Author Topic: Polka dotted 109.  (Read 1336 times)

Offline lyric1

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Polka dotted 109.
« on: May 03, 2009, 03:29:37 AM »
I found this aircraft in a thread a long time back & had forgotton about it. So if you 109 guys want to skin it here it is. All the text after the pictures is from the thread as I cant post the link.



Here are two profiles and two pictures of Messerschmitts Bf 109G-4 used by 13.(Slow)/JG 52 on Eastern front in 1943.

First profile is Bf 109G-4 "Yellow 6" drown by artist Vaclav Hochmuth and published in HTmodel Špecial No. 903

Second profile is of the same aircraft "Yellow 6" drown by Ing. Jozef And'al and published in HTmodel Špecial No. 912

Two photos I have posted as a reference; first is picture of "Yellow 6" and second of simillary painted "Yellow 11".

You may have noticed that profiles differ by the color of the "dots" on engine cowling. I know that various kinds of "dotting" of upper engine cowlings was feature of JG 52 airplanes at that time. This was probably due to overpainting of before all-yellow engine cowlings. Since 13.(Slow) Staffel (Letka 13) operated as part of JG 52 and Bf 109Gs were loaned to Slovak squadron from other Staffels of JG 52, it was to be expected that this kind of painting would appear on some Slovak Messerschmitts also.

Spots appear to be in some light color and I was always under impression that this would be some kind of gray (RLM 02 maybe) as depicted on first profile. But on second profile of the same aircraft artist for some reason had assumed that dots were actually yellow. This seems too strange to me.

Does someone has any information of other German fighters to be painted this way (with yellow spots on engine cowling)?

Offline Nilsen

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2009, 12:34:21 AM »
That is a G4 and we dont have that ride.

Offline Larry

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2009, 01:56:34 AM »
That is a G4 and we dont have that ride.


But we do have the G-2 which is almost identical to the G-4.
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Offline Nilsen

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2009, 02:07:13 AM »

But we do have the G-2 which is almost identical to the G-4.

Dont quote me on it, but I think they only accept skins that are made for models we have. Even if almost identical its not the same.

From Wikipedia:

"In September 1942, the G-4 appeared; this version was identical to the G-2 in all respects, including performance, except for being fitted with the FuG 16 V.H.F. radio set, which provided much clearer radio transmissions and had three times the range of the earlier H.F. sets. Externally this could be recognised by the position of the fuselage antenna lead-in which was moved further aft to between frames seven and eight on the fuselage spine.[88] Due to the steady weight increases of the 109, from the spring of 1943 larger 660 x 160 mm mainwheels were introduced, replacing the previously used 650 x 150 mm. The undercarriage legs were altered so that the wheel's vertical axis was nearly upright rather than being parallel with the oleo leg. These changes resulted in the fitting of teardrop shaped fairings to the upper wing surface above the wheel-wells to accommodate the upper part of the mainwheels. The larger wheels and fairings were often retro-fitted to G-2s.[89] In addition, a larger 350 x 135 mm tailwheel replaced the original 290 x 110 mm one; the larger tailwheel no longer fitted the recess, so the retraction mechanism was disconnected and the tailwheel fixed down."


As you can see there are some external visual differences between the G2 and G4 even if they are minor.
« Last Edit: May 04, 2009, 02:10:22 AM by Nilsen »

Offline Larry

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2009, 02:12:47 AM »
Dont quote me on it, but I think they only accept skins that are made for models we have. Even if almost identical its not the same.

No, they'll let you sub some planes. Like one of my K4's is a G10, one of my A5's is an A4, and one of my A8's is an A9.
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Offline Nilsen

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2009, 02:16:44 AM »
ok

Offline Motherland

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2009, 06:08:09 AM »
Dont quote me on it, but I think they only accept skins that are made for models we have. Even if almost identical its not the same.

From Wikipedia:

"In September 1942, the G-4 appeared; this version was identical to the G-2 in all respects, including performance, except for being fitted with the FuG 16 V.H.F. radio set, which provided much clearer radio transmissions and had three times the range of the earlier H.F. sets. Externally this could be recognised by the position of the fuselage antenna lead-in which was moved further aft to between frames seven and eight on the fuselage spine.[88] Due to the steady weight increases of the 109, from the spring of 1943 larger 660 x 160 mm mainwheels were introduced, replacing the previously used 650 x 150 mm. The undercarriage legs were altered so that the wheel's vertical axis was nearly upright rather than being parallel with the oleo leg. These changes resulted in the fitting of teardrop shaped fairings to the upper wing surface above the wheel-wells to accommodate the upper part of the mainwheels. The larger wheels and fairings were often retro-fitted to G-2s.[89] In addition, a larger 350 x 135 mm tailwheel replaced the original 290 x 110 mm one; the larger tailwheel no longer fitted the recess, so the retraction mechanism was disconnected and the tailwheel fixed down."


As you can see there are some external visual differences between the G2 and G4 even if they are minor.
The only external difference that you can see is the teardrop wheel fairing, which was actually included on some late production G-2's anyway. There are already several G-4's in game.


Doesn't matter though as the G-2 is already full.

Offline B4Buster

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2009, 09:19:32 PM »
Those are pretty skins. I like the orange one especially
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Offline StokesAk

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #8 on: May 04, 2009, 09:24:56 PM »
Just like this one.

Strokes

Offline Serenity

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2009, 06:02:53 AM »
Just like this one.

(Image removed from quote.)

Not quite. Note the almost-grid-square layout of lyric's bird's polka dots.

Offline TexMurphy

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2009, 09:58:48 AM »

Offline lyric1

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2009, 10:36:24 AM »
Some other aircraft from Slovak units.





Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6, W.Nr. 161 717, "white 6", flown by Pavel Zeleňak from Letka 13, damaged in combat with Allied escort fighters and crash landed at Horna Streda on 26th June 1944.

Picture and illustration from HT model Špecial, artist Vaclav Hochmuth
« Last Edit: May 05, 2009, 10:39:53 AM by lyric1 »

Offline Motherland

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2009, 02:19:55 PM »
Just like this one.

(Image removed from quote.)
No. That's an aircraft from JG300, and the cowling is probably a personal thing, or from that staffel. In any case the cowling is completely repainted and polka-dotted. Lyric's photos are from Slovak machines attached to JG52. The paint is simply applied over the cowling with no repainting.
II/JG52 did something similar, except they just remottled the cowling in a very tight pattern. That's the default skin for the G-2.

Scroll down a bit on this page... http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/axis/luft/kol109g2.htm



Not a really good reference... colors are all out wrong. The history is laughable as well, usually a pretty good indication that you shouldn't use that as a resource. :)

Offline Charge

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2009, 04:09:22 PM »
G1s and G2s of II/JG52 had cowling painting that looked something like that although not "polka dots".

http://www.nnavirex.com/me109f&g.htm

There's also a few pictures of those in "Messerschmitt Bf109 in action, Part 2, Squadron Signal Publications
(a/c Nr 57)".

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Offline Krusty

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Re: Polka dotted 109.
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2009, 05:42:15 PM »
It's not exactly like these were personal markings. They were camouflage. Often when the planes were parked under nets the nose was the most prominent and visible part. The extra mottling was a cheap way of disguising shapes from recon cameras as well as low-flying planes.

At least a couple of Italian planes had similar camo patterns (nose being different).