Mid-War Luftwaffe Paint Set

When green gave way to gray

German day fighters entered the war in dark green tones, but the fighting over the sea and along a wide front showed that dark upper surfaces are far too conspicuous above water and above cloud. From 1941 the upper surfaces were therefore taken over by a pair of gray shades with a green and a violet cast, while the fuselage sides and the underside lightened to pale blue. The change was not abrupt: for a long time units still had aircraft with leftovers of the older scheme showing through.

Mottling, yellow and the desert

The most typical mark of this period is the irregular mottling sprayed onto the fuselage sides and the rudder. Its density and size varied from workshop to workshop, so two aircraft of one and the same squadron could look completely different. On the Eastern Front and over the Mediterranean, deep yellow bands were added under the engine, on the lower wingtips and around the fuselage, so that the aircraft could be recognized from a distance. The sandy upper surfaces over North Africa often showed through where they had been worn away by wind-blown sand.

Properties of the paints

The binder is acrylic, it thins with water or with the thinner from the same line, and once dry it stays silk matte. The line is prepared mainly for the airbrush, where only a little thinning is needed and the pressure can stay low; a brush handles small touch-ups and repairs best. Shake the bottle thoroughly before use, as the pigment settles to the bottom. Residue in the airbrush washes out with water if you start cleaning right away; a dried layer will call for a stronger cleaner.