Monday, October 14, 2013

Chosing the correct wingpattern for a Bf109G-6

The Bf109G-6 was manufactured at three different factories in Germany (and one in Hungary which is outside the scope of this post), each with a distinct style of camouflage that can often quite easily be identified with a little help from other their distinguishing marks. Identifying which factory an aircraft stems from will help pick the correct camouflage pattern for the wings, something that both model companies as well as decal companies are getting wrong, constantly. The profiles has been made to highlight the important main differences. There were many more subtle differences between different batches but that will not be dealt with here, this is supposed to be a rough guide only. 

(Click the pictures for higher resolution versions!)

Messerschmitt Regensburg aircraft can be recognized by the wavy, scalloped demarcationline along the spine which goes down below the canopy, combined with a sort of banded mottle in colors 02, 75 and 74. These aircraft have the same basic camouflage pattern as in 1940! 


WNF aircraft are closest to the official specs for the camouflage pattern. The demarcation line on the spine is more straight, with an even, often soft, mottle. Most noticeable on WNF aircraft is the pattern on the spine with the 74 further back leaving the canopy in 75. The wingpattern is sometimes very angular and sometimes a little softer. Notice both ailerons in 75, breaking the pattern.
Erla aircraft have the most distinct markings and pattern of them all. On these, the canopy is in 74 but the plate in front of the windscreen is very often in 75 leaving a "gap" of 75 between the 74 on the windscreen and enginecowling. Also very distinct is the spotty mottle, very typical for Erla. The crosses on the undersurfaces of the wings has the thin black outline which neither Mtt Regensburg nor WNF aircraft does. Erla built aircraft carries the sawtoothed camouflage pattern. 

10 comments:

  1. Hi Anders! Amazing work. Great to see the different Gustav's also from the top side. Cheers, Simon

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  2. Hi,

    great artwork :-)

    as a side note and background info: the "saw tooth" was a feature of the F & G camouflage layout drawings and was used to define the color demarcation between 74/75/76 as softegded and irregular (not straight) within a band of (IIRC) 100mm width.

    Bye,

    Bernd Willmer.

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  3. I like it, Anders!
    Please add the octan triangles to the top side profiles. ;-)
    Greetings,
    Flc

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  4. on the top profile, the Regensburg example you mention that the duiagonal mottling was 02,74 and 75. Were those seperatly colored bands or was 74,75 applied on top of 02 or some method like that??
    Thanks!!

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  5. The 02 seems to have been sprayed first then 74 and / or 75 on top of the 02. It's hard to tell if both colors were used on top of the 02 though, probably it varied.

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  6. Hi Anders,
    very good work, thank you!
    These differences do not only apply to the G-6 model but the G-14 and the earlier G variants as well, and can even be traced back to the Friedrich, to a certain extent.

    ReplyDelete