stuka b-2 mto colours and cockpit colours.

[ellis995]

Hi guys

After sometime away. I am back

Going to start the Airfix 1/24 stuka B-2 shortly.
After some digging on the net, i came across a couple of pics of the cockpit colour.
One was RLM66. The other was RLM 02 Which is right. I think they are both right
But you guys are more knowledgeable.

Also i came across these 2 pics. Which colour is right As i will be doing the top one, but as T6 + mm

Your help will be grateful

Thanks

 

[meatloaf109]

Aircraft built before 1942 would be in the 02 color, late '41 is when the change was ordered. As to the camo, the top one looks better to my eye,...Over to you, Terry!

 

[Airframes]

I agree with Paul. The B-1 and B-2 were more likely to have the interior in RLM 02, but with fittings such as switch consoles etc in RLM 66, along with the instrument panel.
As far as the two profiles are concerned, the top one is correct for the early period, where the 'ETO' scheme was over-painted with patches of Dunlegelb - the sand colour.
Not sure about the bottom profile - this could be poor reproduction of the original art work, or a particular 'local' scheme.
Once the Stuka units became established in the MTO, then 'dedicated' colour schemes were normally applied, and this, of course, would depend on the location and the terrain they were operating over, and based on. These schemes include overall 'sand', sand with a dark green or dark brown mottle, in the form of large patches, and other variations.
You'd need to establish the area of the theatre of operations Keith, and the approximate date, before committing to an actual colour scheme.
I probably have some profiles, and no doubt others here might be able to chip in with further info.
EDIT: Forgot to add this, the box art from the kit I recently bought. This is typical of the early scheme, and agrees with your first profile.

 

[ellis995]

Thanks meatloaf 109 and Terry

 

[ellis995]

Hi guys

Ater going back to the web page i got the pic ( top one )
I found this discription underneath the pic.

Junkers Ju 87B-2Trop 4./StG2 (T6+AM) Tmimi, Libya 1941

Profile 01: As some of the Stukas had arrived in North Africa with their European camouflage, and some units were obliged to repaint their planes using Italian Regia Aeronautica colors, especially one of the four sand colors (giallo mimetico) available. This was how, no doubt, this Bertha was painted with large roundish blotches of RLM 80 Olivgrun (Olive Green), whereas the lower surfaces are either the old RLM 65 Hellblau, or RLM 78 Hellblau (light Blue), which was regulation in German 'tropical' color schemes.

 

[ellis995]

Hi guys

After a bit more research i came up with this

Junkers Ju 87 B-2 Stuka, Airfix 1:24 von Uwe Genth

 

[stona]

Mmmm!
The interior colour is a can of worms. Junkers were using RLM 66 as an interior colour for areas visible "under the glass" as early as 1940. Heinkel may have used it pre-war.It's your choice,02 is probably a safer bet in a Ju 87 of the period but it's not certain.

It's brave to say that "no doubt" that aircraft was finished in a tropical scheme and then had RLM 80 blotches applied. There is plenty of evidence of aircraft delivered in a standard 70/71 scheme which then had a sand coloured paint,probably RLM 79,an Italian colour if you believe that theory,applied over the top.

I would ask why would the Germans apply an Italian paint of unknown properties to their aircraft? There were endless rules and regulations regarding the painting and maintenance of the surface finish of Luftwaffe aircraft. The Italian theory first reared its head a long time after the war and is unsupported by any documents. Again,it doesn't mean it didn't happen but it runs contrary to both RLM regulations and Luftwaffe common practice. If they could get the aircraft and their support infrastructure to Africa surely they could manage a few cans of paint!

A similar theory about the use of Soviet paints on Luftwaffe fighters was also proposed,yet the colours used can easily be mixed from RLM colours. Colour mixing was something known to be done by units at the front.

Here's one,RLM 70/71 with 79 applied over the top which I prepared earlier!

Cheers

Steve

 

[Crimea_River]

Can't weigh in on this one with any advice but I wonder if the new Ju-87 book by Eddie Creek has anything more definite.

 

[stona]

Can't weigh in on this one with any advice but I wonder if the new Ju-87 book by Eddie Creek has anything more definite.

I'll let you know when I get mine. It's on my Xmas list and I know daughter number 2 has ordered it

Cheers

Steve

 

[Airframes]

I agree with you all the way there Steve.
Regarding the interior colour, later models of the Ju87, such as the 'D' variant, appeared to have RLM 66 interiors, which would be in line with standard practices of the time (although we all know there were exceptions). Certainly the example in the RAFM at Hendon is in this colour.
Most photos of the earlier variants (in B&W) show a lighter tone, consistent with what we'd expect to see if painted RLM 02, and I used to have a small bracket frame, taken from the wreckage of (supposedly) a BoB victim, which certainly was in RLM 02, or at least a shade which looked like RLM02.

 

[Crimea_River]

I'll let you know when I get mine. It's on my Xmas list and I know daughter number 2 has ordered it

Cheers

Steve

Tempted to get it myself.

 

[ellis995]

Thanks guys for your replys.
Think i will just do the standard green splinter camo with the sand over the top.

 

[Crimea_River]

Makes sense.

 

[Airframes]

Yep.

 

[meatloaf109]

I like it.