I know this is not my usual B-17, But it does fit into the Grand Scheme of things. This is the craft that my wife’s grandfather shot down. He was the only member of Ain’t Miss Behavin’ to get a kill, However it is credited to the plane he was on as it was a in country training mission, they all flew the first time with another crew. In my research this is as close to that actual plane as I can find, some Luftwaffe sites have it going down on the 9th some on the 11th, the Kill report filed with the AAF listed the flight as on 11/4/44 (dd/mm/yy). I don’t have any of the build up as it was a rather bland build since I’m just showing it as a ready to fly plane ie: just before it takes off and is then shot down. I will be putting it on a stand with Static grass and a pilot climbing in. This should happen pretty quick. Decals go on today and base made so not too much left to do.
Check your references as I don’t think the splinter camo on the wings should be that soft edged. Is this night fighter coloring? There are several excellent references on WWII Luftwaffe camo schemes.
In my research I find that at the start of the war and in the beginning of use of the Fw190 most were masked with a template(not a definite hard hard line mask), but as demand (due to loss) increased and more Slave labor was used the standards became much more lax, as to masking. Also lots of ground crews changed colors and schemes as needed to fit the area in which they were deployed. Not to mention weathering, fading, damage, replacement of parts, field mods., and the plan truth that two batches of the same code of paint differ from the batch before it. In looking at a lot of Fw 190’s I’ve seen different mottle patterns, different lines in the splinter pattern itself, and colors ranging from a green gray to a blacker gray. What this all adds up to is that as long as it isn’t purple and neon pink, who’s to say what is truly right or wrong, way TOOOOO Many variables. I mostly build U.S. aircraft and they Vary A Lot, some even end up with OD and Natural on the same plane. I also rarely build a model to look “Of The Shelf New”, in my opinion they look a little fake all new and S#*t, so I weather them to look used.
Anyway thanks for the concern and for the opportunity to discuss the ins and outs of what is right and wrong when building a model.
The 190 in ? was from 3/JG11 marked yellow 8+I, I do not have a exact photo of said plane but do have photos of others in this group. As to the ? of the kill, Bill (grandfather) while on an in country training flight, he flew with another crew along with their left waist gunner, Bill had the gun and the “Kill” was verified by the other waist gunner. Bill was given Full and Sole credit for the "Kill"personally , but since he was in another plane when he shot it down the “swastika” was painted on training plane, not Ain’t Miss Behavin’ ( his plane).
Already got it! Don’t have any spares for the No., though but have them printed myself on microscale decal paper. I love that paper, as stated in the opening I build a lot of B-17s, and that paper does Great for the unique nose art and markings. I also noticed after your last post and I looked back at my research I need to change the listing to a Fw 190A-5, There were two 190’s shot down in that area that day, the other was the A-6 yellow 16+ . I flipped a coin and the yellow 8+I won. need to fix the title.
Thanks for the look there Man (can I call you Man) they are some nice lookin’ craft. I got mine mostly stickered up last night, just have the yellow 8 and I left to put on thought I had printed them with my last batch of B-17 decals, got the squad logo but not the 8, DAAAAANG! have a model club meeting tonight but will try to get them printed and applied tonight. The LG is next and then the base, and pilot climb the side and we are done with this one. for a short build it has been fun, and the research has been trying but interesting. I also tried out a new technic on this one: I used India Ink over a High Gloss to fill the recessed lines, just put it over the recess let dry and wipe off, just that easy. I’m going to try and find some Gray India as I think the black is a little tooooo stark.
Here’s what we got today.
thanks for Looking and A BIG THANKS TO ALL THE VETERANS TODAY!!!
I found this on the AAF site and it go to show the differences with in the same model, the first three all have subtle differences in there paint scheme. Just supporting my point.
I like what you’ve done in toning down the scheme with your “weathering” Nice job on the panel lines as well…
I don’t see an issue with the demarcation between your colors—as far as my experience and knowledge go the “softness” is accurate…JG11 used a yellow “Defense of the Reich” band, which you have depicted correctly…I am guessing the other markings and kills are pure conjecture?
as far as I know they are all accurate to that staffel, as will the yellow 8+l yet to be applied, but yes the kills are conjecture, just thought it would look good. I’m attaching a pic of the Staffel badge so you can see it better.
I read somewhere what it stood for but can’t remember.
Cool…I do recognize the staffel marking…looks really good. The only thing I can point out is maybe a bit more gun “soot” applied than I think would be accurate for the type of guns in the wings…
Maybe, but then again they flew a lot of sorties some times more than 5 a day, build up, but you may be right. I have a couple renderings from this Staffel.
I didn’t get the mottled spots real close But this is a first attempt, been a long time since I built any German craft, I think since High school back in the 80’s, and there was no internet to do all this great research, and not a lot of books on the subject in the library in my Small Town. I’m almost done with the Grandfather relationship to models, so I will be venturing out to other things soon. The next craft that is not a B-17 is going to be a He 111H-22, with the V-1 attached, should be fun.
It translates roughly to “he who shoots first lives longer”
As an FYI on the profiles you posted the second bird is a Gruppenkommandeur aircraft and therefore not assigned to a staffel but to the Gruppenstab. The tip off is the chevron marking.
Hey Luftwaffe, Thanks for the comps, and the translation. The two profile you speak of are Manstien’s revenge’s planes not mine and I know about the Chevrons, the craft I’m building is from 3 staffel, I try to do my research, although it is hard when it come to german craft, I guess a lot of the info was destroyed near and at wars end.
Got the Yellow 8+l done last night as well as landing gear, new canopy (the other was a duplicate so I didn’t have to be sooooo careful with it during build), and prop installed. All In All she is finished, now just have to build the base; get, assemble,paint and install pilot climbing in, then she’ll be DONE!
On a side note I printed the yellow 8, didn’t quite cut it out right and tried a new technique using an india ink pin to redo the black outline. Thought my hand was steadier than that, getting Old Sucks!!! Mainly I think next time I will dulcote it after decaling (applied on gloss ONLY), then use the pen as the pen seemed to skip on the Gloss, so redo after redo I just said (to myself) call it wear and tear, repaint after damage, Learning Experience!!!
