[Graham Boak]

It may have been a close colour match, but you do not use tractor paint on aircraft! This is an old and totally discounted tale. Aircraft paint is different from other paints, a speciality in itself because of the specific requirements for adhesion to light metals under a wide range of conditions (pressure and temperature), light weight and low pigment size (for low drag). None of which apply to tractor paint other than temperature to a more limited extent. If the paint was of low quality then this affected the performance of the aircraft - top speed and maximum altitude reduced, fuel consumption increased.

Anyone who tells you that car paint, tractor paint, ship paint or household emulsions were used on aircraft (other than for decoration on a limited area) does not know his subject. There were very specific regulations about the application of paint, with inspectors making sure they were kept to. The Luftwaffe was no less strict on these matters than any other nation.