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#4
09-28-2011, 06:11 PM
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 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.  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. 
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#7
10-01-2011, 03:21 PM
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 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.  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. Last edited by aelius; 03-29-2019 at 03:47 PM.
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