Luftwaffe Colours (Germany)

The RLM system is probably the most widely known system of all paint systems in the 2nd world war, and a lot of modellers are known with it’s nomenclature. Still there is interesting information to be told about this system, and while other websites also do a very good job of accurately describing the colours with their matching modelling paints, they often lack the more rarer colours, and context.

As with all pages of this type, the colours shown are an approximation. Monitors can change the colour displayed and don’t account for shading and glossiness.
In reality these colours would also fade over time, and different batches had slightly different tones.
The accuracy of the paints can be off. They’re mostly taken from the manufacturer, from painting manuals and bits on the internet. They should resemble the actual colour closely, but use at your own discretion.

To go to the colour table, click here.

Beginnings: The RAL

The RAL, Reichsausschuss für Lieferbedingungen, ( = Reichs-committee for delivery conditions) was a German institute formed in 1925, just after the first world war. While it was under supervision of the German government, it was an legally independent entity. In the beginning it was tasked with quality assurance by labelling goods and services.

In 1927, the RAL started with it’s colour system, RAL 840. By creating a system of standardized colours the cost of paints could be reduced due to economy of scale. By prioritizing local pigments, imports could be reduced as foreign currencies were scarce and the Reichs mark was worthless in foreign countries. The system contained 40 colours most widely used. 13 Base shades and 27 more from mixing those. During the ’30 the amount of colours increased to more than 100 shades as new government organizations needed new shades, such as the posts and railways.

in 1939/1940 this wild growth of colours led to a new numbering system, the RAL 840R (=revisited). Under this system every colour was given a four number code, where the first digit indicated the main group or shade. This chart remained in use to the end of the war and forms the basis of the RLM system.

RAL 1xxx	Yellow	RAL 6xxx	Green
RAL 2xxx	Orange	RAL 7xxx	Grey
RAL 3xxx	Red	RAL 8xxx	Brown
RAL 4xxx	Violet	RAL 9xxx	White and Black
RAL 5xxx	Blue

RLM

The RLM, abbreviation of Reichsluftfahrtministerium, was the German Ministry of Aviation. It was in charge of all matters concerning German aviation, such as aircraft development and standardization within the Luftwaffe, the German Air Force. The ministry was founded in 1933 starting early 1936 the RLM took over the standardization of aircraft paints and camouflage patterns. During the war these regulation changed a lot, mostly due to material shortages. Due to this the same RLM colour may have changed over the course of time.

Luftwaffen Dienstvorschriften L.Dv. 521

The RLM regulations for colour shade, production and application were proclaimed by Luftwaffen Dienstvorschriften L.Dv. 521 (=airforce regulations L.DV. 521) starting early 1936. The earliest known surviving version, revision L.Dv. 521/1, was issued in march 1938. Some colours, including the RLM 61, 62 and 63, were still correlated to the RAL 840 R system. (RAL 8019, 6002 and 7004 respectively)

In end 1941 the L.Dv. 521/1 was revisited, although it was still marked as Ausgabe 1938 (= edition). The L.Dv. 521/1 (1941) contained three new colours: RLM 74,75 and 76. RLM 61, 62 and 63 were no longer used for aircraft and done away with. Strangely RLM 02 and RLM 66 were changed. RLM 66 was changed from RAL 7019 to RAL 7021. RLM 02 was made more intense and darker.
RLM 78 and 79 were not ready at the time of printing and were attached by loose paint chips stuck to a blank page in the manual.

Colour Table

RLM	Colour	equivalents	Gunze	Tamiya	Vallejo	Hataka
0	Wasserhell	RAL-9000		X-35	71.058
	Clear gloss protection coating Primer
1	Silver	FS-17178 RAL-9006
	Undercarriage The first aircraft of the luftwaffer were in this color
2	RLM-Grau	FS-34159 RAL-7003	H-070 C-060	33%XF-2 33%XF-49 33%XF-22	71.044	*023
	Extensively used as cockpit colour before 1943. Interior colour; wheel wells, engine compartment, ect. Overall colour of prototype, trainer and liason aircraft Early camouflage upper side Sometimes used as a replacement for RLM 76 in the late war night fighter camouflage scheme
3	Silbergrau
	mostly used before the war
4	Gelb	FS-37200 RAL-9004	H-413 C-113
	ID markings, bands, underside of the wingtips and cowlings underside of captured aircraft
5	Elfenbein	FS-13618			71.106
	early gliders
9	Gelbgrün
11	Edelbein
	general use
21	Weiß	RAL-9001
	markings, fusulage bands, numbers. winter camo, by applying the paint dissolved in patrol on the plane, easily worn
22	Schwarz	RAL-9004
	markings and fuselage codes Overall night camouflage untill 1942
23	Rot	RAL-3001	H-414 C-114		71.102
	Identification markings
24	Dunkelblau	RAL-5000			71.266
	Identification markings Oxygen systems
25	Hellgrün	RAL-6000			71.267
	Identification markings
26	Braun	RAL-8004			71.105
	electric systems General usage
27	Gelb	RAL-1003
	Same as RLM 04, but used less
28	Weinrot	RAL-3008
	stepping zone area’s on the wings Identification markings
41	Grau
	Interior of some early planes, seldom used
42	Grau
	general usage
61	Dunkelbraun	RAL-8019				*168
	Pre war camouflage schemes, spanish civil war
62	Grün	RAL-6002			71.114	*169
	Pre war camouflage schemes, spanish civil war
63	Hellgrau	RAL-7004			71.260	*167
	Pre war camouflage schemes, spanish civil war
64	Dunkelgrün
65	Hellblau		H-067 C-115 N-067 S-115	XF-23	71.255	*029
	general undersurface for all aircraft, after 1941 no longer for fighters
66	Schwarzgrau	RAL 7019 RAL 7021	H-416 C-116		71.055	*040
	Interior colour from 1941 onward, but only area’s visible from the outside, other area’s stayed RLM 02 Some use in identification markings. Had a more lighter and greener touch before it was changed in the 1941 revision of the L.Dv. 521/1. It is unknown why the colour was changed, but if might have to do with it use as cockpit colour.
67	Weiß
68	Schwarzgrün
69	Dunkelgrün
70	Schartzgrün		H-065 C-018	90%XF-11 10%XF-1		*015
	bomber camouflage, early fighters propellor blades
71	Dunkelgrün		H-064 C-017	70%XF-11 25%XF-60 5%XF-10	71.015	*017
	bomber camouflage
72	Grün				71.263	*311
	post november 1941 splinter scheme for naval aircraft (reconnaissance, torpedo bombers, floatplanes)
73	Grün				71.256	*312
	post november 1941 splinter scheme for naval aircraft (reconnaissance, torpedo bombers, floatplanes)
74	Graugrün		H-068 C-036 N-068		71.258	*313
	Top camouflage on fighter airfcraft from nov 1941
75	Mittelgrau		H-069 C-037	70%XF-2 25%XF-24 5%XF-27	71.259	*007
	Top camouflage on fighter airfcraft from nov 1941
76	Weißblau		H-417 C-117 S-117	55%XF-19 30%XF-23 15%XF-2	71.257	*038
	Bottom side on fighter aircraft from nov 1941 night fighter topside overall colour of some high altitude fighters Due to shortages towards the end of the war, wide variations in this colour started to appear towards the end of the war
77	Hellgrau					*264
	Sometimes used instead of RLM 76 Identification markings on dark backgrounds
78	Himmelblau		H-418 C-118		71.101	*029
	Bottom side of the mediterranean scheme
79	Sandgelb		H-066 C-119 N-066		71.278	*014 (early) *172 (late)
	basis colour in the Mediterraean scheme, some pictures also show FW 190’s with an overall darker version of this colour
80	Olivgrün		H-420 C-120		71.265	*053
	Blotches in the mediterranean scheme
81	Braunviolett		H-421 C-121	60%XF-61 30%XF-64 10%XF-1	71.264	*008
	from 1944 top side
82	Lichtgrün Hellgrün		H-422 C-122	80%XF-26 10%XF-61 10%XF-1		*020
	from 1944 top side
83	Dunkelgrün		H-423 C-123			*022
	Late-war top side
84	Gelbgrau Graublau				71.103
	RLM designation is erroneous, but included for completeness. This colour is either a variant of RLM 76, deviating a lot due to shortages, or an unnamed new color
91
	Lufthansa?
99	Grün
	Primer, fasteners

Tropical colours

Luftwaffe units started to be deployed in North Africa somewhere between late January and March 1941. At the time, no suitable camouflage colours for the sandy, Saharan desert were available. The first mention of the tropical scheme comes from an inspection document to a depot in Erling, Germany, which describes the three lacquers.
Curiously, only colour chips for RLM 78 and 79 were added to the L.DV. 521/1 of 1941. Somewhere after November 1941, RLM 78 was changed to a slightly lighter shade, while RLM 79 was changed to a darker, browner shade.

RLM 80 wasn’t always used, especially on later fighters such as Bf 109’s and FW 190’s

Ever after the retreat from africa, the colour scheme was still used to some extend in Italy untill 1944 and the eastern front after units were send there.

RLM	Colour	equivalents	Gunze	Tamiya	Vallejo	Hataka
78	Himmelblau
	Underside of the tropical scheme (1941)
78	Himmelblau
	Underside of the tropical scheme (1942-1944)
79	Sandgelb
	basis upper surface colour in the Mediterranean scheme (1942 onward)
79	Sandgelb
	basis upper surface colour in the Mediterranean scheme (1942-1944 onward)
80	Olivgrün
	optional upper surface details (lines, blotches) of the Mediterranean scheme (1941-1944)

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Sources

• RAL History, https://www.ral.de/en/about-us/ral-history/
• https://www.cybermodeler.com/color/ral840r_table.shtml