Luftwaffe Camouflage and Markings - Color Chips

[Sergio Luis dos Santos]

Ken Merrick has asked me to place here this short notice about the color chips:

Luftwaffe Camouflage and Markings 1933-1945 Volume One - by K.A. Merrick

We would like to bring to your attention the following:

The 1936 RLM colour chart included in 'Luftwaffe Camouflage and
Markings 1933-1945 Volume One', contains an erroneous colour chip in
the position of RLM 28 Weinrot. The correct RLM 28 colour however is
shown correctly on the 1938 chart which is also included with Volume
One.

The brownish colour shown on the 1936 chart with the designation 'RLM
28' is the fabric primer colour Flieglack 7142 'rot braun' which is
shown on chart number 3.

It is regretted that in the final stages of the manufacture of these
charts the references for the RLM 28 colour was misread in this
instance by one of the manufacturers in Germany engaged in the
production process. Fortunately, as already mentioned, the correct
colour is available in Volume One on the 1938 RLM chart.

We are investigating the possibility of re-manufacturing this paint
chip with the aim of including it as a separate item with Volume Two.

We are sorry for this error and trust it will not detract in any way
from the quality of the rest of the book and its content.

Chevron Publishing for and on behalf of the Publisher.

[Mike Neal]

Excellent and absorbing read so far (about half way).

The most thought provoking and fascinating suggestion so far is that RLM 81, 82 and 83 are renumbering of RLM 61, 62 and 64 respectively. Also, that RLM 70 and 82 would have been used for upper surfaces until stocks of 70 ran out (replaced with 81) and likewise for RLM 71 with 81.

This could easily explain all the conflicting explanations and original descriptions of 81 being either dark-green or violet-brown. The dark green could well have been RLM 70 which would have been used with 82 (82 and 81 or 82 and 70) . . . . . . . . . . .

[Sergio Luis dos Santos]

Originally Posted by Mike Neal

Excellent and absorbing read so far (about half way).

The most thought provoking and fascinating suggestion so far is that RLM 81, 82 and 83 are renumbering of RLM 61, 62 and 64 respectively. Also, that RLM 70 and 82 would have been used for upper surfaces until stocks of 70 ran out (replaced with 81) and likewise for RLM 71 with 81.

This could easily explain all the conflicting explanations and original descriptions of 81 being either dark-green or violet-brown. The dark green could well have been RLM 70 which would have been used with 82 (82 and 81 or 82 and 70) . . . . . . . . . . .

YES ! Fascinating reading. Also the African colors is a great piece of research. I´m atonished by the amount of documentation united in this work. A book that will make anyone interested in Luftwaffe change his concepts about the colors. Can´t wait for the second volume !