I am starting on Tamiya’s Bf-109E4/7 and am wanting to do the Jg 27 bird.
I know,I know…This bird has been done a million times.
I know it calls out for the colors to be 78,79 and 80. My concern is the 78 light blue. Some color photos I have seen show this blue as being lighter than the 78 which is a deep blue(something like a lightened Azure blue). Maybe Black 8 was painted in 65/76? I was also wondering if these aircraft were originally painted in european camouflage and then repainted or painted originally at the factory for the North African front?
I remember seeing that some early Stuka’s were repainted for the desert and some of the European colors still showed through the new finish.
Anyone have some good camouflage info on this fighter?
Thanks!!
Some aircraft were diverted from the Western Front & shipped to North Africa, where the topsides were repainted. The undersides on these aircraft were left painted in RLM 65. Some had only Sandgelb applied, showing the underlying RLM 70 & 71 showing in the “splotches.” Unless you expect a visit from the “Accuracy Police,” paint it in the way that looks good to you.
Hope this helps.
The RLM 79/80/78 scheme was the standard scheme for North Africa Luftwaffe but there were many exceptions due to the contingencies of war. I’m not sure about Black 8, but it could have been repainted in the field, as many aircraft were. If that were the case, the underside would most likely be RLM 65 as RLM 76 came into use a little later.