Silver RLM01 (Metallic) 17ml

Vallejo Silver RLM01 (Metallic) 17 ml — Model Air silver metallic

A Vallejo acrylic metallic paint from the Model Air line in a dropper bottle with a volume of 17 ml. Model Air is a water-thinnable acrylic developed directly for airbrushing — it has a thin consistency and is usually applied straight from the bottle, or after thinning with Vallejo airbrush thinner. This is a modeling paint, not a kit.

What RLM 01 means

This is not just any silver. The designation RLM 01 (Silber) comes from the color system of the Luftwaffe and refers to a specific period shade. It was used on machines that were not camouflaged — typically on prewar and training Luftwaffe aircraft — and also on a number of internal surfaces and assemblies. That period grounding is exactly the difference from an ordinary silver: RLM 01 is a specific historical shade, not a universal metal color. If you are building an uncamouflaged Luftwaffe machine, it is a more accurate choice than a generic aluminum.

Use

• Uncamouflaged and training aircraft of the Luftwaffe — overall silver surfaces.
• Internal surfaces and assemblies where the RLM 01 silver appeared.
• Anywhere you need a light silver with a gentle metallic sheen — details of vehicles, figures or dioramas.

How to tell it from neighboring colors

If you want a generic, brightly silvery aluminum for bare metal surfaces of aircraft and wheel hubs (without the German period context), reach for the Aluminum shade. For cooler and darker steel — tools, blades, polished metal parts — Steel is the one. For the darkest blue-gray metal of barrels and breeches use Gunmetal.

Working with metallic paint

• In metallics the metal pigment is heavier than the binder and settles at the bottom. A dropper bottle does not give this away, so always shake it properly until the ball moves freely — otherwise you will mostly spray binder.
• The base decides. Over a smooth, polished, glossy base the silver comes out full and lively; on a flat grainy surface it turns gray and the metallic impression is lost.
• A finished metal coat is hard to mask and to spray over, so put it at the very end of the painting sequence, after the other shades.

Who the paint is for

Above all for modelers of Luftwaffe aircraft who build prewar, training or otherwise uncamouflaged machines, and for anyone who needs a historically grounded silver.

When spraying with an airbrush ensure sufficient ventilation and use airway protection. Keep out of the reach of children.