RLM 81/82 – More secrets unveiled

[Modeldad]

Originally Posted by 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.

Graham, you need to move beyond that, because what ever paint was at hand may have had to do. USAAF used Corps of Engineer sand in the Pacific. After reading the monograph on Malta Spitfires, some of those aircraft wore as much as four coats of paint.

And there is no real evidence that aircraft on Wasp were painted in aircraft paint.

Sometimes the need for proper camou trumps the 6mph or so of lost speed.

As for tractor paint, I've never seen anyone present anything but rumor. The Germans overran VVS airfields, I'm sure there was some paint about.