Skin Bf-109 G14 "Yellow One" 5 Squadriglia Mario Bellagampi (WIP)

[oboe]

Ahh, I see what you mean about the spinner - just one point where the pixels don't line up smoothly.  Nothing to do but more trial and error til you get it lined up. 

The panel lines still seem a bit dark (I notice it more toward the forward section of the aircraft) and I suspect the engine soot is overdone, unless you've got photos or images that indicate it was really that dark.

I see the fuel markers and some warning text has been added - that it a nice touch.

Also, since this aircraft was obviously in German service before converting to Italian service - I wonder if the wing surfaces should show fresher paint where the German insignia was painted over before the Italian insignia was applied.   Or maybe show the original crosses just very very faintly to indicate removal by scraping/sanding?  I'm not positive how it was done in the field but I would guess they just took some paint and painted over the original insignia, and the paint would not match the original color exactly.  They may have even been a little sloppy about it.

Another thing you can add is the shading/shadowing on leading edge of ailerons and elevators.  Look at some of the master skinners' 109s for ideas on how to do it.   Can be really understated effect that gives the impression of a slightly curved surface on the inner edge of the control surface.

Finally, to really add even more realism you'll want some paint wear, chips and scratches between panel sections, on the leading edge of the wing and stabilizers, around corners of access hatches, etc. 

If you look closely at some of the other skins you'll see how much difference this makes when it's well-done.

[Krusty]

This is a bird repainted for Italian service, right? It might help to know if it was repainted in the field. Most planes repainted did not have these stencils re-applied afterwards.

Also, the fuel triangle only appears on one side, right next to the oval panel line where the fuel is filled. I thought this should be the port side, but best to check a reference to make sure.

I just noticed the fin flash actually wraps forward and the left and right upper corners touch each other. It would be better to move this back about 5 pixels or so so that they 1) don't touch and 2) it looks a bit better-placed on the fin.

[beau32]

Krusty you are right about the markings on the top of the wings. The original crosses would be painted out, and the Italian markings painted more towards the tips of the wings. I attached a photo of this plane that was Painted for the game Il2, but it might give a idea of what it looks like.








Here is a model showing the markings half way over the old crosses. So most likely it will just have to be up to Kazen to figure out what he wants to do with it.

[Kazan_HB]

There are the white cross


Which is correct?

[beau32]

National insignias are the standard ones for A.N.R. (Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana) aircraft, i.e. four Italian flags on the fuselage and fin plus two German black crosses. On the wing undersurface, the original German crosses were retained to ease identification from ground. No information is available on upper wing marking but, generally speaking, ANR aircraft had two square fasces markings.
It's also worth noting that by this time in the war metal wing under surfaces were left unpainted in order to save paint and labour.

Based on further research done by Ferdinando D'Amico and posted on 150GCT forum on 06/26/2005 it has been found the following:
- 785xxx series concerned G-14/AS, while 464xxx concerned G-14 manufactured by Erla, often with a larger oil tank used on G-10
- Notes left by Capt.Bellagambi mention two "Yellow 1" aircrafts used inl February 1945: the first wasl W.Nr. 464380, later replaced by W.Nr. 785749
- Consequently it now confirmed that aircraft shown in the pictures is W.Nr. 464380.

It is still not confirmed if there was any sign on wing upper surfaces of the aircraft pictured above. What is known is that some of the BF 109 based in Osoppo (Udine) in early 1945 had ANR fasci other had nothing.

In the end, its just going to be up to you on what goes on top of the wing. Being how there is no photo eveidence, at least not what I have found, it just going to be a guessing game on what is there.  Hope the above is of some help.

[Kazan_HB]

ok this version or with the white cross?

[dhyran]

GREAT work! 

[potsNpans]

ok this version or with the white cross?
(Image removed from quote.)

Kazan check page 148 and reference plates 282 ~ 286. His was unique, and is referenced in photo's with black outlined style crosses. It appears they have not painted over wing markings yet. Here is some material I copied from one of the ANR books I have, which is from the same book as you posted image of his plane and profile skin.
http://home.comcast.net/~anthem76/scan0001.jpg Typical white outlined style crosses.
http://home.comcast.net/~anthem76/scan0002.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~anthem76/scan0003.jpg

[beau32]

Kazen, How you have it looks pretty darn good to me, I think I would go with that. Only other thing I would say is take the fuel grade placard off the right side,  much like what Krusty said if you havent already done so.

[Kazan_HB]

Thank you for your help and references.
 

[beau32]

Im all for having skins look as historical as possible, need any help on anything else let me know.

[Krusty]

Uh, did anybody notice something in those scans?

G-14 without the MW50 installed......

That's a G-6. It would be identical to a G-6 in all but name (it was really the MW50 that gave the later G-14s its boost over the G-6).

[beau32]

Krusty, here is what I have found out.

Ferdinando D'Amico interviewed the pilot of this plane Maggiore Mario Bellagambi. And in his transcribed agenda's he wrote the codes and Werke Number of his Squadriglia's Bf109s, and also noted whether each had Methanol injection or not  (the scans of the pages are included in Mr. D'Amico's book)...and it was verifid that this reflected with the results of the latest studies on the Bf109G-14 series, many examples of which (mostly Erla-built) didn't have MW50 installed.

In a production planning sheet for Regensburg, dated 4.9.44, of the 2403 Bf109G-14s to be built by them, 835 would be Bf109G-14s, 200 would be G-14s without MW50 and 1368 would be Bf109G-14ASs.

[Krusty]

That's nice.


My point is our in-game G-14 has MW50. That's why we have it. It is different from the G-6 by a noticable leap in performance on WEP. Off-WEP it's almost identical to the G-6 we have in-game.


You see my point?

The skin would belong to a G-6, if put in-game.


P.S. There are many different configurations and there is some lee-way with which models go on which skins, but IMO no MW-50 is a dealbreaker on the G-14 model.

[Greebo]

That's a great skin Kazan, you do beautiful work. 

BTW I'd have thought the later style canopy would be a more important issue than MW50 WRT which 109 model to skin it on.