Steve's Models

[Sailor Steve]

Main paint done.



The body and lower flying surfaces are pale blue. The metal parts, including forward deck and cowling, are light grey. The rudder is in clear doped linen. The blue is a point for much argument. For years I used the WW2 German underside Hellblau (sky blue), RLM 65. Recently I've been reading the Windsock Datafiles on different WW1 German planes, and it is invariably described as "blueish white", indicating a very pale blue indeed. My friend Peter is trying a mix of 15 drops white to 1 drop true blue. This plane is what I call "accidental" blue. I was hand painting some part or other, and I needed a very light blue. Rather than find a cup to mix it in I just used the cap from the bottle of white paint. I figured that it would be so pale that it would just end up being white once the color in the cap was mixed back into the bottle. I was wrong. I bought a fresh bottle of White, but kept the mixed one just in case. That is what I sprayed on this plane. I may make it darker in the future, or go back to RLM 65. One thing I won't do is make it any whiter.