FW 190 A8 of 14/JG54 W.I.P.

[JAWS2003]

Fooling around a little with a colorful skin:



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/%3cFA%3eJaws/ad48233a.jpg

 Made on Krusty's template. Thank you!!!!

 I'm stil not sure if this are the right colors, since I found some decals for it that were painted in grey (RLM 74/75/76).
 More people tend to belive that it was painted brown/green (RLM 76/81/82), since is 1945 plane and it should have the late LW colors.
   Here it is , work in progres. Please let me know what you think about it. Please let me know anything that you think is wrong. ( i'm sure there are a lot of things wrong )


What chances does it have to be inclused in the game?

[Krusty]

If I may? I don't wish to be unkind, so please take this as constructive criticism. I like the paint scheme, but I think the colors are too similar. They need to have more contrast between the brown and green.

On my super bright LCD I can barely make out the difference. On my CRT I really can't see a difference other than a subtle shade difference. There seems to be a "splotchy" layer over it, for weathering. Turn this down a bit, maybe? That might make the brown/green more separate. (*wild guess, that might not work*)

EDIT: was just looking at the image you linked to, and wondered if you got your colors directly from there, or not. Might want to try a different source, as the colors look kinda bad on that image (the one linked).

[JAWS2003]

Thank you Krusty for the imput. Do not worry, be as harsh as you can . I suck big time so any advice helps.
   I'm looking for info on this bird for some time now. I saw some decals in grey (RLM76/74/75) and some in green/brown (RLM 76/81/82)
SO i'm still not sure exactly how the plane was, but I think I the brown/green (late war RLM standard) is more likely since the plane is identified as FW-190A8 in March 1945.
   I noticed that the colors are to close. I have few layers of dumping and weathering over the paint. I'll have to tweak them a little.
 

I got my RLM colors at this site:
http://jpsmodell.de/shop/jpsrlm_e.htm#rlm70


As you can see the colors are close:
      RLM 81-----------------------------RLM82



Thank you for the help Krusty.

[Krusty]

That's a good webpage, I use it myself. I would suggest 81a or 81b, however, as RLM81 "braunviolet" is a pre-war color that was used on Spanish Civil War He111s, and was discontinued early on. It is unlikely to have survived til '44/'45

I think your best bet is "olivbraun" - RLM 81a, as I've heard it called by name before in certain descriptions.

EDIT:

 

As an idea of another source, check out:

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorserver/showcolor.asp?fs=30045,34096,36473

[Bruno]

The only image (photo)I have seen of that aircraft appears to be in 76/75/74.

The thing about 81 / 82 / 76 is that RLM banned the use of 74 / 75 in favor of 81 / 82 in late Aug '44. However, factories continued using the old colors until they ran out of stock. Most of the aircraft were assembled from pre-painted parts. This why you sometimes see mixes of various paint combinations on the late war fighters. Not to mention the fact that many field units also re-camouflaged planes according to what they felt was necessary or had on hand.  You can see this among Fw 190 Schlacht units for example(most Fw 190 Fs were still in the old RLM 74/75 camo).

There is no general rule for RLM colors late in the war. Basically you'd need specific data on the plane you wish to paint to make any plausible comments. Even then the tones and variations of the colors are as numerous as there were people mixing the paint. There is plenty of room for variations and 'artistic expression'.

Look at the default K-4, I did a JG 53 G-14 in 81/82 over 76:

[JAWS2003]

Thank you Bruno. The problem is that i couldn't find any photos of the plane so I can make my own idea.
 I know there is a photo in the book :Le Focke Wulf 190" by Jean Yves Lorant and Jean-Bernard Frappe by Docavia Editions in 1981  at page 372. The problem is that I couldn't locate the book, or find that picture.

[Bruno]

Yeah I just saw your post over at TOCH. The photo I saw was a scanned image from Mr. Lorant's book.


He posts over at TOCH and at LEMB. maybe he will chime in...

[JAWS2003]

Thank you for the help Bruno.
 
I wasn't sure about the colors so i have made both versions (RLM76/75/74 and RLM 76/81/82)
 Do you think this is a more probable look of it?

[Bruno]

It looks real good...

The only critique I could give is that the Red gruppe markings and numerals appear a bit 'bold'. They seem to jump off the image.

What I have been doing is using the magic wand tool (PS) to select the  numerals / markings etc.. then cutting out the layers underneath (paint /camo) and the reducing opacity to a point where by the markings blend more with the paint, rather then them looking like they are sitting on top.

Basically I would select the marking layer, use the magic wand tool, switch to the underlying layers and cut those out leaving nothing underneath. Reduce opacity of the markings. Once you flatten the image the markings will be some what 'dulled'. My markings layers are then set 'under' any weathering / lines / rivets etc...

But overall it looks fine in those colors...

[Krusty]

I think that's much more likely, my "blue 8" was also from JG5 and it had grey/green uppers, not brown/green uppers. grey/green served all the way til the end of the war, basically.

[JAWS2003]

I did what Bruno said. It looks much better.

 Thank You.

[Bruno]

looks great Jaws!!!

[Krusty]

To quote Steve Irwin, "She's a keepah!"

[Waffle]

RLM 81 was introduced mid 1944.

RLM 81 and 82 were used on new aircraft instead of RLM 70 and 71, as per RLM orders in July 1944.


81 was spec'd as upper surface camo for 262, 190,335, he111

[Krusty]

Many 190s were upgraded in the fields, old fuselages were recycled at the plants for new planes, and there is clear evidence that quite a few end-of-war planes had the earlier paint scheme, so it's not entirely cut-and-dried based on RLM orders.