Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Hi there Franck, Roland, mermet and The_Ivan,

Back from a field trip in the Alps, I read all your comments and thank you for them. As a matter of synthesis, I feel now pretty safe thinking this fuselage is a WNF Bf 109 G-6 with those layout prototype "Beulen" and other improvements like the rear fuselage access and fuel filler point similar to the future Bf 109 K-4 model.

It can't be an Erla fuselage with the flat lateral panel under the left windshield mating up with the bigger bulge, mermet, as clearly shown on all exterior pictures. So back to basics, alias Bf 109 G-6;-))

Thanks for all your inputs
Marc

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Folks,

I need your help for this color shot taken in Autmun 1943 in the Erla plant:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...in/photostream

Two points are of high interest:

- The fuselage stencilled W.Nr's were only up kept for production records. After BAL, the RLM allotted definitve W.Nr.'s. What were those for the W.Nr. 32 069- through 32 080 we can see in this picture?

- What colors were used for those fuselages? Is the tailplane RLM 76 and the fuselage RLM 65?

Thanks in advance
Marc

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Hello Marc,

these aircraft were part of a block with Erla-Werknummern running from
311 32069 to 311 32100. They were renumbered to RLM Werknummer 410.672 to 410.703.
All were Bf 109 G-6s with acceptance dates in the second half of November 1943.

As for the colors: What's about tropical Farbton 78 for the fuselage?

Regards

Carl

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Hallo Carl!

Many thanks for your thorough reply; great to know the RLM W.Nr.'s.

As for the color, I didn't think of RLM 78. IS this your hypothesis or a known fact? I always thought that those Erla batches were overall RLM 76 as they left their parent plant.

Thanks again!
Marc

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Hello Marc,

the color 78 is a hypothesis based on color fotos taken at the same time and now in the possession of the Stiftung Preussischer Staatsbesitz. I have no other docmented proof for this color. Rasmussen may have some information on the amount of paint available at Erla storages.

Please have a look at the attached foto (source: online-catalogue of Preussischer Kulturbesitz). It shows a Bf 109 from the 33.0xx Werknummernblock with the fuselage in a rich blue color. The hue of the blue ist quite different to even fresh Farbton 65 and not as pale as Farbton 76. Also interesting is the sand-colored filler to the taiplane fin.

I don't think, that the aircraft were delivered to Luftwaffe showing this color. In fall 1943 Bf 109s at Erla Leipzig obviously left the final-assembly line with semi-finished paintwork and after that were taken to the paint-shop. Please have a look at the foto on page 118 of Jochen Priens "Bf 109 F, G & K Series" showing such an aircraft prior to applying a neat full 74/75/76 camoflage scheme. This is quite different to the situation later in 1944/45, when already pepainted subassemblies were attached to the airframe without much care for blening the diffent colors.

HTH

Carl

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Hallo Carl,

Very interesting; with the other photo, obviously taken at the same time, the contrast is event stronger between the RLM 76 tailplane and the blue fuselage... As for the overall RLM 76 color mentioned , I was thinking of those Erla built Bf 109 G-6 which were meant to become "Höhenjägern" and left Erla in this overall light gray tone for Erla VII at Antwerpen in order to have their DB 605/AS fitted and then be taken on charge by 2./JG 3, like exemplified by "Schwarze 27", among others:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625486305536
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625486305536

As for the "normal process", the picture of W.Nr. 33 085 is most informative indeed (Prien and Rodeike 1995, p. 118).... Thanks Carl!

Finally, it is interesting to see such a variety of blue hues (RLM 65, RLM 76, RLM 78 and the currently much publicized RLM 83 which we know - thanks to Rasmussen - was not on the paint inventory of Erla). I never noticed this until now.

Thanks again, Carl
Marc

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Many thanks Unikum!
Marc

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

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Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

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