RLM 02
I'm sure this is a real can of worms, but what colour should RLM02 be? I've got the remains of a can of Humbrol Authentics HG2 RLM02 Grey, and a new can of White Ensign Colourcoats Grau RLM02, and they are NOT the same colour. The Humbrol is a "battleship" grey, quite dark with perhaps a bluish cast. The WEC version is much lighter, with a slighter greener tinge. Is the RLM02 used on uppersurface camo a different colour than the one for the interior? Do White Ensign incorporate "scale effect" in their paint colours? Has research and thinking changed since the 1970s? bes-*test*-('"), M.

Or perhaps there was an 'off' day at one of the factories? Or the colour of the old paint has changed over time, due to some chemical reaction? Or both colours are accurate, depending upon the original sample from which they were based which, in turn, can be as varied as the weather or the state of the paint factory being bombed or not...etc.. At this point I should ask...just how important is it really and are such ponderings getting in the way of you building, painting and finishing your model? ;-) I asked respected modellers re the best Humbrol equivalent to a grey and was told from one that H140 was ideal, whilst the other told me it was H32. I decided that it didn't really matter that much and applied a mottled mix of both! Regards, Bruce

Me, Bruce? ;-) I'm only an "honorary" JMN, after all! No, it's more a case that they're so different, and I have both cans in front of me at the moment... I'll probably use Halfords primer and have done with it in the end... ;-P bes-*test*-('"), M.

The lighter, greenish one sounds right to me. Certainly the Lifecolor one from the Luftwaffe camo sets is a light greenish grey, like on the drop tank here:

Methinks you only need 3 greys; H64, H27 and H32! :ha: Regards, Bruce PS There's nowt 'honorary' about being a JMN. ;-)

I suspect that the Humbrol Authenticolour range's 02 is actually 66. This makes sense if someone at the Humbrol factory asked "What is RLM 02" and was told "Interior colour of Luftwaffe Planes" and matched it with a late cockpit, which is 66 - Schwartzgrau (black grey). Sound reasonable? Bruce is wrong, btw. Greys are not greys. You could not do this : with H32, H64 and H27.