I've had several opportunities to photograph W/NR.10639 overall several years and across two locations. The walk around now features both cockpit and exposed engine details. Black 6 of III./JG77 was captured at Gambut Main (east Libya) by Flt Lt Ken McRae, Engineer Officer of No.3 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force.
Upon capture damage to the airframe was repaired by using parts from a 109F w/nr 9678 (tailwheel, tail plane, canopy and one propeller blade). Later on the port wing was replaced with parts from (possibly) another former JG 77 Bf109G-2/Trop, w/nr 10533. All of this makes it one of the most authentic 109 survivors. Along side my research into colour paint matches, I'll also be looking to gather materials that look at the camouflage patterns used by the Luftwaffe. I've started with a look at early Bf 109s as I currently have one of Airfix's offering on my bench. I began my research with a look through the Bundesarchiv, so hopefully even the seasoned Luftwaffe modeller will find some images that are interest. Here is a small sample of what I have unearthed thus far. My starting point for the Bf 109 is looking at the changes to the camouflage made through the campaigns in the Battles of Poland, France and Britain. The significant change in the images above from later schemes is the demarcation between the upper and lower colours. In the image below you can see a soft edged demarcation about an inch of so above the bottom of the canopy. This second image, again from 1940 shows the demarcation slightly lower, this time in line with the bottom of the canopy. To finish this post, here is a final picture of an aircraft from 1939 with an attractive Edelwiess motif. This image shows a narrow soft demarcation between green upper camouflage colours that is difficult to spot in the images at the start of this post. I hope you've enjoyed what I've found and it serves as an inspiration for building your own model of an early Bf 109.
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The German Military Aviation
Special Interest Group The Luftwaffe SIG Newsletter online edition written by SIG Leader Nathan Robinson.
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