Correct colours for Messerschmitt BF109E

[Y-353672]

Hi

Can anyone tell me what are the correct colours for the Messerschmitt BF109E 1grinningWhat are Humbrol No 240 and 242. Please let me know. Thank you.

[Ratch]

Depending upon which aircraft at which particular time, the correct colours are RLM 70 & RLM 71 for the upper surfaces in the splinter camouflage scheme with RLM 65 lower surfaces.

Humbrol 240 is RLM 02 and 242 is RLM 71, which may be correct for the aircraft depicted on the instruction sheet.

[peebeep]

In fact from early 1940 02/71 was the standard factory uppers finish (in the light of operational experience). Prior to that 70/71 was used during the Polish campaign, but typically for the French campaign and BoB it would be 02/71.

[Ratch]

but typically for the French campaign and BoB it would be 02/71.

 

 

Well there you go, my BoB book says 70/71

[peebeep]

It was the perceived wisdom back in the year dot, so I'm guessing you have an old reference. I can remember reading about it in Scale Models nineteen eighty something, when Ray Rimmel did a BoB series. All the more recent Airfix 109E instructions, irrespective of scale, are indicative of the 02/71 scheme.

[Ratch]

I wonder how they mixed up 02 and 70, they're completely different shades (one light, one dark). Mind you, we see lots of modellers using odd shades of green for the lighter splinter paint, which probably confuses the matter even further.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

I believe that the 02/71 scheme is correct for the BoB period, before the Germans' went over to the greys scheme (74,75,76). An example of this can be seen in the IWM's crash scene diorama Bf109E at Duxford. This aircraft has been partially restored, but on one wing you can see the original paintwork. The aircraft is an E-3 built before the BoB and was originally in 70/71, with a low demarcation. The aircraft was then given a respray into the lighter 02/71 scheme, with a high demarcation. If you look closely at the light blue, you can see the dark green behind the stencils where they were masked off.

[paul71]

from what i can remember (im almost sure it was german colours) reading some time ago cant remember what it was in im always reading bits here and there from magazines and books.

early on a mistake was made in researching the colours and it was ether read wrong or written down wrong at the time and as this was looked on as right, it was published in books for some time without been checked, later on after new documents came to light more research was done from the beginning and that was how the mistake was found.

sorry that's all i can remember but its something that stuck in my head( its full of useless information like that) maybe some one else could shed a bit more light on things and confirm it is german colours im thinking about.