Constructive comments on BOB historical accuracy in Acft skins/markings

[DoolittleRaider]

I posted the commetns below in the 4 March Update Thread, but I am putting them here also so as to keep all comments on RAF and LW ID Code lettering in one thread....just in case someone wants to use this as a quick reference to correcting the COD skins at some point:

Very nice wallpapers! Oleg and team are doing a great job; all aircraft look realistic and historically correct as far as I know (I'm not particularly knowledgable on detailed features of aircraft design).

In this thread, http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=17959, I did offer some constructive comments with regard to historical accuracy in aircraft markings, both RAF and LW, specifically unit/aircraft Identification Codes.

I have to constructively note again that the markings(code letters) on the two Stukas in the Stuka Wallpapers are incorrect...as had been the code letter markings on some Bf110's in an earlier update. A small point, perhaps, but one offered with good intentions and constructively.

The Stuka S2+AC would have been the mount of the Commander of II Gruppe of St. G 77.
S2 would designate St. G77
The third letter refers to the unique aircraft of a 'unit'. Its color is based on the unit/staff it belonged to.
The last letter refers to the Staffel or Gruppe...in this case "C", which is the letter for II Gruppe Stab (staff).
All Gruppe Stab (I., II., and III.) aircraft had Green third letters.
Thus, the "A" on this Stuka should be Green, not white.

The Stuka S2+KC would be the aircraft of some other officer on the II. Gruppe staff, though it would be unusual for it to be a "K" (tenth or so aircraft of the staff), as the Gruppe Staff probably didn't have more than 4 or 5 officers, I should think. Again, the third letter "K" should be Green, not white, because it is a Gruppe staff aircraft.




The use of the older Narrow white-bordered balkankreuz rather than the Wide white-border has been noted in the other thread,as well.

[DoolittleRaider]

That GUI screen is interesting...I'd overlooked it in the updates, I guess.

However, it's not clear what the Color Selections are for. It shows three color choices for RAF acft...in this case, Yellow White and Black. Individual RAF aircraft did not have differently colored ID letters according to Squadron Flight or Wing, etc... as did the Luftwaffe aircraft for Gruppe Stab's and Staffels.

Without a manual, it is hard to determine what the Color Selections relate to...

I'd certainly like to see a similar Selection screen for Luftwaffe aircraft.

[=KAG=Bersrk]

Gents: in final version all will be ok.

[jocko417]

Interesting posts, I did a lot of RAF skins for IL-2 so I'm a bit of a markings and colours nerd too.

I'm willing to accept the discrepencies as noted as I think the default skins in CoD are a HUGE improvement over what IL-2 had, and to be honest we won't know what is 'wrong' until we have the final version in hand and can see for ourselves what choices we have in the GUI for markings.

Having said that, I have three things to point out about the RAF paintschemes I've seen so far in the screenies that really do bother me as they are such basic items:

1) Why is there no B camo pattern seen on any RAF aircraft, all I've seen is the A scheme? Odd and even numbered serials carried different camo patterns, A for odd, B for even. A simple matter of assigning a mirror image camo layer to the aircraft if an even numbered serial is chosen in the GUI.

2) Red in RAF nationality markings is far too orange, especially under certain lighting.

3) Font used for RAF serials is unlike any I've seen in period photos. Different manufacturers had different fonts but they didn't look anything like what CoD is using. Stands out like a sore thumb.

BTW, if I've learned anything from skinning it's that artist's profiles are usually inaccurate. Period photos for the win.