Regarding nomenclature on the airplanes of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945, I created a font for my computer according to the DIN Spec 1451 which outlines the shapes of the stenciled letters to be used replacing what was hand painted script prior to the release of the spec. You might find that some planes you will be painting will have hand painted lettering on them mixed with the stenciled fonts.  This is correct as parts of an airplane were repainted or repaired, new nomenclature would be stenciled while other areas might have preexisting script still on the plane. I can help you with both.  Being it is a stencil we are making from normal script, I get 90 percent of the closed letter on the stencil and you finish it with a small brush. This accounts for the breaks in the bottoms of the a, e, b, and o in aufbocken.

Now as far as how big to make your lettering, I have come to the conclusion that it is best to test fit on the model with a proof.  Once I have your order laid out, I will send you a 100 percent scaled jpg to print out and cut and paste on the model to see if it looks too big or too small or just right.  I will make adjustments from here by your direction.  We can proof it again if you need, but once the vinyl is cut, corrections are going to costs again.

So one might ask what was the size of lettering on planes of the Luftwaffe?  I will let you know, it was metric. Did not see that one coming, did ya? lol.

Starting sizes on the DIN 1451 spec were 4 mm tall and went up to 8 mm, 10 mm, 16 mm, 24 mm, then leaped to 40 mm, 63 mm and finally topping off with 100 mm.

Looking at pictures, you might be able approximate the size of the lettering based on knowing panel sizes, or compared to the hand of the pilot on the side of the plane.  This gives you a range to start at.  Say it looks like the average lettering is about 1 inch tall or 24 mm.  Take the scale of your model and divide this 1 inch or 24 mm to get the suspected lettering height.  A 6th scale model needing lettering of .166 inch tall would be our target height.

What are some of the words are on the planes? That depends totally on your documentation. Listed below are some fairly common nomenclature. Nicht anfassen might be found on the antenna mast or on a a trim tab. Nicht betreten might be on any movable surface such as the aileron, elevator, or flap. These little details really snap out the realism in your model. If it is clearly there in photos, you definitely need it; if it is fuzzy in the photo, but shown in other photos of other planes, model kits, or documentation; I would add it.  These little details really wow viewers of your model. These stencils will be laser cut unless large enough to be plotted.

The spec for the fuel and oil fill service requirements is Lg N 166 16.  Those little triangles for oil are 69 mm tall,  80 mm wide on the full scale plane with an 8 mm perimeter color, and 25 mm tall lettering. The back ground was RLM 26 with and RLM 04 perimeter and black lettering.  The Fuel triangles are 106 mm tall, 125 mm wide, with 25 mm lettering, also having the 8 mm perimeter.  The triangles for fuel were painted in RLM 04 with a white perimeter and black lettering. I can make this all to scale for you and register properly with little effort.

The Balkankreuz and Hakenkreuz Markings

These are the available Balkankreuz styles to the specs of the Luftwaffe between 1933-1945. When ordering, specify style, quantity, and H dimension. I will supply you with a single mask or a registered pair (black and white) of masks for each marking. These markings were unique to the plane, some were huge and some were to a standard spec that you may and may not be able to find. I have some so ask when ordering.

Positions of these markings were located at the midpoints between wing tip and nacelle centerlines on the underside of many bombers as a rule of thumb, top sides were measured specifically.  Fuse side markings were usually located at the midpoint as well between wing TE and Stab LE. This is where you get the calipers out and a calculator when looking at your photos.

The Hakenkreuz is specified to be painted as shown.  When ordering, give me the 5C dimension (overall) and quantity.

Numerals and Insignia

Common traits on the Luftwaffe was the Gruppe Identification markings. You might have a kit with a dash or a swirrelly looking mark behind the Balkankreuz on the fuselage.  These marker designate which Gruppe the plane flies with. Nothing after the Balkankreuz signified I. Gruppe, and dash emblem signified II. Gruppe, and the Swirrely Ram Horn looking mark was for III. Gruppe.  There are other markers that were used as late as 1943, but they tended to be on the older planes.

The Chevrons, Bars, and Circles were markers of rank in the Geschwader or within the Gruppe.  If you are modeling a specific officers plane and he held a high rank such as Kommodore, you might see the double nested chevron, while a single chevron was an Adjutant; add a circle and it becomes the technical officer (TO).

Each plane within a Gruppe had a numeral on the side, colored according to the JG. squadron.  The 4th squadron of JG. 1 had Red (RLM 23) numbers, while the 8th had Blue (RLM 24). The 12th of JG. 1 also had Blue numbers, so that does not necessarily mean that the color specified the squadron.  These Numeral colors were White, Red, Black, Green, Gray, Blue, Brown, Gold, and Yellow, and could be bordered in White or Black.  The numbers were applied with a slight forward angle on each side and were sized differently from squadron to squadron. This is an area where a good side view photo will come in handy. For Black and White photo documentation, there are references to help determine if you are looking at a White or Yellow, or Red or Black numeral. 

K. Merrick has a good book published by classic colors Vol. II Camoflage and Markings of the Luftwaffe. It has several paint chip swatches with it that solves many a problem.  A bit pricey, but it gives you the detailed info you might need when compiling documentation.  If you have trouble with this let me know and I might be able to find what you are needing.

When you need a spray mask made of these numerals, a good photo is a must from you. I can work with digital photos and scans, just make sure they are legible resolutions.

Nose Art and Insignias

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