From the moment I cracked the box on Pacific Coast’s Fiat G.55, I’ve known exactly which livery I’ve wanted to do – an experimental sand/red-brown/green splinter pattern dating from 1944.

But over the past few days, a doubt’s been nagging at my mind. The splinter camo is indeed striking, but it’s also rather jarring, with large, jagged patches of color that I think confuse the Fiat’s lines. This is more apparent in physical representations – both scale models and actual aircraft – than it is in the profile card.

That doubt’s drawn me more and more to another livery – a G.55 wearing the RLM 74/75/76 camoflage so common to Messerschmitt 109s and Focke Wulf 190s.

The strike against the RLM scheme is its ubiquity. It was to the Luftwaffe what Olive Drab/Neutral Gray was to the USAAF, or Dark Green/Ocean Gray was to the Royal Air Force. At the same time, it’s rarely seen on Italian fighters, and I find it especially flattering to the G.55’s lines, making the fuselage appear longer and sleeker.

Which would you choose? Splinter, or RLM 74/75/76?

Have your say below! The poll is non-binding, since this is my build, but I’ll certainly take popular opinion into account before I start throwing paint!