RLM02
RLM02
RLM02
The measurements were taken from the relevant standard and reference source
paint chips - not from examples of applied paint - so please bear in mind that
distinction which is always emphasised here. When some people enthuse about the
paint colour varying - and it did to the extent that the Luftwaffe told their personnel not
to worry about it - they can often infer that paint colour standards are useless for
modelling purposes. This is to misunderstand the purpose and value of the
standards. Rather than pinpointing how each and every aircraft might have been
painted they provide a benchmark for the intended average colour to be visualised,
which in the absence of documented and accessible samples of extant paint, might
otherwise be in a vacuum Even with extant samples of applied paint many
authoritative researchers and authors still have to rely on colour photographs,
subjective visual comparisons and/or descriptions in order to communicate the
colours. Standards can be used to triangulate this information. Again, it may be worth
emphasising that the purpose of this blog is not to promote an agenda but to explore
and discuss subjects in order to provide a resource by which informed decisions
might be made. It is not in competition with anyone and challenges to statements in
other forums as being inconsistent with the evidence should not be misconstrued as
such. Besides, it's your model, painting or restored aeroplane, not mine!
One extant formula for this paint as a "Rubber Varnish gray N 243" is included in Jerry
Crandall's 'Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Dora' Volume 2. It is given as Titanium Oxide and Zinc whites
with three yellow pigments Hansa Yellow, Zinc Yellow and Yellow 420 N and, apparently, what
may be RLM 66 dark grey (?). If the designation does not mean the latter then the formula
appears to be missing a black or grey pigment.
Another RLM 02 formula comes from Herbig Haarhaus A.G. of Koln in their trademark
'Flieglack' series of fire-resistant lacquers. This is for Aviation Lacquer 7115.02 in their
Herbeloid series. No less than 73.03 parts of the formula made up a proprietary lacquer
binder/solvent consisting of 'vinoflex', butanol, butylacetate, toluol, spirit and ethyl acetate to
which the following pigments were added:Antimony white (Timonox RS) - 2.94 parts
Chrome green - 0.08 parts
Titanium dioxide (white) - 2.15 parts
Chrome yellow - 0.18 parts
Sechsbrandruss - 0.02 parts
Aluminium bronze - 0.59 parts
Essigather (ethyl acetate) - 16.44 parts
Black paste - 3.47 parts
Red paste - 1.10 parts
Interestingly, ethyl acetate appears twice in the formula, as 17.60 parts of the binder/solvent
and in the proprietary 'Essigather' with the pigment as 16.44 parts. The lacquer was intended
to be spray-applied with equal parts of thinner. 'Vinoflex' was a polyvinyl chloride made by I.G.
Bitterfield. 'Sechsbrandruss' was a proprietary six times refined carbon black pigment.
'Timonox RS' was a proprietary fire-resistant form of lead white. Chrome green is correctly a
green mixed from chrome yellow and Prussian blue but was also used, incorrectly, as a
generic term for chromium oxide (green). Aluminium bronze was a leafing pigment usually
added to improve impermeability to moisture and thereby resist corrosion and gave the paint
its earlier description of 'silver-matt grey'. The formula is more complex than expected and the
type of pigments used for the black and red pastes unknown.
Updated the analysis of RLM 02 colour with a comparison of the Kiroff sample to
measured samples of three well known RLM 02 hobby paints and to measured
samples of RLM 63.
Kiroff sample RLM 02: 7.3 Y 5.0/1.2
Testors RLM 02: 8.1 Y 5.3/0.9
GSI Creos RLM 02: 7.8 Y 5.3/0.8
LifeColor RLM 02: 7.8 Y 5.2/1.5