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RLM comparison chart


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Hi all,

I have compiled a colour chart of RLM paint chips taken from Merrick's book (Luftwaffe Camouflage and Markings 1933-1945 Vol.2 2005) along with a couple from the Kookaburra book by J. Smith (The Modeller's Luftwaffe Painting Guide 1979) and their claimed hobby paint equivalents from Testor's Model Master enamels and acryl range, Humbrol Enamels, Tamiya acrylics, WEM enamels, Life color arcylics, Vallejo Model Air and Model Color acrylics, Polly Scale acrylic and JPS acrylic paints.

The small notations under some paint matches(2:34, 5:116) is firstly the ratio and secondly the paint number (for Tamiya and Humbrol mixes).

'HCS' refers to a mix as per the old Humbrol Colour Systems book.

JPS paint was included as Mr. Popp, who makes this paint in Germany, worked in conjunction with Mr. J. Kiroff, who was the paint technology advisor in Merrick's book, to make the JPS range of paints.

You will note a couple of alternate colour chips (2005 Merrick versus 1979 Smith) for RLM79 and 83 and that different manufacturers have made their matches to one colour but not the other (IE Model Master to the 1979 Smith version for RLM79 and 83 and JPS to the 2005 Merrick darker RLM83 colour).

I am missing the JPS RLM79 paint (can anyone point me to a bottle?).

Some of the information may be out of date as the sources I have used may not be current.

Please note that the Humbrol site makes NO claim that the names on their tins represent the same colour as the names of the camouflage used on the planes we are modelling (ie RLM colours)!!

You can download them from my site in the links section: http://www.petersplanes.com/links.htm

I have also produced a Excel sheet for Tamiya, Humbrol and other paint equivalents for (most) RLM, French, Italian, RAF/FAA and USA colours. This is available from my website for downloading in the links section http://www.petersplanes.com/RLM%20colour%20chart.xls (http://www.petersplanes.com/links.htm)

It now has 16 references of suggestions for various mixes to achieve (supposedly) a match to the actual WW2 colours.

Remember these are other peoples suggestions as to what they thought was a best match and I have only compiled them into this one spot.

I have added some notes about some of the paint suggestions and mixes in the RLM section as to what I have tried against the Merrick colour chips (some are way off!).

My aim was to include as many paint mixes from varied sources in ONE spot as I could so that a quick and easy comparison can be done. And allow you to see the variety that other people think is a good match and decide for yourself. Also RGB and CMYK numbers are given to allow you to do correct colours on computer generated images or even to take it to the local paint shop and get them to mix up a batch in acrylic or enamel paints!

For example looking at RLM 83 there are at least 8 'recipes' most of them different from each other.

I hope you find these useful and that it will allow you to decide what paint is the better match for your Luftwaffe paint schemes.

hPn34L.jpg

and

BAL8LU.jpg

 

Edited by pbhawkin
updated charts
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outstanding work!

Everyone's screen will display these a little different (accuracy) but it's an excellent comparison (precision)

You've inspired me to do the same, so I've been making my own color swatches for a handy workbench reference. :thumbsup:

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I could'a used this 2 days ago......

I just painted my Ta-152 and used Aero Master paints, RLM 82/83, the 83 is quite bright as I was expecting, similar to your RLM 83 color swatch, the RLM 82 was a bit on the olive side (like your Polly Scale sample), I was wanting something more to the blue as the Vallejo paints portray,I was trying to match colors of a online build I had seen, but I think the A/M colors my be a bit more accurate.

Curt

100_7080.jpg

100_7081.jpg100_7084.jpg

Edited by Netz
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  • 11 months later...

Peter, this is very handy thanks for sharing!, I'm doing the exact same thing because I'm tired of buying a million jars over and over and over again, I started to do my own color chips form the Gunze paints, have you tried to get paint done form your chips form a local automotive paint seller?.

I learnt form experience that color chips need to be a bit larger (I will post some pictures tonight), otherwise are very hard to use them as color samples, I do my color chips of 50x75mm I found that size very handy.

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HI guys,

AKAN is a line I had thought about but they are NOT readily available, especially in Australia. I am not too sure if they do RLM colours (I am aware of them doing the VVS colours)??

The problem with doing bigger chips is that it will cause the charts to be bigger (IE A3 in size) or to have quite a few of them. A4 size is by far the most convienient. I can do more A4 size charts but then it will require quite a number of charts to be uploaded to various sites/forums.

I have thought about redoing them but spraying each colour but that is a bit daunting!!

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Akan produces some of the most accurate VVS and USSR colors available, so I can't help but wonder how their new RLM colors are. I picked up some of the major colors, but haven't used them yet. They look good in the bottle. I'll just have to spray some splotches on a piece of sheet stryene and compare them to the very useful chart you have made.

Edited by Runge
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The Akan website has the range shown in digital colour chips. Allowing for the limitations of this system, it looks to me as though they're pretty close to what we'd expect. Scroll about 2/3 down the 1st page, the RLM range starts there & continues for most of page 2.

Steve.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi all,

Here is a updated RLM hobby paint comparison chart.

I have made the background in each row the same colour as the RLM paint chip (from the centre column) to hopefully show the difference better between the hobby colour and the RLM colour.

I will add the NEW Humbrol enamel paints when they become available in Australia as well.

Chart 1;

http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/photos/feature/2898/rlm_comparison_chart1_background.jpg

Chart 2:

http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/photos/feature/2898/rlm_comparison_chart2_background.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

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