Warplane Colors

Starting this week and doing weekly updates Modeling Madness is pleased to present profiles by artist Srećko Bradić. To speed loading of the page, the profiles will be presented in thumbnail form with a brief description of the subject.

Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien [swallow] flown by ace Teruhiko Kobayashi from 244 Hiko Sentai [fighter regiment]. Standard camouflage of topside Olive Green and Grey underside. Large insignia on the tail surfaces denotes the unit. Propeller and spinner in standard red brown color.
Heinkel He162 Salamander from JG1 Oesau. Standard camouflage of the underside in RLM76 and top surface in RLM81 and 82. Arrow was common insignia. Werke Numer are not painted on verticals, as usual and swastika is white outline.
The plane is J-20 Kraguj, Yugoslav project of guerrila's warplanes, dedicated to operated in field conditions behind enemy lines. Here is a prototype in the standard colors of Forest Green and Sea Grey on topside and Peacock Blue on the underside.

 

Jak-6 NBB [Night fast bomber] from unknown unit, served most of its career behind enemy lines. In regards of period and theatre they featured many of camouflage patterns. this one had new pattern from 1942 regulations and consists of irregular patches in AMT-3 Zelyoniy, AMT-5 Korichneviy, AMT-6 Chyorniy and underside in AMT-7 Svetlo Goluboy.
Dassault Ouragan marked in best tradition of Armee de'l Air, wide tri color flag on vertical rudder, practice dating from WW1 as well data in black on rudder. On the nose is the badge of stork in flight, maybe the oldest fighter unit insignia in the world still in use. The same plane is completely in natural aluminum.
Corsair flown by Marine captain Joe Foss, Guadalcanal, March 1944. Plane is very interesting that it lacks any unit insignia or markings, just national insignia. Plane was very faded and dirty. Tri-color scheme of Sea Blue, Intermediate Blue and White.

 

Helldiver from VB-89 USN. This late war version of famous dive bomber saw  little combat in the late week's of WW II. Overall Sea Blue Gloss is logical naval choice due to the deep sea color in the war theatre.
Prototype of the Ta152C, a top fighter derivate of the FW190. The plane was made from parts of various places, resulting in a camouflage that is very colorful- wings and horizontal tail i RLM 74 an RLM 75 greys, fuselage RLM 81 and 83 greens, underside is RLM76 Hellblau, RLM84 Grungrau and natural aluminum.
Hellcat from the Aviacion Naval Uruguaya, in the specific camouflage pattern of topside Sea Blue Gloss and underside Pale Grey [ FS 36622]. National insignia is in four wing insignia [black border beneath the wings and white on the top] and colorful flag on the vertical fin/rudder. Top port wing carried white anchor and reverse bottom had the black one. Note lack of aerial wires and ADF loop on the belly.

 

Dornier DoY, rare bird, solely operated by Royal Yugoslavian Air Force for a short period wears overall Kaki camouflage color.

 

F-84E Thunderjet, a modern jet plane by the end of forties with retro-fitted bird-cage cockpit canopy. This one is 51-0490 from 523 Fighter Escort Squadron. Anti glare area in Olive Drab in front and behind cockpit. Note the small kill marking- red star above number nine, beneath the cockpit. The wing tank hides the unit badge shown larger, usually worn under the aft part of the sliding hood
Slow but lethal Douglas A-1H Skyraider, buno 134474, from South Vietnam air force in the beginning of sixties. Camouflage is standard NAVY, Light Gull Grey on the topside and White bellow.  Colorful unit insignia has been enlarged.

Royal Yugoslav combat plane Rogozrski R-313. Very reduced camouflage, plane wears overall Red Brown color. A sample was captured and later tested.

Supermarine Attacker from Fleet Air Arm 1833 squadron wears standard camouflage in Sky on the side and underside of the plane and Extra Dark Sea Grey on upper surfaces. Nose had red flash and registration is in black. Note belly fuel tank and removed wing guns.

 

"Grumman Panther is the first US jet fighter to be directly engaged in combat. Here is the sample from Korean war, F9F-5 from VF-111. Plane wears standard overall Sea Blue Gloss color and all of the fuselage inscription are in white. Note black 204 in the top of the wing tank. Intake, wing and horizontal leading edge and top of the wing tip tank was natural metal."
Mitsubishi A6M2 Rei-Shiki fighter from Tainan Koku-Tai wear one of standard paint Genyo Ame Iro. Engine cowling is in black blue color and hinomaru [national insignia] is standard red without any outline.

Ansaldo SVA, Italian combat plane from WW. I in standard natural finish. Most of fuselage plywood was stained to obtain darken red brown color. Note that areas around number on fuselage was not stained. Fabric cover is very light cream yellow color. national insignia on rudder is standard with middle flash remained in original fabric color. Engine cowling is natural metal. Top wings had spots in green and brown colors.

 

Here is BMW Triebflugel, German Flugkreisel [term for flying saucer], tested in 1943, in Prague. Regarding to the memories of one officer, who watched it, vehicle was completely in bare metal. No detail of markings were known.
Color profile present test bed for Whittle gas turbine, a secret device of the time. Gloster G. 40 featured pattern in regards for the RAF regulations, Ocean Grey and Dark Green on top surfaces and Yellow on the bottom of the plane. Letter "P" indicate that the plane is a prototype.
Me262A-1a in which one of Germany's top aces, Walter Nowotny, was killed. Plane had standard pattern in RLM81 and RLM82 colors on the upper surface with RLM 76 undersides. Number 8 in white. plane still retained yellow band.
Here it is F-104G from ESK 726, Danish Air Force. Plane had overall NATO Dark Green and reduced visibility markings. Due to the harsh weather conditions, this paint tended to weather rather rapidly. This one is drawn only moderately weathered.

 

This is the Bi-1,a Soviet test rocket interceptor. There were few prototypes and this one wears standard camouflage introduced in 1942. It is mostly for low level fighters, consisting of very dark drab [with grey blue shade] AMT-11 Sero zelyoniy and protective light green [with brownish shade] AMT-10 Zashitniy. Lower side is standard Soviet light blue.
Fiat G. 50bis from liaison escadrille of Yugoslav NOVJ. Plane had remained in original Italian paint on the underside while the topside was over-painted in soviet AMT-13 Tyomno Sero Goluboy [dark blue grey]. Some sources stated that the national red color from insignia was painted in orange.
SAAB J-29F Tunnan, first European swept back fighter plane, presented one of its standard appearance- natural metal.

 

Fiat G. 50 from 395. Squadriglia wear modified camouflage with base coat of Verde Mimetico on topside with added Giallo Mimetico spots. underside is standard Grigio Mimetico. Note the absence of Savoia crest on white cross on tail.

Bf109E from Royal Yugoslav Independent escadrille in the standard German camouflage pattern consisting of RLM70 Schwarzgrun on topside and RLM65 hellblau on the underside. Plane had a reduced visibility appearance.

Me262A-1a from Kommando Lechweld, fall 1944. Initially all of the types served with grey camouflage colors RLM74 and RLM75 and underside always was RLM76. Thin yellow band denoted the unit.

Nieuport 28 from famous US 94th Aero Squadron "Hat's in the ring" and flown by well known Rickenbacker. Standard French camouflage of Vert, Vert Fonce, Brun, Noir and Beige and Ecru on the underside. Each paint was premixed and those applied on fabric surfaces was mixed with silver pigment while on the wooden and metal panel was mixed with Ripolin. This gave two different shades of the same color.

 

Fokker Dr. I flown by lt. von Stapenhorst. Standard streaky pattern with dark olive streaks over natural dark linen with turquoise blue on the lower side. Streaks are in semi-covering color while the engine cowling is done in an opaque paint. Checker band is personal insignia with damages lower white square.
Fiat G. 50 of the Zrakoplovstvo NDH ( Croatian Aviation), standard Italian scheme in Verde Oliva Scuro on top surface and Grigio Azzuro Chiaro on the lower surface. Propeller hub possibly natural metal. Four digit number yellow with black drop shadow. Lower wing tips yellow as well fuselage band. National insignia red-white checker with thin black outline.
Me262A-1a captured and used by Soviet Union. Take this profile with care as  source photo is poor and heavy retouched. Camouflage is thought to be in Soviet grey and blue. Except for stars no further markings could be noted.
Breguet Bre. XIX, one of the most famous planes used between two world wars, seen here in Royal Yugoslav markings. Most used camouflage of the type was French color Khaki.

 

Curtiss P-40G from HQ squadron 31st Pursuit Group, wear standard USAAC camouflage of Olive Drab top surface and Neutral Grey undersurface. Early insignia was applied on the plane, star's with red circle inside and red-white strips on vertical rudder. Note the three color decorated spinner and small yellow number on the nose side panel. P-40G was a P-40 (no suffix) with Hawk 81-A2 wings (44 were built and used mostly by the USAAC).
Savoia Marcheti SM. 79 Sparviero in the color of post WW II Lebanon Air Force. Plane was used as transport [ note removed armament] and was overall Bianco Ivorio color [ Ivory white]. That color was standard Italian combat color in the mid thirties. Plane was very decorated with both European and Arab style numbers and inscriptions. Arab numbers are on the top wing. This aircraft was still in use until the late 1950s.
F-5E Tiger from the USAF Aggressor squadrons feature one of the several interesting schemes used by those aircraft. This one is called 'Grape' and is a wrap around scheme consisting of pale blue [35622], mid blue [35164] and dark blue [35109]. Nose number was made to simulate Soviet type Bort numbers.

Rogozarski IK-3, Royal Yugoslav fighter plane, from 6. vazduhoplovni puk [6. air regiment] presented in fresh over-paint in British export colors, Red Brown, Light Green and Mid Stone. All top colors are smooth finish. Undeside remained in domestic hand mixed color "Siva" [ grey]. Reduced visibility markings are evident.

 

Bf109K-4 blue 7 from JG27, captured by US troop's in 1945. Aircraft is believed to be painted in greenish shade on the underside, probably RLM84 color. Top of surface is finished in RLM81 and 82 color's. Green rear fuselage band indicate JG27 unit.
Fiat G. 50 from the Gruppo Sperimentale d'i Caccia, flown by ace Mario Bonzane. Plane presented early delivery samples from Spain with Giallo Mimetico top surface and Grigio Mimetico on the bottom. National insignia presented black circles on fuselage and wings and black cross on white on the vertical rudder. Note the difference in numbers 1-1 due to the free hand application. White band on fuselage indicate leader.
LaG-5 from 4. Guardian Fighter Regiment VVS USSR, famous "Valeriy Chkalov". Plane had standard camouflage in AMT-3 green and AMT-6 black on top surface and blue on underside. In the winter plane got white top coat which was moderately worn out. Plane was white 55 and behind the cockpit was guardian badge.
 Hawker Hurricane Mk. I early delivery to the Royal Yugoslavia. Plane feature non standard pattern consisted in Red Brown Type "S", Mid Stone Type "S", Light Green Type "S" on top surface and Sky Type "S" on the lower side. Plane had national markings on wings only. Inscription on fuselage and vertical are in white.
 Blenheim Mk. IV Soumi, one of the fifteen planes Ikarus B.4 assembled in Finland. Standard camouflage pattern ov Vihrea Olivin ( Olive Green), Musta ( Black) on top surface and Valean Sininen (Grey Blue) on the lower side of the plane. Note the registration BL-200, areas on green were i black while areas on black was in green color.
Ikarus MM.2 trainer built in Royal Yugoslavia. Prototype was painted in dark Crimson color while the metal areas were highly polished. National insignia present small tri color flag on vertical rudder.

Profiles copyright by Srećko Bradić and used by permission. Visit Srećko's website at http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/

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