Arcus E2019 Luftwaffe: Defense of the Reich

After the rapid Blitzkrieg, Germany became bogged down in a prolonged offensive, and the defeat in the Battle of Britain forced the Luftwaffe to defend its own airspace. From 1942 onward, Allied air raids grew increasingly frequent and eventually developed into large-scale attacks involving hundreds of bombers. The air war shifted directly over German territory.

Reich Air Defense

As hundreds of aircraft began taking part in interceptions simultaneously, it became difficult for pilots to distinguish friendly aircraft in the aerial chaos. To enable quick identification, units began using highly visible markings. Initially, these were local solutions—for example, colored engine cowlings in JG 1 or white vertical tails. 

From mid-1943, colored bands began to be applied to the fuselage. However, due to the lack of a standardized system, confusion initially arose. More and more units were committed to interceptions and often used the same colors (primarily red), which led to confusion rather than improving coordination.

Paint Set "Luftwaffe: Defense of the Reich"

Only by late 1944 – early 1945 was the system finally standardized. The colors of the identification bands were officially assigned to each individual Geschwader. This set includes the main colors needed to reproduce these markings on German fighter models from the final stage of the war.

Set Includes:

• 288 RLM 27 Gelb (yellow)—bright yellow identification paint for Luftwaffe aircraft.
• 290 RLM 25 Hellgrün (light green)—light patina green identification paint for Luftwaffe aircraft.
• 291 RLM 24 Dunkelblau (dark blue)—blue paint with a subtle violet tint used for identifying Luftwaffe aircraft.
• 292 RLM 23 Rot (red)—bright red identification paint for Luftwaffe aircraft.
• 293 RLM 22 Schwarz (black)—deep black color for identification and national markings on Luftwaffe aircraft.
• 294 RLM 21 Weiß (white)—cream-white identification paint for Luftwaffe aircraft.

Recommended For:

• Focke-Wulf Fw 190
• Focke-Wulf Ta 152
• Messerschmitt Bf 109
• Messerschmitt Bf 110
• Messerschmitt Me 210
• Messerschmitt Me 262
• Messerschmitt Me 410 and others

Paint Type:

• Acrylic A2019
• Enamel E2019

Finish:

• Semi-gloss

Volume:

• 6 x 0.33 fl oz (10 ml)