Late War Luftwaffe Fighter Camouflage Part Eight - Fighter Profiles by Chris Royston

Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9
II./JG6

This aircraft was found abandoned with a number of other Doras of II./JG 6 at Halle in Germany at the end of the war. The fuselage upper surface may be finished in RLM 82 Bright Green and RLM 81 Brown-Violet as depicted above, or in a combination of RLM 82 Bright Green and RLM 83 Dark Green. The fuselage of this aircraft is heavily mottled and weathered. The wing upper surfaces are finished in an odd pattern of RLM 77 Light Grey (or a similarly pale colour) and possibly either RLM 75 Grey-Violet or 82 Bright Green.

Part Eight of "Late-War Luftwaffe Fighter Camouflage" showcases some interesting colour schemes worn by a few aircraft types favoured by HyperScale visitors - the Focke-Wulf Fw190D-9 and the Messerschmitt Bf 109K-4.

Chris Royston's seven attractive profiles give a good idea of the variety of schemes worn by Luftwaffe fighters at this late stage of the war.

Finished in upper surfaces of RLM 75 Grey-Violet and 82 Dark Green, with mottles of RLM 81 Brown-Violet. Lower surfaces are RLM 76 White-Blue. Note the simplified markings typical of this period.

The upper fuselage of this well-documented aircraft is finished in RLM 81 Brown Violet and 82 Bright Green (or possibly 83). The lower fuselage in painted in the yellow-green colour often seen late in the war. The rudder appears to be painted RLM 76 White-Blue. The upper wings are finished in a sharp splinter pattern of RLM 75 Grey-Violet and RLM 77 Light Grey - a colour usually reserved for painting markings. The lower wings and fuselage display a patchy finish of yellow-green, RLM 76 White-Blue and natural metal. There are a number of "pinked" patches and panel lines covered in red primer.

One of the common factory camouflage schemes for the Bf 109K-4 was RLM 81 Brown-Violet and RLM 83 Dark Green on the upper surfaces, with RLM 76 White-Blue and/or the non-spec yellow green colour on the lower surfaces. This aircraft of I./JG 53 conforms to the scheme except for the engine cowl. This RLM 75 Grey-Violet coloured component may have been produced at a different location or sourced from another aircraft. Mis-matched colours were not at all uncommon at this point. Lower surfaces are a uniform RLM 76 White-Blue.

This aircraft displays another of the factory schemes seen on many Kürfusts. Upper surfaces are finished in RLM 75 and RLM 82. The solid application of Dark Green is broken up on the tail by a hard-edged mottle of RLM 76 White-Blue. Lower surfaces are a combination of yellow-green and RLM 76 White-Blue.

Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9
Geschwader Technical Officer's Aircraft, II./JG6
Furth, Germany, May 1945

The fuselage of this aircraft is finished in RLM 83 Dark Green, RLM 75 Grey-Violet and RLM 76 White-Blue with irregular mottles of RLM 81 and various primed patches. The upper surface of the wings is an unusual combination of RLM 81 Brown-Violet, RLM 75 Grey-Violet and RLM 83 Drak Green. Note the heavy weathering on this machine.

Messerschmitt Bf 109K-4
Staff Flight, III./JG 53
Lt. Ernst-Dieter Bernhard, Kaufbeuren, Germany, 19 April 1945

The upper surfaces of this aircraft are painted in RLM 77 Grey (the lighter of the two greys) and RLM 75 Grey-Violet. Lower surfaces are in the non-standard yellow-green. A number of Bf 109K4s wore this interesting scheme (see Part Four of this series for more detail). The original fuselage code (or possibly delivery number) has been painted out in a darker colour. At least one source suggests the overpainting was in RLM 74 Grey-Green, but this colour was discontinued and rarely seen applied to these late-war fighters

Commentary on the Evolution and Usage of Luftwaffe RLM Colours 81, 82 & 83 by David E. Brown
Please note that Part Three will take some time to load. Please be patient.

Building and Painting a Late War Bf 109
Includes discussion about the use of primer as camouflage colours on late-war Luftwaffe fighter aircraft.

Focke-Wulf 190A-8 in Grey
A detailed examination of one colour and one monochrome photograph of Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8, Werknummer 681497 of 5./JG 4.

Model Paint Mixing Guide
A model paint reference guide for the RLM colours discussed in Parts One, Three, Four, Five and Seven. Some notes on enamel vs. acrylic paints and thinning paints for airbrushing are also included

Night-Harassing Camouflage
History, photographs and a modelling project concerning the the operations and aircraft of NSGr.10.