discussion Luftwaffe color help needed please

[Guest]

I'm getting ready to start a He 162 and finding some confusing color call outs for the interior, would RLM 02 be correct or RLM66 ?

 

[Guest]

Some googling shows it to be grey, so I recon66 will be OK.

Theuns

 

[Guest]

thanks Theuns

 

[Alan 45]

I don't think the Germans had a standard grey for the interior so either of those would be ok

 

[Guest]

I don't think the Germans had a standard grey for the interior so either of those would be ok

Not true at all. I can only speak for fighters but cockpit interior was standardized as RLM 02 (except for the instrument panel which was 66) early in the war, and from '41 onwards it was all 66.

Don't know how it was for attackers and bombers, but the RLM had a habit of regulating everything very thoroughly! I'd do some research nefore painting...

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[Alan 45]

Not true at all. I can only speak for fighters but cockpit interior was standardized as RLM 02 (except for the instrument panel which was 66) early in the war, and from '41 onwards it was all 66.Don't know how it was for attackers and bombers, but the RLM had a habit of regulating everything very thoroughly! I'd do some research nefore painting...

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

I'm not doubting your correct but I've seen different shads of grey in actual aircraft but that could be just how it's been renovated so you are probably right

 

[Guest]

As I understood it the RLM02 was superceded later by 66 ,so as the 162 was later it would seem logical that 66 would be correct? Of course as supplies of materials were getting stretched thin late in the war would 02 have been used just because it was on hand?

 

[Guest]

As long as it was not 50 shades of grey...

Theuns

 

[Alan 45]

As long as it was not 50 shades of grey...Theuns

I dunno but goreing isn't around to ask

 

[Guest]

My 162 cockpit is painted in 66 Trey! Not that anyone's seen it yet ...

 

[stona]

RLM 66 cockpit.

RLM 02 was still in use and may have been present in other interior areas, but not the cockpit.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

Not true at all. I can only speak for fighters but cockpit interior was standardized as RLM 02 (except for the instrument panel which was 66) early in the war, and from '41 onwards it was all 66.Don't know how it was for attackers and bombers, but the RLM had a habit of regulating everything very thoroughly! I'd do some research nefore painting...

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

You are essentially correct about fighters, though a dark colour, presumably RLM 66 was appearing in late 1940, particularly seen in updated or refurbished Bf 109s. Many of the heavier, squared off, canopies being fitted to the E-4/7 standard had RLM 66 framing inside and out. Instrument panels came in several greys early on, but I'd have to check to say which and I can't do that from Glasgow Green

Both Heinkel and Junkers were using RLM 66 in visible interiors (think of all that glass) by 1939/40. This makes the Ju 87 a bit tricky, though early ones seem to have kept RLM 02 after their larger brethren had started to adopt RLM 66.

The only thing you can be certain about is that nothing is certain.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the input Fellas. Steve so 66 thru out the landing & gun bays would be correct?

 

[stona]

Thanks for all the input Fellas. Steve so 66 thru out the landing & gun bays would be correct?

If the landing and gun bays were painted I think that they'd be in RLM 02.

I can't look anything up at the moment (home tomorrow) but it must be possible that the gun bays in particular were not painted at all, just going by other late war designs. Saving both time and resources had become an important factor.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Guest]

These are pictures of a restored He-162, the cannon bay & cockpit

View attachment 88726


View attachment 88727


The website is

http://memorial.flight.free.fr/He162uk.html

View attachment 201749

View attachment 201750

 

[Guest]

thanks Steve!

 

[stona]

Well they've gone for a 66 cockpit and 02 cannon and wheel bay(s). I don't know that restoration and there is always a caveat with any restoration, but at least it is perfectly feasible. Hopefully it's based on what they found on the unrestored aircraft

Cheers

Steve

 

[Guest]

Well 02 still remained standard for everything else interior throughout the war.

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[Guest]

Hi Trey!!!

After Spring 1941 RLM 66 was used as the standard interiour colour for cockpits. Other interiour parts (gun bays etc.) were painted in RLM 02.

Sometimes wheel wells were also no longer painted. For example, in some Fw 190 D or Me 262.

 

[stona]

Well 02 still remained standard for everything else interior throughout the war.Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

It's not that simple, though I'd agree as a rule of thumb.

For example when the skins were removed from the tail plane (or was it the fin?) of either the Fw 190 D-9 or D-11 (I'd have to check) in the US many years ago, the inside was found to be painted in RLM 02. On the other hand, as BigZimmo has noted, some interior parts were left unpainted on late war aircraft, as indeed were some exterior parts. The deletion of underside painting was initially sanctioned experimentally on some Focke-Wulf aircraft.

It really is a mine field and one should be very careful about making categorical statements, or assigning specific dates, as someone will always be able to show an exception. By the time RLM 66 'became' the official interior colour it had been in use as such for several months on fighters and years on bombers.

When something became formalised in a 'Sammelmitteilung' (which translates roughly as 'Collected Instructions/Notices/Memoranda', not orders, there is a subtle and important difference in the original German) or an 'Oberflächenschutzliste' (Surface Protection Schedule, which would include the camouflage pattern) it might already be in use at the point of manufacture. The adoption of the grey RLM 74/75 camouflage scheme would be a good example.

It's a fascinating subject and new evidence is still being turned up from time to time, even now

Cheers

Steve