while back there was a 1/32 scale Ta 152H painted in such bizarre shades of paint that it drew lots of attention from others (including me), the modeler brushed off all attempts of help for correcting his choice of paint colors and as it turned out the guy had a MASSIVE ego problem. He kept saying he was correct in his shades of RLM colors and since the rest of us weren't there we didn't know either. Oh well, at least help was offered but his finished Ta 152H looked pretty strange with the RLM 82 areas so bright it looked almost like neon green and would surely have attracted any moth within a mile. :rotf

It would be nice to have ready mixed model paints that matched the Luftwaffe paints exactly but that would be impossible since there were small variations in paint batches and skill of aircraft painters that would effect the color shade on the finished aircraft so worrying about if my models have the EXACT same shade of paint color really is silly and a waste of time...close is good enough until the invention of time machines make it possible to go back in time and examine a particular aircraft. :eek:ldguy

Matrixone
 
If my finished models have colors on them that can easily be recognized as the intended RLM paint shades for the aircraft type modeled its good enough for me. B)

On a different modeling site a while back there was a 1/32 scale Ta 152H painted in such bizarre shades of paint that it drew lots of attention from others (including me), the modeler brushed off all attempts of help for correcting his choice of paint colors and as it turned out the guy had a MASSIVE ego problem. He kept saying he was correct in his shades of RLM colors and since the rest of us weren't there we didn't know either. Oh well, at least help was offered but his finished Ta 152H looked pretty strange with the RLM 82 areas so bright it looked almost like neon green and would surely have attracted any moth within a mile. :rotf

It would be nice to have ready mixed model paints that matched the Luftwaffe paints exactly but that would be impossible since there were small variations in paint batches and skill of aircraft painters that would effect the color shade on the finished aircraft so worrying about if my models have the EXACT same shade of paint color really is silly and a waste of time...close is good enough until the invention of time machines make it possible to go back in time and examine a particular aircraft. :eek:ldguy

Matrixone

You have it 100% there Les!! (y) :notworthy I did a 1/72 He51B years ago and the color on it was this Gull Grey color. I say that as I have the Monogram (?) Luftwaffe paint colors book with the paint chips in it. Light Gull Grey ws a bit light and the Dark Gull Grey was a bit dark. I used both in such a way that it added shading and highlights and it turned out perfectly even though the coloring wasn't exact.

I have heard folks complain about Testors RLM colors, but have found that they work fairly well especially once weathering, adding dirt, adding highlights and all the other stuff is done, the colors look pretty good to me.
 
Think it that was the elusive "Trout" measure camo Les, very little was know about it as it was super top secret.

When we start talking about the "correct" shade of a color I'm reminded of this photo my Dad took in Korea.

3-16-2006-36.jpg

They were even making sport of it way back then. :rotf
 
Paul,
I have the Monogram Painting guide book too, the text in the book is way out of date but the color chips are every bit as valuable as before.

I use Model Master paints and like them but some of their Luftwaffe shades are a bit 'off' however they can easily be corrected with some simple paint mixing.
The last bottle of Model Master RLM 23 red I bought was so far off it is actually pink! :bat Quality control of Model Master paints has been slipping the past few years so its hard to say if their RLM colors are that good or not...for a long time their version of RLM 71 was WAY too brown but a more recent bottle of that same color was opened and was checked against a color chip of RLM 71 from one of my books and it was actually a fairly decent match. :idonno


Matrixone
 
Bob, that's a great picture!

That's a good example of the variations in uniform colors.

I have seen color footage of German soldiers marching in line just after surrender and there was also different shades of the color in their uniforms...which one was even close to the 'official' uniform color is any ones guess.


Matrixone
 
When I went in the USAF in '82 I was issued polyester pants and cotton shirts, the cotton starched up nicely, those sleeves could cut you man but after a few washes they faded and after a few short years it was two different colors. But they still starched up nicely. :soldier
 
All decals are on the K-4, it still needs a couple more doses with decal setting solutions to give the decals that ''painted on look'' but they are looking okay even now.

hf15f56c.JPG


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Matrixone
 
Thanks!

Some dirt and grime was added to the model with the airbrush, the rear of the tail and fuselage received most of this but some was sprayed on the wing roots.
The available photographs of ''blue 3'' show it to be rather dirty like it had seen a lot of action recently.


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Matrixone
 
Thanks!

It may be hard to see but weathering has been added with oil paints. I hope once the flat clear coat is on more of the work done with the oil paints show up better.

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Matrixone
 
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