Bf-109 - Progress Report

As far as brand goes I think it's more personal perference and what's easy for you to obtain in your area. I use MM acrlyic mainly becasue I like the easy clean up and quick dry time. Many modelers do not like acrlyic paint and have lot of problems with it. I know MM carries a full line of RLM colors in both enamel and acrlyic. The finish on early new luftwaffe aircraft was a semi gloss up to F early G 109's. Later in the war even factory new was a flat  (but not a dead flat)finish. Paint back then was not very good and weathered very quickly, espcially in combat conditions. Finally I think as far as luftwaffe aircaft are concerned it more important to get the contrast right between the camo colors and molt more then the actual shade of the color in question. As long as the color is close and you have the dark and light's correct places who's to say it's worng.  

PB-

Here is another great site for RLM colors.  They give the RLM #, FS #, and MM and other brand equivalents.  Unfortunately, they haven't filled in the numbers for MM enamels but they do exist.  Hope it helps!

IPMS Stockholm color charts

Daywalker wrote:

PB- Here is another great site for RLM colors.  They give the RLM #, FS #, and MM and other brand equivalents.  Unfortunately, they haven't filled in the numbers for MM enamels but they do exist.  Hope it helps! IPMS Stockholm color charts

I live by those charts whenever I'm working on Luftwaffe projects.  It was way cool for someone to take the time and actually compile all that info.  Great stuff!  

bostonbruins34 wrote:

I have both bottles for the RLM 70 schwarzgrun and RLM 65/78 hellblau. You will notice a few variants of the same damn color!!! The lichtblau (light blue) RLM 76 actually does a better job as an under wing and fuselage color and some kits go with this.... The hellblau is a bit darker. Testor/Model Master's site has them listed as item #'s 2080 (schwarzgrun) and 2087 hellblau or 2078 hellblau (go figure...they are both semi-gloss) 2086 is the lichtblau. I have the full upc code if you still need it!! Happy hunting.

Good luck finding all your colors, PB.

I know I'm late in showing up for the game, and I'd hate to compound the issue even more,  but I myself have always been a big fan of acrylics, especially brands like Gunze and Tamiya.  As far as ease of use and cleanup, I don't know how it could get better.  Buy you some big bottles of 91% isopropyl alcohol, and you're all done--it works for thinner, cleaner, whatever.  It dries pretty much on contact as well.

I know that Model Master Acryl stuff is pretty good as well, and they do have the full range of colors.  For some, thinning with distilled water works fine, but it always seems to dry too slow for me.  Tamiya and Gunze seem to have discontinued some of the RLM colors (much to my chagrin,) but you can still find some here and there on ebay.  Not long ago I bought a whole batch of RLM off of ebay.  Sometimes they pop up.

Here's one of mine done in Gunze RLM 02/71/65.  Prop is 70.  Interior is 66:

and a closer look:

I'll search around a little bit and see if I can find you some paint! 

I know.  It's a war that won't ever end.  And I'm ok with that-- leaves more acrylic paints for me to buy up!! 

Just as far as I'm concerned, enamels have always been problematic for me.  They take awhile to dry, stink to high heaven, and have to be cleaned up with something else that stinks to high heaven.  You can't use an oil based wash over them (unless you throw down an acrylic overcoat first.)  It's been years since I've used them, and honestly have no desire to ever go back.  I still use the stuff for detail painting, as its longer drying time allows you to brush paint a bit smoother, in my opinion.

I've got some feelers out to some of my old buddies.  I'll see if I can drum up some acrylics--maybe for next time!  Give those enamels a try.  I'm in no way saying that you can't get amazing results with them.  Like you mentioned, do try different things before you settle!

And thanks for the kind words on the 109.  The smooth finishes I get from Gunze acrylics are one reason that I'm completely sold on the stuff!! 

dcaponeII wrote:

RLM 65 is an early color used for the underside until sometime in the 1943 time frame.  Then the switch was made to the RLM 76 underside color.  You need to check your references carefully to make sure you pick the right color.  The switch was made during the production run of the 190G so it's fairly safe to use RLM 65 on E's anf F's (except for Mediterrean theatre) and use RLM 76 for late G's and K's but there's that middle ground of the G-0's through G-6's where you have to check the specific aircraft to get the correct color.

I was under the impression that 65 was phased out sometime during the switch to the 109-F, instead of during the switch from the F to the G.  I've never seen an F with 65 undersurfaces either built as a model, or in a wartime photo.  As a matter of fact I've built the E-7 of Hptmn. Hermann Segatz, and it is shown in color photo as 74/75/76.  I've never seen a G with 65 undersurfaces either.  

I'm trying to argue here, but from my experience, (and I've spent most of my modeling career staring at photos, and reading books and research about 109's) it would seem that the switch came between the E and F.  YMMV 

What model of 109 is it?  An E?  F?

Tires wise, I usually go with the 66, but I add a bit of black to it, and usually drybrush with a darker brown to get some of that "rubbery" look to it. 

Here's a couple of shots of what the tires turn out like in the end for me.  Hopefully you can zoom in and look closely:

Mixing colors isn't usually too fun, but it can be rewarding once you get the hang of it!!

Yep.  Then the 65 down below makes total sense!  The model on the bottom of my last post is an E, and is finished in 02/71/65.  It's a cool color scheme, I think!!!

You'll have to let us know how yours turns out.  If you have any questions that I could maybe help with, let me know!  I'd be happy to help!

MrDrummy wrote:

dcaponeII wrote: RLM 65 is an early color used for the underside until sometime in the 1943 time frame.  Then the switch was made to the RLM 76 underside color.  You need to check your references carefully to make sure you pick the right color.  The switch was made during the production run of the 190G so it's fairly safe to use RLM 65 on E's anf F's (except for Mediterrean theatre) and use RLM 76 for late G's and K's but there's that middle ground of the G-0's through G-6's where you have to check the specific aircraft to get the correct color.  I was under the impression that 65 was phased out sometime during the switch to the 109-F, instead of during the switch from the F to the G.  I've never seen an F with 65 undersurfaces either built as a model, or in a wartime photo.  As a matter of fact I've built the E-7 of Hptmn. Hermann Segatz, and it is shown in color photo as 74/75/76.  I've never seen a G with 65 undersurfaces either.   I'm trying to argue here, but from my experience, (and I've spent most of my modeling career staring at photos, and reading books and research about 109's) it would seem that the switch came between the E and F.  YMMV

That is correct, Friedrichs were rolling off the assembly line with RLM 76 undersides, the switch from 65 to 76 was made in early '41.  RLM 78 was another underside color used for desert camo schemes, it is similar to 65 more "blue" than RLM 76.