Late War RLM 76 Lichtblau?

Color film from the 1940s often had color shift due to the properties of the film itself. Add to that the varieties of lighting conditions when the photo was taken and more color shift due to the printing process or if an online photo the monitor itself, and you get the idea. While color photos are a great starting point, they are no way THE definitive word on any exact hue of paint. Not to mention late war quality control issues in German production so add more possible variance into the equation. Late war RLM 76 should be the same as Mid War, after all the RLM set the standard to be met. But the reality of slave labor being used to produce weapons and munitions, paints, etc., dispersed production due to Allied bombing, synthetic petroleum products (paints and thinners) of lower and lower quality than early and pre war standard... Alter your preferred RLM 76 to what you think looks right with a bit of white and you should get the results you want.

Thanks Stik! That makes sense what about the base coat on the cowling? Could it be the aluminum metal with out a base primer? This aircraft was one of the first production models or so the story goes so maybe it got special treatment ie extra base coat . I did paint the inner wing and part of the bottom fuselage aluminimum. As sources document.

I cant say anything about primer or base coats. I have read nothing about those on German aircraft.

Rich

Stik covered it to the last detail. Even back then, color variations were common. Can't go by the photographs due to so many variables. Another questionable examples are  the Museum restored displays that may have been painted with paints available to the museum's budget and may not be correct. As far as the primer question, I have a book called Messerschmitt "0-Nine" Gallery by Thomas Hitchcock, having a section with Luftwaffe color chips, their RLM numbers and use.  01 silber was to be used on metal surfaces. I suspect that if left unpainted, this color was used unless it was applied as an overall primer?

Museum aircraft are a last resort for reference. Only "warbirds" are less reliable. What guy is gonna fly around in an old beat up looking warbird that he has spent millions on restoring and maintaining?He is gonna want his toy to sparkle. Hence the high gloss polished  finishes and brighter than normal service colors that you usually see on those. Some are more faithful than others to how close to original service condition that they are displayed in. Unless the aircraft was taken off the flight line "as is" in whatever year, rather than salvaged from somewhere and restored, fidelity varies. Museum aircraft are fine for dimensions, details such as scoops, wheel wells, etc. But paint, no not really.

Even Robin Olds' F-4C displayed at the Air Force Museum has some later add on modifications that it did not have when he flew it in Vietnam. While that aircraft was painted to be as it was in 1967, it was not "back dated".