Mr. Color - RLM78 světle modrá

The undersurfaces of tropical machines

When the Luftwaffe introduced a finish for service in the Mediterranean and North Africa, the machines were given a new undersurface color along with the sand color on the upper surfaces. The shade designated 78 is a light blue, appreciably richer than the European undersurface color, and it was meant to match the southern sky better. Tropical Messerschmitts, dive bombers and transport machines carried it.

Properties and thinning

The paint comes from the solvent-based lacquer range, even though it is sometimes listed among the acrylics. It can be thinned only with a product from the same system, in an amount according to the thickness of the batch. The package holds 10 ml and the dried surface is smooth and hard.

Advice on the scheme

• The boundary against the sand color on the sides of the fuselage tended to be sprayed soft on tropical machines, not sharp
• Light undersurfaces take only a fine wash; a pronounced one looks harsh
• White bands on the fuselage and the wingtips are masked only once the blue has dried
• Stir the paint, as the pigment of light shades settles markedly

The tropical finish was often applied in the field over the original European coloring, so a darker tone showing through the coat is not a mistake but a documented detail.

Combinations for the tropical finish

• With the sand color on the upper surfaces, the transition sprayed soft
• With olive blotches, if the machine carried supplementary camouflage
• With the white fuselage bands of the Mediterranean theater

It pays to spray the light undersurfaces first and only then mask for the upper color. The opposite order means the light blue has to be laid over a darker tone in many coats.