Full Real / Historical & Paint Schemes

[bw_wolverine]

I'm curious how people feel about this (I have my own assumption, but I'd like to see what responses actually are):

On a full real/historical server or mission is it considered taking advantage of 20/20 hindsight to switch to a paint scheme that is more camoflaged, though that scheme might not be historically correct?

Hypothetically let's say historically, the plane I'm flying over water was done in a white paint scheme, but I decide that a blue paint scheme will make it harder to spot me. Maybe the blue paint scheme was used at some point during the war, but not with the squadron I'm flying/time period I'm flying/model aircraft I'm flying.

Is it 'cheating*'? Or is it just pilot preference? *cheating isn't really the right word. Just looking for a non-historical advantage or minimizing a disadvantage? I dunno. Someone give me a better word. I'm DEFINITELY not calling anyone a cheater.

If I'm being totally candid, this has come up because I'm hearing more and more people say they won't fly the yellow nose 109s because they find they get spotted easier in them, or at least are more easily identified in dogfights with multiple aircraft.

But the Germans DID use that scheme right? Was the paint scheme chosen by the pilot of the plane historically as well? Or was it a squadron thing? Or a high command thing? I have no idea.

Obviously I'm an allied pilot so some people are going to say I'm just nit-picking for an advantage. I'm honestly not. I don't care. I'm just curious about how the 'full real' community feels about the subject in general.

[SNAFU]

There is always a flip side of the coin. The german in these days had their reason to paint their noses the way they did. Constantly flying in huge numbers a single plane become very ineffective (proportional to the number of friendlies around the single fighter becomes useless) because of various reasons. It is quite easy for a small group to achieve surprise against a huge formation and get aways with it. That called for easy IDing who is friend who is foe, and because the FC didn´t want to paint their planes yellow or red, the OKL had to. ;)

This way the friendly fire victims reduced also, while the RAF kept loosing pilots due to blue on blue fire.

For the e-pilot flying in a group of friends the yellow nose is a great help. His friends can easy see where he is and if someone without the yellow nose appears it is quite clear, that the guy doesn´t belong to the group. At the same time the group is easier to spot than the single plane, whatever camo they would use, therefore they gain more with the yellow nose, then they actually loose in advantage.

[bw_wolverine]

Never thought about it that way, SNAFU. Good response.

Is this the same reason for the black/white underwings that the RAF used? I often wondered about the reasoning for that.

[JG52Uther]

I am all in favour of historical paintschemes, but I think the yellow nose was not as common as people think in the BoB, and became more common later, in Russia and the Med etc.

[bw_wolverine]

Also for the record, I have no actual knowledge of when the yellow nose came into use or when it was prevalent, so I defer to those who know.

I might be spoiled by BoB2:WoV and it's giant multi-skin pack.

[csThor]

I am all in favour of historical paintschemes, but I think the yellow nose was not as common as people think in the BoB, and became more common later, in Russia and the Med etc.

Actually there was a standing order from both Luftflotte 2 and 3 which specified that yellow ID markings had to be applied. It did not specify, however, which parts had to be painted thusly. As a result various units applied various styles.

[KG26_Alpha]

On a full real/historical server or mission is it considered taking advantage of 20/20 hindsight to switch to a paint scheme that is more camoflaged, though that scheme might not be historically correct?



If the server turns off skin download only you see your "special" skin no one else.

The others see the default skin, this should stop cammo hacks :)






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[TomcatViP]

If the server turns off skin download only you see your "special" skin no one else.

The others see the default skin, this should stop cammo hacks :)






.

Those guys shld be banned. This wld stop any other hacking.

[CaptainDoggles]

I am all in favour of historical paintschemes, but I think the yellow nose was not as common as people think in the BoB, and became more common later, in Russia and the Med etc.

It was certainly common in France during the USAAF daylight bombing campaigns, as the yellow noses were the basic distinguishing feature of the "Abbeville Boys" aka JG26

[Osprey]

Actually there was a standing order from both Luftflotte 2 and 3 which specified that yellow ID markings had to be applied. It did not specify, however, which parts had to be painted thusly. As a result various units applied various styles.

This. It was an order.
JG26 were furious according to Steinhilpers book (or maybe Gallands book, I forget which)

[SNAFU]

The yellow painting was applied late September, so well into the battle. It would be reasonable to have more variants of the schemes.

[csThor]

In most parts the yellow markings appeared in August. In various books I own there are comparable pics from several units and given the dates supplied by the authors it's usually "August 1940" which shows the application of yellow ID markings. Apparently JG 26 and JG 54 were the forerunners here, both using the wingtips and the top of the rudder to apply some distinctive markings.

[CWMV]

Ive always been fond of the JG53 experimental paint schemes.
Little yellow to be seen anywhere with those guys.

[SNAFU]

In most parts the yellow markings appeared in August. In various books I own there are comparable pics from several units and given the dates supplied by the authors it's usually "August 1940" which shows the application of yellow ID markings. Apparently JG 26 and JG 54 were the forerunners here, both using the wingtips and the top of the rudder to apply some distinctive markings.

Ok, maybe the JG27 was late in colors, acc. to J.Prien/P.Rodeike they applied the yellow markings late September, I assumed that the airfleet 2 and 3received the order and the paintings all more or less at the same time. But maybe they ran out of yellow paint.

[csThor]

Yes, Luftflotte 3 was somewhat ... late ... in this regard. ;) This also applied to the change of Geschwader-COs as both JG 27 and JG 53 retained their old COs until October 1940.