MRP-A069 RLM 78 Hellblau

RLM 78 Hellblau — Mr.Paint Acrylic Paint, Aqua Range (17 ml)

A light blue modeling paint in a 17 ml dropper bottle. It comes from the acrylic Aqua range by the Slovak manufacturer Mr.Paint: it is water-thinnable or thinnable with the company's acrylic thinner for this range, and is applied with both brush and airbrush. This is not a kit — it is a paint for models.

Do not confuse it with the lacquer range. Mr.Paint is known for its lacquer (nitro) paints, which use a different thinner and a more aggressive chemistry. This shade does not belong to them. The manufacturer lists the same shade names in both ranges, but the numbers do not match — the range name is what decides.

RLM 78 = Tropical Scheme, Not European

RLM 78 is a light blue used on the undersides of aircraft deployed in the Mediterranean and North Africa. It belongs to the tropical (desert) scheme and is typically paired with upper surfaces in the sandy shade RLM 79 Sandgelb, which we also carry in this range.

This is where mix-ups happen most often, since the Germans had three different light blue undersides, each belonging to a different context:

• RLM 65 — the standard underside blue of the earlier period, roughly up to 1941 (the Battle of Britain and earlier schemes).
• RLM 76 — the light underside color of later aircraft from roughly 1941 onward, paired with the upper shades RLM 74 and RLM 75 in Europe.
• RLM 78 — the underside blue of the tropical scheme, meaning the Mediterranean and North Africa, under sandy upper surfaces.

They look similar, but their period and scheme differ. Before you start spraying, check the instructions or a profile to confirm which of these your specific aircraft actually carried.

Use

• The undersides of German aircraft in the tropical and desert scheme; paired with RLM 79 Sandgelb above.
• Airbrush and brush; thinned with acrylic thinner from the Aqua range or water.
• Apply in thin coats over a primer; spray the transition between the upper and lower colors from a distance so it stays soft.
• Shake before use, and clean tools right after finishing.

Who the Paint Is For

For modelers building German aircraft from the African and Mediterranean theaters who want the correct underside blue for that scheme — not a substitute shade from the European palette.

A modeling paint, not a kit. Work in a ventilated area, keep out of the reach of children, and close the bottle carefully after use.