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aelius
09-05-2011, 08:07 PM
The pdf shared by 69th Stonehalo prompts me to make a contribution as well.

It is a Bf-110C-4 from 6./ZG 76 stationed in Argos, Greece from where the Haifischgruppe flew in the Balkan campaign. In addition to the shark's mouth, the planes were given yellow identification markings on the engine cowlings and rudders that were retained for the invasion of Greece and Crete in April and May 1941.

Although not appropriate for the Battle of Britain, it is a colorful example of the type and a good plane with which to practice skinning. I used the template for the ZG 26 but, given how little detail is provided, was obliged to overlay it with a checkered pattern and then fly the plane to discover where the various cowling panels were to be placed. The tail rudders and size of the nationality markings were an exercise in repeated experimentation as well.

What one discovers in doing this for the first time is that various representations of the Bf-110 are not consistent. The placement of codes on the fuselage, for example, which have been taken from Messerschmitt Me-110 from 1939 to 1945 by Dominique Breffort and Andre Jouineau, simply cannot be reconciled with the model in IL-2. Or, for that matter, with a similar example in The Messerschmitt Bf 110 in Color Profile, 1939-1945 by John Vasco and Fernando Estanislau--two of the best books for skinnng the Bf-110. Interestingly, the placement of insignia in IL-2 is not consistent either, with the balkenkreuz on the upper and lower wing surfaces wandering from type to type. I should say, by the way, that the most difficult mark to construct accurately is the hakenkreuz, virtually all the examples of which are asymmetrical.

Although a great deal of time is required and the repeated placement of insignia is numbingly tedious, skinning a plane truly is exhilarating. And I thank the developers for making such beautiful examples available, especially the Bf-110, Ju-87, and He-111, although, in comparison, the Me-109 seems unexpectedly bland. I only wish that they or some community member would provide detailed blank templates for all aircraft types. And that the mottled grey camouflage pattern (RLM 71/02), which became more prevalent during the Battle of Britain, could be exemplified as well.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/Bf-110C_6ZG76.jpg

You can download a template for the 6./ZG 76 here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/6ZG76-1.jpg).

Das Attorney
09-05-2011, 09:33 PM
That's excellent work - cheers! :)

LcSummers
09-06-2011, 03:17 PM
Nice work of another 110.

Ze-Jamz
09-06-2011, 03:21 PM
The front of that thing just says 'Pain'..

Nice skin m8

aelius
09-12-2011, 05:58 PM
My second skin and now its first patch!

When I first posted Anton-Paula from 6./ZG76, the image had been taken from Breffort and Jouineau, Me 110 from 1939 to 1945, which illustrates the Haifischgruppe in the yellow livery of the Balkan campaigns. This particular plane was flown by Hauptmann Heinz Nacke (who was awarded the Knight's Cross in November 1940) and combines the traditional post-Battle of Britain camouflage colors with the yellow markings of the Balkan campaigns. A handsome plane it is, but I neglected to color the spinner tips to match the yellow identification letter of the Staffel. I've corrected that in the link to the plane in my original post and again here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/6ZG76-1.jpg).

More to the point, the artist rendered the plane with the entire nose in yellow and the tips of the wings uncolored. An illustration from Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstorer Aces of World War 2 by John Weal, however, shows only the hinged gun-bay cover in yellow, as well as the propeller back plates, a scheme supported by a photograph from Vasco and Estanislau, The Messerschmitt Bf 110 in Color Profile 1939-1945, which shows a sister ship of M8+AP in the foreground.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/M8CP.jpg

In the colored illustration that accompanies the picture, the back plate is white (mistakenly, I suspect) and, although the undersides of the wings are not visible, Weal depicts the tips in yellow (but with no identifying letter). I've redone the plane, this time following his scheme, a link to which is here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/6ZG76rev.jpg).

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/6ZG76screenshot.jpg

Nacke's plane has been illustrated several times, and one is struck by the fact that none of the illustrations are consistent. But it is understandable, given that they all depend upon often grainy black-and-white photographs. Nor is my replication any more exact. Coloring the underside of the left engine nacelle introduces a splinter of yellow on the outer rear of the right nacelle (a fact that took some time to discover). But it cannot be eliminated without affecting the coloring of the nacelle itself. The supercharger intake also is painted but that, too, cannot be corrected. And the leading edge slats affect the coloring of the under-wing tips. None of these artifacts will be readily apparent, but it is annoying that I don't have the skill to eliminate them.

Xilon_x
09-12-2011, 06:18 PM
please post the skin the real skin use in battle of brittain sceanario and not BALKANS.
a comple list of skin use in battle of brittain.
the game clift of dover not have map of BALKANS but have only ENGLAND MAP.

aelius
09-12-2011, 06:47 PM
As I said, the 6./ZG76 is one of the most colorful examples of the Bf-110C-4, which is why I chose the type. Certainly, one doesn't have to fly it in the Battle of Britain. For me, it simply made for a pleasing screenshot.

In the future, though, I'll only post planes that actually fought in the battle.

No1 Cheese
09-12-2011, 07:35 PM
:rolleyes:

Lovely job,many thanks.

Cheese

Gamekeeper
09-12-2011, 08:33 PM
please post the skin the real skin use in battle of brittain sceanario and not BALKANS.
a comple list of skin use in battle of brittain.
the game clift of dover not have map of BALKANS but have only ENGLAND MAP.

Bit rude mate!

Xilon_x
09-13-2011, 12:16 PM
cheesehawk because is worng topic...........
ORIGINAL TOPIC IS----SKIN AND REPAINTS FOR BOB COD.---
NOT IS ----SKIN AND REPAINTS FOR BALKANS COD.---

you after create confusion.
not just order.

if you want post another tipe of skin open NEW POST.
i like if you post complete list of AXIS and ALLIED real skin use in BOB.

kristorf
09-13-2011, 12:24 PM
please post the skin the real skin use in battle of brittain sceanario and not BALKANS.
a comple list of skin use in battle of brittain.
the game clift of dover not have map of BALKANS but have only ENGLAND MAP.

Does it really matter what theatre the scheme is from?

Unless you are flying on an historical online server its up to the individual what he/she flies.

Nice work on the 110's mate

JG52Krupi
09-13-2011, 03:56 PM
Wow very nice, top work is the second picture taken in the beat patch?

Kobold10
09-13-2011, 04:43 PM
Does it really matter what theatre the scheme is from?

Unless you are flying on an historical online server its up to the individual what he/she flies.

Nice work on the 110's mate

I totally agree! Let the users devide what skin they wan´t to fly with. I apreciate that skin very much. Great work! Thanks a lot!:grin:

Kobold10
09-13-2011, 04:46 PM
Does it really matter what theatre the scheme is from?

Unless you are flying on an historical online server its up to the individual what he/she flies.

Nice work on the 110's mate

I totally agree! Let the users select what skin they wan´t to fly with. I apreciate that skin very much. Great work! Thanks a lot!:grin:

almg
09-13-2011, 08:41 PM
Goog evening everybody ;)

Beautiful skin aelius: THANKS !

Alban

aelius
09-15-2011, 06:48 PM
Much of the appeal of the Bf-110C-4 is the variety of formulated color schemes. The original camouflage pattern, which was the livery of the aircraft from its introduction until mid-1940, is represented in Cliffs of Dover by the Haifischgruppe from 6./ZG 76 (ZG76_II, but without the shark's mouth). It is a splinter pattern of black green RLM 70 (schwarzgrun) over dark green RLM 71 (dunkelgrun) that extended almost completely down the sides of the fuselage, where it merged with the under-carriage in light blue RLM 65 (hellblau).

But the contrast between the two darker colors was not sufficiently distinct, and just before the Battle of Britain a new splinter scheme was introduced in which RLM 70 was replaced by gray green RLM 02 (grau). The demarcation line was raised higher on the fuselage and the sides given a random pattern of blotches in RLM 71 or RLM 02. This is the scheme represented by RLM02_71_65 (hence the name) and ZG26, which has the white nose used at the end of the Battle to provide quicker aircraft recognition. About the same time, a variation was introduced: gray-green (RLM 02) continued to be used on the upper surface, but the light-blue RLM 65 of the under-carriage was extended, without the mottled pattern, up the sides of the fuselage. This scheme is represented by ZG26_III_Stab.

Another type of camouflage appeared during the Battle, however, that is not exemplified in Cliffs of Dover. Instead of green, three shades of gray were used: RLM 74 (dunkelgrau), RLM 75 (mittelgrau), and RLM 76 (lichtgrau) on the underside in a mottled array of more-or-less dense patches. By 1941, these colors were used in a splinter pattern: RLM 74 against a background of RLM 75 on the upper surface, with the same colors mottled on the sides of the fuselage, and RLM 76 on the under-carriage. It is an attractive if somewhat subdued scheme and virtually identical to its green counterpart, although difficult to discern in photographs of the time (at least, on the Bf-110).

An example of this new gray pattern is 2N + AP from 9./ZG 76, which crash landed in Britain on August 16, 1940. Interestingly, the letter "P" has been retained as part of the fuselage code, which properly should have been changed to "T" when the plane was re-designated from 6./ZG 1. Three small wasps (Wespen) decorate the nose.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/9ZG76_2N_AP.jpg

Although not as flamboyant as Necke's 6./ZG76, this is a satisfying skin, given how relatively few examples of historical types there are from which to work. One first must find a Bf-110C-4, then one that flew in the Battle of Britain and in the color scheme being illustrated. Ideally, there also should be more than a single example so as to allow a proper comparison. It is a process that quickly reduces the number of planes from which to chose, especially since there was only one theater of operations: aerial combat over southeastern England from July through October 1940.

But such a narrow moment need not be a limitation. One can fly a plane in virtually any livery. And, if I don't look down upon the broad, sunlit uplands of the English countryside, I can imagine myself over Russia or the Mediterranean, perhaps next time in a sand-colored Bf-110C-4 that took part in the Libyan campaign.

A link to the 9./ZG 76 is here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/9ZG76.jpg).

csThor
09-16-2011, 06:14 AM
I disagree about RLM 74 and 75 being used before 1941. The combination was not specified by RLM before early 1941 and was introduced into the production process in April of the year.
During the BoB a number of Zerstörer units still used aircraft with the standard 1939 camouflage pattern (RLM 70/71 over RLM 65 with low demarcation line - as you said) while new aircraft were already painted in the 1940 standard camouflage pattern (RLM 71/02 over RLM 65 with high demarcation line and fuselage mottling). Any other "grey" schemes were most probably mixed from whatever was available - JG 26 is a prime example for this practice.

aelius
09-16-2011, 09:24 AM
Given the muddle in the literature, I was obliged to hedge my remarks.

In the preface to The Messerschmitt Bf 110 in Color Profile 1939-1945, Vasco and Estanislau say that

"During the middle of 1941, culminating in an official instruction in November, new colours for the camouflage started to appear. The lighter and greyish RLM 74 and 75 would replace the previous dark greenish colours. For the undersides, a lighter RLM 76 blue would replace the previous RLM 65. However, it is not uncommon to clearly see both camouflages on different aircraft together in the same photograph. As a result, especially during this period, many times it was impossible to distinguish which of the two colour combinations the aircraft was painted in."

They then describe the 2N+AP, based on a photograph of the downed aircraft dated August 16, 1940 on which I based my skin, as follows: "The lighter colour on the fuselage sides, becoming more prevalent on a lot of Bf 110s as the Battle of Britain progressed, is evident on this machine."

Breffort and Jouineau (Me 110 from 1939 to 1945) embrace the same seeming contradiction. In a discussion of Bf-110 camouflage they say that

"It was at the beginning of 1941 that a new type of camouflage (the so-called 'type 5') appeared on the Luftwaffe's daytime fighters consisting of three shades of grey (RLM 74 Dunkelgrau, RLM 75 Mittelgrau on the upper surfaces and RLM 76 Lichtgrau underneath), with more or less dense patches (RLM 74, 75 or 02) often being added on the fuselage sides and the fins. These three colours were painted according to a single scheme and as with the previous one, comprised dark (RLM 74) sharp-angled patches on a middle grey (RLM 75) background."

But they, too, illustrate the same 2N+AP (which is why it always is better to have at least two examples before skinning) for "summer 1940." Another Bf-110 from July 1940 "sports the later type of camouflage which appeared on the Bf 110s during the Battle of Britain, and was made up of three shades of grey (RLM 74, 75 and 76) with the sides covered in more or less dense patches."

Here, then, we have the new scheme of RLM 74, 75, and 76 being introduced either at the beginning (as you say) or the middle of 1941 but illustrations showing these colors in use by the summer of 1940, which is why I used the phrase "by 1941."

csThor
09-16-2011, 09:37 AM
Illustrations are not really reliable for colours ... same thing goes for RAF reports on crashed german aircraft since they only state rather "general" things about colours (i.e. "grey colour" - RLM 02 is a greyish tone, RLM 74 is grey, RLM 75 is grey, etc etc). ;)

aelius
09-16-2011, 05:18 PM
I certainly agree with you, csThor, about illustrations not necessarily being reliable. My experience skinning and then having to re-skin the 6./ZG76 is evidence of that. Only a photograph allowed me to determine which of the two illustrations was the more accurate.

But in the absence of such confirmation, the artist's illustration usually is the only source from which to work, reliable or not. I am skinning a plane (3U + GS) from 8./ZG 26, for example, and there is no agreement even to the version let alone the correct color!

aelius
09-18-2011, 08:37 PM
One final skin to complete the daytime camouflage patterns of the Bf-110C-4: a plane from 8./ZG 26 that flew in September 1942. It had been repainted for the Libyan campaign in RLM 79 (sandgelb) with the underside in RLM 78 (hellblau).

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/3U_GS.jpg

There is no agreement as to the actual color scheme and even some uncertainty as to the variant. On the basis of the photograph below, which shows a dust filter on the port wing, Vasco and Estanislau have concluded that the plane is a tropicalized E-4. They illustrate it with the sand-colored camouflage extending over the whole of the fuselage, including the engine nacelles, with only the underside of the wings in light blue.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/3UGS.jpg

All this would seem to be correct and reasonably preclude the plane being skinned as a C-4. Breffort and Jouineau, however, identify it as just that type. They retain the under-carriage in RLM 78, although not as robin's-egg blue. Nor do they color the spinner tip and or the under-wing letter (as rendered by Estanislau). And, in spite of the photographic evidence, they place the hakenkreuz far too high on the tail fins. If ever there was a plane to prove csThor's dictum that illustrations are not really reliable for colors, it is this one.

It goes without saying that 3U+GS is not appropriate for the Battle of Britain. But for those who might want to pretend that they are flying over the shores of Tripoli or simply enjoy a different screenshot, I hope it proves satisfactory.

It is available here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/8ZG26.jpg).

aelius
09-21-2011, 03:19 AM
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/G9+GA/photo_1.jpg

Although woefully inadequate against the more nimble Spitfire and Hurricane, the Bf-110 did prove itself an excellent night fighter.

The badge so prominently displayed on the nose identifies the Nachtjagdgeschwader, which was established in the summer of 1940. Its Englandblitz derived from the family coat of arms of Hauptmann Wolfgang Falck (falke, "falcon" in German), kommodore of its first unit, I./NJG 1. Although he was awarded the Knight's Cross, it was more in recognition of his later administrative abilities than for his seven victories as a Zerstorer pilot, all of which, ironically, were won flying in daytime.

This particular plane, G9+GA, was the first to be painted overall in black, the green letter "G" a carryover from Falck's earlier combat flying and against regulations.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/G9+GA/screenshot_1.jpg

Depictions of the plane show eight and even nine bars, possibly because some of his RAF kills were not confirmed. I've retained the eight that were painted on the tail: three won in Poland, four in Britain (one of which later was determined to be unconfirmed), and one in Denmark.

Falck's night fighter can be downloaded here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/G9+GA/template.jpg).

Here is a screenshot.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/G9+GA/screenshot_2.jpg

aelius
09-23-2011, 06:39 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/1NJG3screenshot.jpg

This Bf-110C-4 was stationed in Libya when, after heavy losses during the Battle of Britain, LG 1 was disbanded and, retaining its unit code, reformed as 1./NJG 3. A photograph (below) shows the plane being repaired on an airfield at Benghazi in May 1941.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/1NJGphoto.jpg

Based on the photo, one wonders why Breffort and Jouineau (and others) do not retain the prominent white tailfins, as have Vasco and Estanislau, who also render the port-side undercarriage wheel door in white.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/1NJG3alt2screenshot.jpg

The lighter underside of the tail has led some to assume that the entire section must have been replaced and so color the upper surface with a corresponding splinter pattern, although there is no support for such a scheme (at least, on the basis of this photograph).

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/1NJG3altscreenshot.jpg

The mixed array of colors does make for an interesting skin, however--and, of course, there is the owl perched on a crescent moon.

L1+DH in black can be downloaded here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/1NJG3.jpg), with its splinter tail section here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/1NJG3_alt.jpg), and with a black upper tail surface and lighter underside here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/NJG3_alt2.jpg).

MoGas
09-26-2011, 09:11 AM
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb247/mike4120/2011-07-15193352.jpg

well done on NJG1, my picture shows my grandfather infront of his plane, he was in the NJG4, navi--reargunner, in the 110 later JU-88. I dont have a better picture now, I cant see the rear numbers well, and I dont know if infront of the nose patch, if it is a Nr. like II, I dont know, but it would be cool to have this skin aelius.....;)

thank you for now I fly with the NJG1 skin, awsom job...:grin:

aelius
09-26-2011, 09:18 PM
With my compliments, MoGas, here's your personal mount.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/NJG%20II/NJGIIscreenshot.jpg

The letters on the fuselage are not readily visible, but we know that the unit code for NJG 4 was 3C. The third letter may be an outlined "E." The letter identifying the staffel is completely illegible, so I have your grandfather flying in the plane of the Geschwader Stab.

Another old photograph from the period might have looked like this.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/NJG%20II/NJGIIphoto.jpg

Although the plane's identifying letter is not shown under the wings, I did add it to the template, which is here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/NJG%20II/NJGIItemplate.jpg).

Sven
09-26-2011, 10:11 PM
Thanks for all these skins mate! I really like them and appreciate your efforts!

Keep it up :grin:

aelius
09-26-2011, 10:15 PM
Thank you.

The encouragement is appreciated.

MoGas
09-27-2011, 03:13 AM
AWSOME aelius, thank you very much!

best regards
MoGas

aelius
09-28-2011, 07:11 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/NJG%204/NJG4screenshot.jpg

Belonging to 7./NJG 4, this nightfighter is an E-type that was based at Mainz-Finthen in the summer of 1942. The plane has been profiled several times in the literature, usually with its unit code in gray, although Breffort and Jouineau display the characters in red. It is this uncertainty that makes the plane so intriguing: discerning which color is correct, as both look almost the same in a black-and-white photograph.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/NJG4photo.jpg

In this grainy photo of 3C+AR on the ground, I've superimposed RLM 02 (grau) and RLM 23 (rot) in gray scale so one can see how similar they are.

But if rendering unit codes in color can be problematic, deciphering them is less so: "3C" designates Nachtjagdgeschwader 4; the letter "A," which is outlined in the color the Staffel (white), the particular aircraft in the squadron (and flown by its Staffelkapitan); and "R," 7 Staffel, III Gruppe. The spinner tips also are in the color of the Staffel, which no doubt made the plane a bit more visible when lined up on a darkened runway.

The Englandblitz on the nose is larger and less bomb-shaped on the planes of NJG 4 and moved farther back on the fuselage, under the canopy. I've made this change for 3C+AR, which can be downloaded here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/NJG%204/NJG4template.jpg).

MoGas
09-29-2011, 06:16 AM
very nice aelius, I see my grandfather this friday (92years old) I will ask him about the codes and colors (hope he still knows it), where they are based and soo on...

:)

aelius
09-29-2011, 04:07 PM
Ask him specifically about the number of his Staffel--and if he has any more pictures.

aelius
10-01-2011, 04:21 PM
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/photo_3.jpg

This is one of my favorite planes, a Bf-110 that flew in southern Russia in 1943. The unit code is Q1+VB, which indicates that it belonged to NAGr.1 (Nahaufklärungsgruppen were short-range reconnaissance units). The Staffel letter "B" signifies I Gruppe Stab.

There is some uncertainty as to the variant, however, and the plane has been variously described as either an F (which seems likely, given the apparent absence of the cooling intake above the exhaust), G-2, or G-3. The Bf-110G had the more powerful but problematic DB 605B engine, which tended to overheat. The cowlings, although virtually the same size as in the older model, were therefore fitted with two small inlets just above and in front of the exhaust pipes. This, and the location of the pitot tube, which is used to determine airspeed (and was positioned at the end of the wing on the G), are the most obvious diagnostic differences between the two models--assuming the grainy black-and-white photographs of the time allow them to be recognized. Of course, all this is a bit beside the point, given that a C-4 is being skinned.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/screenshot_5.jpg

In this picture, the caption indicates that the plane is a G-2. The engine has caught fire while being started, and the ground crew is looking on rather cautiously as one member approaches with a hose. It is the only photograph I have, but when Bryan Philpott's German Fighters over Russia arrives, there should be more photos from which to work.

I am not quite certain about the camouflage scheme and, for the time being, have patterned the fuselage after airplane models but without the mottling. For now, there is only a screenshot. The spinners have been rendered in green, the color of the Gruppe Stab, with two-thirds of the white hub in black, as shown in the photograph. Although more accurate, the overlay does give the spinning hub a certain epilepsy-inducing quality when the plane is flown.

Even though wrapping the bony fingers over the upper portion of the nose was a challenge, the skeletal hand reaching out toward its prey has made for a satisfying skin.

Sven
10-01-2011, 06:08 PM
Wow that's a beautiful skin!

Hope to see it soon to my collection soon! :grin:

LcSummers
10-02-2011, 09:32 AM
Dont think twice,

lets get her. It would be nice to have this too!!

PS: Thanks for your other great Bf 110 skins.

Plt Off JRB Meaker
10-02-2011, 12:49 PM
Nice skin,and what a superb screenshot!:grin:

aelius
10-02-2011, 04:38 PM
I do thank you for the compliments.

Both giving and receiving is what makes this community so satisfying.

aelius
10-12-2011, 11:14 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/Frantisek/hurricanescreenshot-1.jpg

”Poles and Czechs were not permitted to participate in the air fighting until they had mastered the rudiments of the English language and flying procedures. When they did start operations, these homeless men, motivated often by a hatred bordering upon despair, fought with a terrible and merciless dedication.”
Len Deighton, Fighter

Sergeant Joseph František was a Czech pilot who, after fighting the Germans in Poland and France, was assigned at his request to the Polish 303 Squadron, where he became the fourth-highest scoring ace in the Battle of Britain. Given his undisciplined tendency to break rank in pursuit of the enemy, it was thought less dangerous to his colleagues if František were to continue with the squadron as their "guest," flying patrols on his own.

On September 2, 1940, only a month after being posted, he shot down the first of seventeen German planes (and a final probable), a feat all the more remarkable in that they occurred within a single month of the four-month long battle. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, a bar was posthumously added after František's death on October 8, a day after his twenty-seventh birthday.

Here, the plane is not as interesting as the person. This is František's first mount and one of several Hurricane Mk Is that he flew, including a damaged plane that crashed during landing and the one in which he died.

RFU can be downloaded here (http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/Frantisek/HurricanMkIA.jpg).

aelius
10-13-2011, 01:48 AM
It's a perfectly legitimate question, cheesehawk.

I wanted to keep all the skins in one place, as there are more to come. Do you or the other senior members have any suggestions as to organizing one's posts? (It seems that I can't change the title of the thread itself to better indicate its content, and "Bf-110C-4 from 6./ZG 76" is not likely to attract any readers!)

Perhaps I should pull the post and establish a new thread for the Brits.

Gourmand
10-13-2011, 01:12 PM
great skin!!! , but why in 1024*1024 and not the max size possible ( 2048*2048 )?

have you 2048*2048 version?

aelius
10-13-2011, 05:09 PM
Gourmand, I do thank you for bringing this unwelcome change in file size to my attention.

I am working from the original CoD template, which is 2048 x 2048 (and 72 pixels/inch resolution). The resulting skin has the same dimensions.

But in uploading these files to Photobucket, it seems (now that I read the fine print) that they automatically are reduced to 1024 x 1024 points and limited in size to 1 Mb.

I'll have to upload them again, of course, but at least it would give me a chance to tidy up the thread. Or it may be easier simply to create a new one and start over.

If I could edit the title of the original thread, Bf-110C-4 from 6./ZG 76 (which becomes less and less appropriate as new skins are added), I probably would simply go back and update the original links and then summarize the changes in a new post. But am I correct in understanding that the name of the thread cannot be changed?

Here (http://www.mediafire.com/?387gzd2rl92fh8f) is the same Hurricane template--this time from MediaFire at 2048 x 2048.

aelius
10-13-2011, 09:54 PM
The moderator has been good enough to change the title of this thread to better reflect the addition of new skins and not simply the one that initiated it.

I also will post a summary page with links to all the revised 2048 x 2048 templates. And now that Philpott's book on German fighters in Russia has arrived, there will be a new template for the skeletal Bf-110 of NAGr.1.

kristorf
10-13-2011, 10:45 PM
Set up a free account here mate http://www.postimage.org/ , it keeps the original size but posts on forums smaller until you click on the image

aelius
10-14-2011, 09:39 PM
Thanks for the suggestion, kristorf.

Postimage certainly presents a less cluttered page than MediaFire and has a good interface. But it, too, reduces the resolution of uploaded files.

Gourmand
10-15-2011, 08:30 AM
i confirm postimage reduce jpg and corrupt file... when i would centralize kristorf's work their skin, i must re-save by gimp ;)

Aelius you can upload to my site in my sign youre 2024*2024, and you can point your work here :

http://www.cliffsofdover.fr/?recherche=Aelius&filtre_realisme=-1&trie=date
they are no reduce, no zip, no wait to dowload, a counter of dl...

aelius
10-15-2011, 04:52 PM
Having tried several more services and discovering each one to have a deficiency of one sort or another, I plan to take advantage of Gourmand's offer to upload to Cliffs of Dover, as well as to Gamekeeper's earlier invitation to post on Airwarfare: Storm of War.

I'll be posting here first, of course, and link to the other sites.

Again, thanks to the community for its support and encouragement.

addman
10-17-2011, 08:57 PM
Great nightfighter skin Aelius! Looking forward to downloading the 2048x2048 version.

aelius
10-19-2011, 08:22 PM
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/photo_2.jpg

It is unusual for a plane such as Q1+VB to be so elusive as to type. It has been described as an F when those external features that otherwise would identify it as a G are not visible and even then, either as a G-2 or G-3 sub-variant, the latter presumably because the plane was attached to NAGr.1, which was a reconnaissance unit, and the G-3 was configured for that role, having cameras in place of the MG 151 canons.

The confusion is understandable, given that all the pictures derive from a single sequence of photographs, which were taken, one suspects, only because the port engine of Q1+VB happened to catch fire when the cameraman was present. In some, the plane is obscured by smoke but others allow it to be identified as a G-2, most authoritatively by Rosch in Luftwaffe Codes, Markings & Units 1939-1945.

Although there were variations in the transition from the F-type, there are several features that represent the G-2 alone (there was no G-1): the location of the wing pitots and, less obviously, the small air scoop in front of the exhaust pipes; the three circular instrument windows on the engine cowling that were replaced by a single triangular window; and the fairing that surrounded the air inlet on the nose.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/screenshot_4.jpg

What is most apparent, however, is the dual barrel MG 81Z (for zwilling, twin) machine gun in the rear cockpit, which now opened from the side, characteristics that are most evident in this picture. (Note the binoculars around the neck of the observer.)

Modelers typically present the plane in a splinter camouflage pattern, either in gray green (RLM 02) over dark green (RLM 71) or, more correctly, splintered in gray (RLM 75 over RLM 74). I followed the latter scheme, mottling the colors to better replicate the photographs of the time (but also omitting the skeletal fingers on the top of the engine cowlings).

It can be downloaded in its original 2048 x 2048 format here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/template_2.jpg).

LcSummers
10-20-2011, 12:31 PM
aelius this is a wonderfull skin. Thanks for your hard work. Nice one.

Do you intend to make one with the Wespe? Are you focused only on the 110 or later on other aircraft?

Thanks again for giving us another nice skin and please do not forget to keep up your great work;)

aelius
10-20-2011, 03:25 PM
Eventually, I do intend to offer the Wespe and have been working on the insignia (as I can bring myself to return to it) for the past week or so.

But if wrapping the skeletal hand around two surfaces was challenging, trying to align all the bits when they cover the sides, top, bottom, and nose of the plane is an exercise in frustration, especially given the template with which one has to work. Even then, the image begins to distort and the lines become irregular as they are applied over a three-dimensional surface.

As to the Bf-110, the model seems particularly detailed and, inspired by the work of Shado and Graf, a natural place to start. It also is a flamboyant plane, with its yellow cowlings, unit codes and insignia, camouflage schemes, chevrons and theater bands. This is why skinning just for the Battle of Britain is too restrictive. (There would be more opportunities, too, if the developers offered a Bf-110D, which also saw limited action.)

The Wespe probably will be the last of the Bf-110 skins, aside from an occasional change in nose art. Now that they are being made available in their correct 2048 x 2048 format, I have a chance to review them again. When that's done, it will be time for the Messerschmitt Bf-109 and Spitfire.

A confession: I do not have Shado's expertise and am skinning for myself, as well as the community. But my own interest is the resulting screenshot, and I am less concerned, for example, about the color of the spinning propellers. The hubs of Q1+VB are blurred so they will be appropriate for the picture, but it is an awkward look when they are not turning.

The fact that the planes offer a completely different experience for those who actually fly them in combat is a measure of how satisfying Cliffs of Dover can be for us all.

And even I appreciate the new sounds.

aelius
10-21-2011, 09:24 PM
All the templates finally have been uploaded in their correct 2048 x 2048 format to both Air War Fare (http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php?searchword=aelius&ordering=&searchphrase=all&Itemid=1&option=com_search)and Cliffs of Dover (http://www.cliffsofdover.fr/?recherche=aelius&filtre_realisme=-1&trie=date&perso_nom=aelius), where they are grouped under "aelius."

Aside from the higher resolution, some minor changes have been made, which are described below.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/6ZG76-2.jpg

Several maddenly elusive bits of color splintering that originally had defied discovery have been corrected.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/9ZG76-1.jpg


http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/8ZG26-1.jpg


http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/NJG1.jpg

The yellow identification band introduced a splash of color on the spinners and, although not visible in flight, has been redrawn.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/1NJG3-1.jpg

The curious replacement tail, which retained its original camouflage scheme, is what made this plane so interesting. But it later was repainted and now is shown completely in black.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/7NJG4.jpg

Skinned to demonstrate the difficulty in distinguishing between tones in a black-and-white photograph, the Staffel letter now is red instead of gray.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/hurricanefrantisek.jpg

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/NAGr1.jpg

The unit code has been made smaller and a more mottled camouflage scheme applied to better correspond to the historical antecedent.

aelius
10-25-2011, 01:55 AM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/Spitfire/SpitfireMkIAscreenshot-1.jpg

Once again, the pilot is more interesting than the plane, here the Spitfire Mk1A of "Sailor" Malan, with its narrow yellow ring on the fuselage roundels and extended "P."

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/Spitfire/SpitfireMkIAphoto.jpg

Leader of No. 74 Squadron and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with Bar, the South African was the most influential pilot in 11 Group and author of a set of tactical rules that were posted throughout the dispersal huts of Fighter Command.

1. Wait until you see the whites of his eyes. Fire short bursts of 1 to 2 seconds and only when your sights are definitely 'ON.'

2. Whilst shooting think of nothing else, brace the whole of the body, have both hands on the stick, concentrate on your ring sight.

3. Always keep a sharp lookout. "Keep your finger out!"

4. Height gives You the initiative.

5. Always turn and face the attack.

6. Make your decisions promptly. It is better to act quickly even though your tactics are not the best.

7. Never fly straight and level for more than 30 seconds in the combat area.

8. When diving to attack always leave a proportion of your formation above to act as top guard.

9. INITIATIVE, AGGRESSION, AIR DISCIPLINE, and TEAM WORK are words that MEAN something in Air Fighting.

10. Go in quickly--Punch hard--Get out!

"Sailor" Malan took his nickname from having been in the Mercantile Marine as a teenager, the sobriquet certainly preferable to his given name of "Adolf."

ZPA can be downloaded either here (http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&Itemid=53&view=viewdownload&catid=48&cid=182) or here (http://www.cliffsofdover.fr/?recherche=Malan&filtre_realisme=-1&trie=date&perso_nom=aelius).

kristorf
10-25-2011, 09:29 AM
Nice mate, but can I just say that ZP-A had the night/day half white half black underside

http://s6.postimage.org/aietafxxd/malen.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/gjci7ikjh/full/)
image host (http://www.postimage.org/)

aelius
10-25-2011, 07:37 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/Spitfire/spitfirescreenshot-1.jpg

I can see, kristorf, that I need some rules myself!

I had looked, though, at a dozen or so models and profiles before beginning, although most did not show the undercarriage. And I was muddled in my understanding of the one (http://www.raf74.com/aircraft.php) that did. When it was stated there that the underside of fighters in 74 Squadron changed to Sky during the Battle of Britain, I didn't appreciate that it applied only to the starboard wing.

I see that the roundel on your port wing is the same as on the fuselage and not the Type A used in the CoD template. Did the yellow band provide better contrast against the darker background? And isn't it curious that only the wing is painted in CoD and not the length of the undercarriage.

In the future, I'll leave the RAF in your more capable hands and return to the painted ladies of the Luftwaffe!

(Your image host, by the way, still is postimage.org, which you were kind enough to recommend earlier. Do you find that the site does, in fact, support 2048 x 2048 uploads? My one experience was that it did not. I ask because, if changes are to be made, it would be better if only I were inconvenienced in having to make them.)

The revised Spit can be found here (http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&Itemid=53&view=viewdownload&catid=48&cid=182) or here (http://www.cliffsofdover.fr/?recherche=malan&filtre_realisme=-1&trie=date&perso_nom=aelius).

kristorf
10-25-2011, 11:06 PM
Depending on the time frame for the manufacture/painting of the aircraft there were several versions of the night/day underside.
Some had only the port wing painted, some were the full half black while some had the aileron on the port side painted white and starboard painted black against an opposing black or white wing.

As for the roundel, I have no idea as to why there was the yellow ring around it, but again this differs on differant aircraft with some having a narrow band (as per ZP-A) and some having bands that extended to the leading edge.

RAF schemes can be, contrary to what some say, interesting, but you need to be prepared to dig for them.

aelius
11-04-2011, 08:48 PM
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/screenshot_1.jpg

In the Photo Archive to Luftwaffe Camouflage and Markings 1933-1945, Kenneth Merrick includes a large captioned photograph of Q1+VB, which he identifies as a F-2 sub-variant, although the plane usually is described as a G-2.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/photo_1.jpg

The two sub-variants essentially were the same except for the more powerful (but problematic) DB 605B engine of the G-2, which required the addition of an air inlet above the exhaust pipes that seems to be visible in the photograph. The F-2 was fitted with hard points beneath the wings but so was the G-2.

Merrick does observe that the undersides of the wing tips were yellow, and in the photograph one can just discern the coloring. But he goes on to say that the spinner tips were yellow as well, indicating that the plane belonged to the Stab of III.Gruppe. Given how much darker the tips appear to be when compared to the yellow band at the rear of the fuselage, they more likely were green, the color of I.Gruppe Stab, an attribution seemingly confirmed by the white "V" and Staffel letter "B."

NAGr.1 was a Nahaufklärungsgruppen (reconnaissance unit) and one wonders, looking at the photograph, whether the apparent absence of gun ports for the two 20mm canons signifies that the plane was fitted instead with a camera, in which case the sub-variant would be a F-3 or G-3. All of this, of course, is completely beside the point, given that the plane being skinned is a C-4!

I've reskinned Q1+VB with the underwing tips in yellow, moved in the Balkenkreuze, and, with yellow now displayed on the undercarriage, closed the tail band around the fuselage. The RLM 74/75 mottling over RLM 76 also has been darkened. The revised color scheme is available here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/template_1.jpg).

Here are some additional screenshots.


http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/screenshot_2.jpg

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/screenshot_3.jpg

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Bf-110/Q1+VB/screenshot_4.jpg

I've just discovered "Piece of Cake," by the way, a six-part miniseries produced by London Weekend Television in 1988. Our British cousins likely have known about the program all along but for me it's been a treat to see so many Spitfires in the air.

TomcatViP
11-05-2011, 02:57 PM
Very informative too. Thx !

LcSummers
11-06-2011, 03:51 PM
Hi aelius,

after installing your revised skin of Q1+VB i have a problem with the spinner. The top of the spinners are not any more green, thhey are now white or natural. Its not only your aircraft i found it on some skins from GRAF too.
Any suggestions?

Some are as they should be, some are not.
Thanks

LC

aelius
11-06-2011, 05:18 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/skeletal2/hubs.jpg

Here is the spinner hub that was created originally, replicating the one in the photograph. As you can see, two thirds are black and one third white with a green tip. Although appropriate for the plane at rest, the hub flickers when turning, and I blurred the edges so that it would look better in flight.

Is this what you are seeing, LcSummers?

LcSummers
11-06-2011, 05:32 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/skeletal2/hubs.jpg

Here is the spinner hub that was created originally, replicating the one in the photograph. As you can see, two thirds are black and one third white with a green tip. Although appropriate for the plane at rest, the hub flickers when turning, and I blurred the edges so that it would look better in flight.

Is this what you are seeing, LcSummers?



No, sorry its not. The spinner is olive drab and the green portion is white/metal.

This occurs when flying and watching your skin when plane is selected.


PS: Template is original but when selecting, spinner changes.

aelius
11-06-2011, 06:53 PM
I've downloaded and flown the template (NAGr.1 template.jpg) and can't duplicate the problem. An olive-green hub with a white tip suggests the default has been selected.

Can anyone else think of a better explanation?

aelius
11-06-2011, 07:26 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/skeletal2/planeoptions.jpg

Although changes to the spinners are not previewed in Plane Options, they should be displayed when the plane is flown.

I am at a loss to understand why they don't, especially if you've chosen the correct Paint Scheme.

LcSummers
11-07-2011, 05:09 PM
Hi aelius,

so it seems thats not only me with this problem. The funny thing is, that some Graf 110 skins showing this problem too, others dont. I know last time when used those skins they were functioning.

Maybe it has something to do with the new patch.

Nevermind, thank you for looking at this problem.

Cheers


LC



QUOTE:

Plt Off JRB Meaker Plt Off JRB Meaker

Default New spinner colours for the Dorniers?
I noticed recently that the spinner colours had been correcected on the Ju88 as of the last patches,I do hope they can correcect the Dornier spinners too.

They are all in green,whereas historically they were yellow,red and white all it needs is the default Dornier skin to have three other alternatives.

I know there are far more important errors to correct at the moment with COD but it would be nice at some stage.

I'd do it myself but I don't have a template,if anyone can get one please let me know,I'm kinda desparate for one

aelius
12-02-2011, 05:20 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/Ju-87/screenshot1.jpg

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/Ju-87/screenshot2.jpg

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/Ju-87/screenshot3.jpg

This Ju-87B-2 Trop belonged to 6./St.G 2 and was stationed on the Libyan coast at Tmimi, from where it provided ground support and attacked Allied shipping in the Mediterranean during the second half of 1941.

The upper surface is RLM 79 (which I've softly mottled in RLM 80) and the undercarriage in RLM 78. What is remarkable, of course, is the extraordinary image down the entire length of the port side, which is reminiscent of Richthofen's Flying Circus and must have made the standard desert camouflage pattern completely irrelevant. The sinuous snake is based on an illustration by Rikyu Watanabe in Stuke Ju-87 by Alex Vanags-Baginskis. Although the aircraft identification letter (T6+MP) has been retained for these screenshots, it seems to have no historical justification.

A similar plane (T6+CP)—or even the same plane, if the identification of one or the other is incorrect (one sheet of decals conveniently provides both letters)—is illustrated in Leonard and Jouineau's Junker's Ju-87 from 1936 to 1945 and John Weal's Junkers Ju 97 in North Africa and the Mediterranean, both of whom identify it as an extended range R-2 (Reichweite). This sub-variant had internal fuel tanks in the wings and two drop tanks in place of the bomb racks, which doubled or even tripled the range of the plane but limited it to a single 250 kg bomb. Apart from the increased amount of fuel and the absence of sirens on the wheel struts, the R-2 shared the same airframe as the B-2.

The plane is thought to have been flown by Leutnant Hubert Pölz, who participated in the sinking of HMS Auckland off Tobruk in June 1941 and later was awarded the Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves on the Eastern Front, having flown over a thousand sorties to survive the war as a Gruppenkommandeur.

Thanks to VO101 Tom for his panel finder, without which I still would be trying to align the Mediterranean theater band, and especially to Shado for making the Ju-87 accessible in the first place.

kristorf
12-02-2011, 05:24 PM
Now that is sweet

LcSummers
12-03-2011, 12:46 PM
WOW thats a master art!

Looking awesome. Great work and welcome back old painter:-P

LOOKING FORWARD!!!!!!!!

Trooper117
12-03-2011, 06:59 PM
Just fantastic.. wish we were getting the Med next to put this in!

ATAG_Bliss
12-04-2011, 10:56 AM
Wow - that Stuka is unbelievable!

Very very nice work!

planesy
12-06-2011, 01:48 PM
:grin:That is absoloutly gorgeous!

Brings back fond memories as a kid building the 1/32nd scale Revell Model Stuka!

Please please make a skin available.

Great work:grin::grin:

jamesdietz
12-08-2011, 05:14 PM
Boy oh boy! I first found a picture of this Stuka back in 1962 in a long out of print ( 1944) book covering the war..I even did a colored pecil rendering of the same...so it is one of my favorites.several versions have been available in Il-2 for bothe the Ju-87B & later versions , but unfortunately no one has ever takenthe time to really go over the exterior of the IL-2 birds to get them up to the standard of say the Il-2 third party redo's of the Bf-109s & FW-190s .No such problem here at CloD where the Stuka really is sharp! Now with this skin its even better & if all goes well we'll have a Med map to use it on in what 4 or 5 years? Til then it ,when available, it will appear over the Channel! can't wait o get it to download!!!!!!

aelius
12-08-2011, 06:12 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/T6_CP/T6CPscreenshot2.jpg

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/T6_CP/T6CPscreenshot1-1.jpg

Snakes on a plane!

Two more screenshots, this time derived from the color profile of T6+CP in Weal, and Leonard and Jouineau. Although not as personally satisfying as the interpretation by Watanabe, the snake profiled by these later authors is much better known.

The unit code is T6+CP but, like the T6+MP illustrated by Watanabe, it is informed supposition, based on a photograph that had shown only the front of the plane forward of the cockpit. Not until 2005 were more complete photographs published that allowed a correct profile of the Schlange Sturzkampfflugzeug. And it is that plane, T6+DP, on which I am working.

JG52Krupi
12-08-2011, 10:56 PM
That looks AMAZING

JG52Karaya
12-08-2011, 10:59 PM
That is an awesome looking Stuka skin!

Frequent_Flyer
12-11-2011, 03:05 PM
that is outstanding work, based on your skin alone Luither should make the Med theather their next add-on.

aelius
12-16-2011, 09:34 PM
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+DP/screenshot_1.jpg

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+DP/screenshot_2.jpg

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+DP/screenshot_3.jpg

The earlier screenshots of T6+MP and T6+CP were skinned in standard tropical livery: RLM 79 (Sandgelb) mottled in RLM 80 (Olivgrün), with the undercarriage in RLM 78 (Hellblau). These were the desert camouflage colors of the Luftwaffe in North Africa but, while the scheme does make for a satisfying plane, they are not accurate for the one thought to have been flown by Leutnant Pölz.

The Luftwaffe had not envisaged operations in the Mediterranean and so had made no provision for a tropicalized version of its aircraft. As a result, the first Stukas to be deployed in North Africa retained their original European camouflage: a splinter pattern of RLM 70 (Schwarzgrün) over a dark green background of RLM 71 (Dunkelgrün), with RLM 65 (Hellblau) on the undercarriage. The German Air Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) would not officially select the specific shades of RLM 78 and 79 until late 1941 or early 1942, although they were being issued by late April 1941, less than two months after the first planes were transferred to Libya. In Luftwaffe Camouflage and Markings 1933-1945, Merrick contends that these planes retained their European scheme until they could be repainted at the factory and that, since it was not practical to paint them in the desert, they must have been serviced at depots in Sicily and Italy. Urbanke disagrees and argues that, with airfields being shared with the Italians, it was more likely that their own camouflage colors were used and applied in the field.

When the Ju-87 of Lt. Pölz was repainted in the summer of 1941, the undersides of the plane probably remained in RLM 65 and the upper surfaces sprayed in Giallo Mimetico ("camouflage yellow"). There were four shades of this color, each designated by a number and supplied to the Regia Aeronautica by four different manufacturers. The precise shade is therefore uncertain, but in skinning the plane, I've used the darker Gaillo Mimetico 4 splattered with Gaillo Mimetico 3, a color lighter than "sand yellow" RLM 79. Because it was applied directly over the European scheme, one still can discern the original green splinter pattern of the sections that were not oversprayed.

The white and red snake, too, did not look as it usually is profiled, which is reasonable, given that such a gaudy creature hardly would have enhanced the camouflage of the plane.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+DP/photo_1.jpg


This color scheme is discussed by Axel Urbanke in an article that appeared in 2005, "The 'Snake' Stukas of Sturzkampf Geschwader," published in Luftwaffe im Focus, Edition No. 7. The first photograph of the plane (above) had shown only its front, and for the next thirty years the overall appearance would be the speculation of profilers and modelers. (The picture referred to by Urbanke has been taken from Die Deutsche Luftwaffe im Afrika-Feldzug 1941-1943 by Held and Obermaier, which is available in an English edition as The Luftwaffe in the North African Campaign 1941-1943).

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+DP/photo_2.jpg

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+DP/photo_3.jpg

In one of the photographs, which were published by Urbanke for the first time, the plane is clearly shown to have the unit code T6+DP (and not "C" as supposed by Obermaier). And the snake, rather than having been painted in red and white, to have sand-colored markings. But Urbanke also suggests that the trailing half of the tail rudder was painted in the same RLM 65 light blue as the undercarriage (as can be seen in the upper photograph). It seems more likely, however, that the difference in shading is due simply to the shadow cast by the rudder having been slightly turned. (The "J" under the port wing, by the way, is the manufacturer's code.)

Here, then, is T6+DP of 6./St.G 2 based on a modification of the color profile by Egbert Friedl that accompanied the article. The markings have been redrawn from photographs, the trailing blue edge of the rudder omitted, and the inside of the wheel spats camouflaged. The result, I think, is the most accurate historical rendering of the Schlange Stuka to date.

Although identified by Obermaier and by others later as an R-2 sub-variant, the plane in the photographs does not have drop tanks and seems instead to be a B model, as indicated by Urbanke.

checkmysix
12-17-2011, 06:53 AM
Hi Aelius
Awsome Skins as Usual Buddy
and as for Ju-87B-2 Trop,
Top Quality:grin:
Regards
Keith;)

checkmysix
12-17-2011, 07:30 AM
please post the skin the real skin use in battle of brittain sceanario and not BALKANS.
a comple list of skin use in battle of brittain.
the game clift of dover not have map of BALKANS but have only ENGLAND MAP.

This game will like forgotten Battles,Pacific Fighters and IL2 1946
expand into all the theatres of WW2
On the Box it says Cliffs of Dover. IL2 Sturmovik
But there are no IL2 Sturmovik's and its not in Russia.

The Original IL2 is set in Russia Based around the IL2 Sturmovik
BUT this did Not limit it to that particular Theatre of War and the developers
and Modders created Maps and Aircraft for other Theatres like Battle of Britain and the Pacific and Thank God They Did otherwise the il2 series
wouldnt have lasted this long and there would not even be a Cliffs of Dover.:rolleyes:

It was thinking out of the box that has allowed the IL2 Franchise to still be here a Decade after the Original was released and Not many Games in any Genre can Equal it.
And lets hope the IL2 Series is here in another 10 Years.
Keep up the Fantastic work Aelius
Regards
Keith;)

jamesdietz
12-17-2011, 05:10 PM
While waiting for this terrific skin to come out I rooted thru my library & found the book I bought nearly 50 years ago...even thenit was about 20 years old,titled World WarII in Pictures,published in 1941 before Pearl Harbor,published by The Journal of Living Publishing Corporation.Here is the picture & caption ( sic.) I am relatively sure it was taken from a Deutches Propoganda film ( maybe someone will be able to dig that up?)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d116/jamesdietz/Stuka.jpg

Very much looking forward to putting this skin onmy CloD Stuka!
(BTW Please note the difference in the spinner markings in this photo from the ones shown in previous photos...)

aelius
12-17-2011, 05:38 PM
The still was taken from an Italian newsreel shown in September 1941 and depicts the only other "Snake" Stuka: T6+AN from 5./St.G 2, which is the plane I'm working on now.

And you're right about the spinner hub--it's red with a white ring.

aelius
12-17-2011, 06:20 PM
Until I can resolve my difficulty in uploading, I've posted the template of T6+DP on my own website, which otherwise deals with Roman history.

It can be downloaded here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/public/Ju-87_T6+DP.jpg).

jamesdietz
12-17-2011, 06:52 PM
Yay!

kristorf
12-17-2011, 09:12 PM
The more you do on this one the more beauty it gains, stunning stuff mate

Trooper117
12-18-2011, 12:43 PM
Just great stuff!

jamesdietz
12-18-2011, 05:26 PM
In Game in action...sure wish we had sirens,,,
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d116/jamesdietz/2011-12-17_00028.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d116/jamesdietz/2011-12-17_00030.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d116/jamesdietz/2011-12-17_00020.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d116/jamesdietz/2011-12-17_00022.jpg

aelius
12-18-2011, 06:44 PM
Very satisfying!

It's good to see the plane in action.

(Don't forget to uncheck the markings box when selecting the plane. The insignia already have been applied.)

aelius
12-18-2011, 07:45 PM
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+AN/screenshot_1.jpg

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+AN/screenshot_2.jpg

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+AN/screenshot_3.jpg

Here is T6+AN, a plane shown in several frames from an Italian newsreel taken in September 1941. The red "A" and "N" indicate that it belonged to 5./St.G 2. Together with T6+DP, it would seem to be the only plane to have been decorated in such a remarkable fashion.

In this frame, one sees a bit more of the snake.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+AN/photo_1.jpg

Since the camouflage scheme is not discernible, I've used the splinter pattern of T6+DP.

T6+AN is available here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+AN/template.jpg).

aelius
12-19-2011, 07:17 PM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/T6_CP/T6CDscreenshot.jpg

Now that T6+DP and T6+AN have been posted, here is the template for the most popular non-historic version of the "Snake" Stuka, as profiled in Weal, and Leonard and Jouineau. Held and Obermaier had speculated that the aircraft identification letter was "C" but, with the photographs published by Urbanke, now is known to be "D."

This more imaginative presentation (with the snake in red) is available here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/public/Ju-87_T6+CP.jpg).

A frame from a newsreel showing T6+AN in flight (of which jamesdietz has shared a particularly good example) seems to have been the source for Watanabe's early illustration of the plane, which he surmised to be T6+MP. Fittingly, I have used his rendering of the snake's head as a basis for my own skin.

And here is a grainy screenshot imitating that frame.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/T6_AN/T6AN_photo-1.jpg

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/T6_AN/T6AN_photo_rev-1.jpg

And that's it for snakes on a plane.

aelius
12-20-2011, 11:08 PM
You're right!

Comparing the photo to the screenshot, the modelers really did configure the pilot (and presumably the rear machine gunner) too small relative to the size of the cockpit.

slm
12-22-2011, 09:56 PM
and if head position is the same inside cockpit, pilot's visibility must be quite different. If you think about all the arguments of what IL2 FW-190 pilots should see...

LcSummers
12-23-2011, 10:33 AM
Hi aelius,

i must say outstanding. Those skins are very nice. Thank you for sharing.

I love this STUKA skin.

S

LC

Auger73
12-23-2011, 11:36 PM
You're right!

Comparing the photo to the screenshot, the modelers really did configure the pilot (and presumably the rear machine gunner) too small relative to the size of the cockpit.

It really looks like the pilot is sitting lower in COD (by ~4"), rather than an issue of scale.

If you compare the top of the head, and the top of the shoulder in both images, you can see they are both lower in COD by about the same amount. Since people vary in size (unlike virtual pilots), the preportions won't be exact.

aelius
12-24-2011, 07:06 AM
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x382/aelius_stilo/T6_AN/photo.jpg

"Shorty" Keough (or Keogh) was an American who fought in the Battle of Britain. Only 4'10" tall, he was the shortest pilot to fly for the RAF and required several inflatable cushions under his parachute to see over the cowling of his Hurricane.

Regardless of the person's size, in other words, pilots still have to sit at a relatively uniform height in the cockpit, which, compared to photographs, seems to be too low in Cliffs of Dover.

Auger73
12-24-2011, 09:22 AM
"Shorty" Keough (or Keogh) was an American who fought in the Battle of Britain. Only 4'10" tall, he was the shortest pilot to fly for the RAF and required several inflatable cushions under his parachute to see over the cowling of his Hurricane.

Regardless of the person's size, in other words, pilots still have to sit at a relatively uniform height in the cockpit, which, compared to photographs, seems to be too low in Cliffs of Dover.

I agree. The pilot's eyes need to be at a certain level to be able to have good situational awareness.

Great work with the skins, btw! :grin:

aelius
12-24-2011, 09:40 PM
It may be too, if the figures really are reduced in scale, that the effect is deliberate, both to focus attention on the plane by minimizing their presence and because it is so difficult to render people realistically.

Gamekeeper
12-24-2011, 09:49 PM
I recall soon after the game launched Luthier said that having pilots to scale meant that parts of the body could protrude through the aircraft at lower resolutions.

kristorf
12-24-2011, 10:08 PM
I recall soon after the game launched Luthier said that having pilots to scale meant that parts of the body could protrude through the aircraft at lower resolutions.

As they do with the RAF Pilots and full gear??

aelius
02-12-2012, 01:50 AM
In skinning our planes, we all work with color. I thought it would be useful if the subject was considered in more detail.

I've cataloged RLM colors in one Farbtontafel (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/colors.html) and, in the process, come to appreciate both how difficult it must have been for the authors of these color charts to have assembled them, and to realize too that, while each is presumed to be accurate, it is more difficult to say which is authoritative.

There also is an annotated bibliography (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/annotated%20bib.html) of the books that were consulted.

The table can't be posted here and has been linked instead to my website. If you click back through the pages, you'll soon end up confronting a series of essays on Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and early British history.

cheruskerarmin
04-28-2012, 10:49 AM
Nice you decided to go for the historical version of the snake stukas.

In my opinion the newsreel snake stuka pics are displaying two different stukas.
And none of them is showing the exactly same snake motive as T6+DP.
Compare the snake tongues and mouths, the pattern right behind the snake head, the little triangle marking etc.

There isn't a clear evidence for more snake stukas so far but it is assumed
there were...

ATB
Armin

checkmysix
04-28-2012, 11:27 AM
Hi aelius
This Stuka is Stunning Mate.
The incedible attention to detail and the overall Quiality is Amazing
and the screenies beautiful Too.
A BIG Thumbs up Buddy.
Regards
Keith;)

JG26_EZ
04-28-2012, 01:31 PM
First let me start out by repeating everyone by saying, excellent work, and a beautiful job with all of your skins.
Thanks!




I am at a loss to understand why they don't, especially if you've chosen the correct Paint Scheme.

With regards to the spinner problem you mentioned earlier with Bf110C-4 NAGr1. I have found, that with the Bf109's spinner, there's a location for the spinner when it's moving, and a location for the spinner when it's stationary.. I found out the hard way, finished my skin and took it for a fly, didn't notice until I landed and shut down my engine that my spinner had changed colour completely heh.

I have downloaded your skin and can see that you have painted only the moving spinner, but can't see the "stationary paint". Could it be that you've forgot to paint the stationary "location"?

I'll post this to give you an example of what i'm talking about.. (if you don't already know)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/JG26_EZ/ClODskins/Spinner0.jpg

JG26_EZ
04-28-2012, 03:08 PM
Here lies the problem with the Bf110 Spinner...
There's no problem really.. It's just that there are two different locations for the spinner, moving and stationary (as suspected above).

I realize that I didn't pinpoint where exactly it is, but you get the idea.. And if you use a colored/numbered template that was given to me by "V101 Tom", you can find it rather easily. If I was ready to skin the bf110 I'd find it, but I'm having too much fun skinning the bf109 atm. :)

Stationary Spinner
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/JG26_EZ/ClODskins/2012-04-28_00007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/JG26_EZ/ClODskins/2012-04-28_00006.jpg

Moving Spinner
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/JG26_EZ/ClODskins/2012-04-28_00005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/JG26_EZ/ClODskins/2012-04-28_00004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/JG26_EZ/ClODskins/TestingA.jpg

Enjoy the rest of your skinning :)

aelius
05-03-2012, 06:31 PM
Here lies the problem with the Bf110 Spinner...
There's no problem really.. It's just that there are two different locations for the spinner, moving and stationary (as suspected above).

Thanks for the welcome discovery!

I've not posted myself for awhile now but, when I finish installing some plank flooring, I'll be back online.

aelius
09-09-2012, 05:13 PM
It's been months now since I last posted, and I still have not finished working on the house. But I did find some time to revise my essay on RLM colors, which provides a complete sampling of color hues for those members skinning their own planes.

Here's the link (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/colors.html).

JG26_EZ
09-09-2012, 10:00 PM
AAAHhhhhhh Most excellent RLMs

Many thanks

aelius
01-27-2016, 01:38 AM
Looking at the date of my last post, I realize that it's been almost four years since I last contributed to this forum--which is an intolerable delay.

The Ju 87 "Snake" Stuka always has been my favorite plane and one on which I've worked hardest to skin properly. Returning to it after such a long hiatus, I realize that several things could be improved; indeed, they should have been properly addressed in the first place.

One is that the propeller hub appears differently at rest than when the plane is in flight. I've corrected this by adding mottling to the stationary hub, which is absent when it is spinning. In extending the slatted dive brakes, the design of the Balkenkreuz on the underside of the wings does repeat itself on the slats themselves. And this, after a considerable amount of time trying to discover where they were located on the template, has been corrected as well.

Finally, the snake motif has been slightly modified so that it accords more with the photographs on which it is based and less on the illustration by Egbert Friedl that accompanied the definitive article on the "Schlangen" Stukas in Luftwaffe im Focus (No. 7). There now is a ridge above the eye and a slight correction to the pattern and position of the tail. The aircraft code also has been enlarged and the paint scheme weathered more.

I hope that those who have flown the original will enjoy this revision of the Ju 87 T6+DP--and be certain to extend the dive brakes!

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+DP/simulation.jpg

Another shot, this time situated above the Libyan desert, as it might have appeared in the summer of 1941.

The revised template can be found here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+DP/template_revised.jpg).

jamesdietz
01-27-2016, 04:01 AM
Thanks again for your efforts!

checkmysix
01-29-2016, 08:52 PM
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/aircraft/Ju-87/screenshots/T6+DP_screenshot.jpg

Looking at the date of my last post, I realize that it's been almost four years since I last contributed to this forum--which is an intolerable delay.

The Ju 87 "Snake" Stuka always has been my favorite plane and one on which I've worked hardest to skin properly. Returning to it after such a long hiatus, I realize that several things could be improved; indeed, they should have been properly addressed in the first place.

One is that the propeller hub appears differently at rest than when the plane is in flight. I've corrected this by adding mottling to the stationary hub, which is absent when it is spinning. In extending the slatted dive brakes, the design of the Balkenkreuz on the underside of the wings does repeat itself on the slats themselves. And this, after a considerable amount of time trying to discover where they were located on the template, has been corrected as well.

Finally, the snake motif has been slightly modified so that it accords more with the photographs on which it is based and less on the illustration by Egbert Friedl that accompanied the definitive article on the "Schlangen" Stukas in Luftwaffe im Focus (No. 7). There now is a ridge above the eye and a slight correction to the pattern and position of the tail. The aircraft code also has been enlarged and the paint scheme weathered more.

I hope that those who have flown the original will enjoy this revision of the Ju 87 T6+DP--and be certain to extend the dive brakes!

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/aircraft/Ju-87/screenshots/libyan_desert.jpg

Another shot, this time situated above the Libyan desert, as it might have appeared in the summer of 1941.

The revised template can be found here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/aircraft/Ju-87/templates/Ju-87_T6+DP.jpg).

Hi aelius
WOW.. I have always loved your Ju 87 "Snake" Stuka Skin and as a Skinner
I can really appreciate how much effort has gone into such a complex
livery,finding all the panel cross over points so as to align Markings can be a Royal pain in the Arse(thank heavens for Panel Finder).
That B/W reconstruction Image set over Libya is Amazing I had to do a double take as it looks so real.
In regards to some of the comments Re: RLM Colours and how they are portrayed in painted illustrations,I think its almost impossible to know what the true colours would have looked like as RLM Colour swatches RGB/HEX value will vary slightly from different sources and the printing process will also throw up slight colour variations even in another copy of the same publication.
Also general wear and tear can also lighten the Hue of the paint so basically
its pretty much open to interpritation and no one can say that a representation is definitifly right or wrong even colour photo's from the time cant be taken at face value for the same reasons I have already metioned.
All we can do is as close as possible represent the subject as best we can.
Regards
Keith.

aelius
01-31-2016, 02:10 AM
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+AN/screenshot_1.jpg[CENTER]

James, I remember your remark from several years ago that there was a newsreel clip of another snake Stuka, and I replied that I was working on the plane. It is the T6+AN, which I've revised as well. It, too, now has the properly marked dive brakes and stationary propeller hub. More importantly, I've added the plane's identification and unit code to the wheel spats. Its template can be found here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+AN/template_revised.jpg).

[CENTER]http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+AN/simulation.jpg

Another shot of T6+AN, this time imagined over Malta in September 1941.

And Keith, you've commented on RLM colors and the impossibility of truly knowing how they would have appeared originally. I actually wrote an essay on this rather vexing topic, which can be read here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/colors.html).

Finally, in working on T6+AN, it occurred to me that the template for T6+DP could be improved a bit more, if only by a few pixels. With apologies, then, for yet another revision. Here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-87/T6+DP/template_revised.jpg) is the final incarnation of that plane--unless I eventually can get the colored portion of the propeller hub to stop wobbling in flight!

And that's it for snakes on a plane.

aelius
01-31-2016, 07:41 PM
It seems that the ghost of a deleted message remains behind to remind readers that it once existed, no doubt prompting some curiosity as to what might have been said. It simply was this--

To ensure that IL-2 templates are 2048 x 2048 pixels at 72 ppi, they are posted to my site on Roman history. (By comparison, an image uploaded to Photobucket is half that size.)

That site, in turn, is associated with another, larger one on Roman history hosted by the University of Chicago. Regrettably, it is subject to infrequent but periodic denial-of-service attacks (typically on a weekend).

Earlier today, when images on this thread were not displayed, I assumed that such an attack again had occurred. But when they reappeared, my explanation no longer seemed necessary--and so was deleted.

aelius
03-01-2016, 07:50 AM
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-88/screenshot_1.jpg

Having revised the "Snake" Stukas, it seems appropriate to revisit the Bf 110 Totenhand and finally correct its stationary propeller hubs. The bony fingers that extended to the top of the engine cowlings, which I originally omitted, are being added as well.

Until I can finish, I thought this Ju 88A-4 could serve in the interim. Both planes belonged to Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (12./St.G 77), the emblem of which (aside from the Totenhand) was a profile of Oberst Günther Schwartzkopf, a former Kommodore, silhouetted on a heraldic shield. In early 1943, the Staffel was reorganized and the Bf 110 transferred to southern Russia. The unit itself was disbanded in May of that year.

This Ju 88 is coded S2+LA, the "A" signifying that it belonged to the Geschwader Stab. It is therefore likely that the "L," the plane's identifying letter, and the propeller hubs were colored blue.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-88/photo_1.jpg

The original photograph can be found at FalkeEins, a blog on the Luftwaffe and World War II aviation. The template derives from the exquisite construction by CheckMySix, (my having added only the airplane coding and emblems), and can be found here (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/luftwaffe/IL-2/Ju-88/template.jpg).

BrainMan
10-29-2016, 08:24 PM
Hi,Auelius!:D Can You creat a new skins for Bf-109E4 and E4 of Hans-Joachim Marseille and Manfred von Richthofen plains?:rolleyes: Thx You!

Blades
03-06-2018, 12:57 AM
Hello I was going to start a New Thread to ask this Question, but for some reason I cannot start a new thread and can only post a reply to existing threads, so thankyou for your Patience. I am returning to the IL-2 Sim after an 18 year absence and I am trying to find a Forum concerning Pacific Fighters. As an Australian I have become interested in 75th Squadron RAAF Royal Australian Air force defence of Port Morseby in New Guinea South Pacific area 1942 just prior to the Battle of the Coral Sea. These guys flew p40 kittyhawks, and the famouse Japanese Air Ace Saburo Sakai said these where some of the bravest men he ever fought against in the Pacific war with their seemily surprise suicidal attacks in their P40s on Sakais air base at Lae as well as their boom and zoom attacks on his Zeros and Jap Bombers he was trying to defend when they bombed Port Morseby. I love to mission Build and I was looking around to see if anybody has yet Created 75th Squadron RAAF Skins, so I can recreate some of these epic air battles between 75th Squadron and Saburu Sakais mob over Port Moresby in early 1942. If somebody could please direct me with a Link if possible, to any relavent forum area that you may think could be of assistance. I will post a WIKI Link here for anybody interested in the Air Battles I just spoke of here....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._75_Squadron_RAAF... thankyou for your patience and time.

aelius
03-26-2019, 09:41 PM
I've not returned to this board in some time and was surprised to discover that photobucket, in order "to reduce our brand marketing expenses," now watermarks the pictures that they host. Of course, the overlay ruins the image and reduces it to nothing more than an advertisement for the company. Unfortunately, I had placed almost a hundred pictures on that lamentable site, all of which now have been branded with their advertisement.

Beginning with Post 74 on the Ju87 "Snake" Stuka, I've begun to upload those screenshots and photographs to my own website. As there is time, I'll continue to replace the more important graphics and correct any broken links to the templates. And then I will close my account with photobucket--and may I never mention that name again!

In the meantime, I've revised many of this thread's text and pictures in a more coherent fashion and posted them at http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/luftwaffe/luftwaffe.html.

FurphyForum
03-29-2019, 08:59 AM
Aelius, thank you for this, please don't be shy to continue with your skills as there is always a need for more skins. :grin:

aelius
03-29-2019, 03:14 PM
Thanks for the kind remark, especially since the board (perhaps understandably) is somewhat moribund after so many years--as indeed, I am. But there is a bit more to be done--as soon as I can rebuild the water cooler on my computer so I can fly again.

FurphyForum
03-30-2019, 04:06 AM
@ aelius;
Yeah this forum is... well let's say non productive, but you have an opportunity to make it different.

There is a definite lack of skins with some AC models. With TF 5.0 not so far away and the focus is MTO, AC like BR-20M, CR.42,G.50 will need skins, not to mention the new releases also.

With you being one of the old guard, and is also contactable, your time is ripe for the skinning haven :D

aelius
04-08-2019, 06:31 PM
We may the only two flying, FurphyForum, and I am not even doing that! But I am revising the historical content of my earlier posts, at least on my own site. And that will help make more accurate skins--if I can fix the computer. It may be awhile, but I'm still here.