Unknown Aircraft.
 

Here's one for all aircraft spotters, this is the latest piece of research I'm undertaking.
I have two photo-reconnaissance prints flown by 7th Photo Group USAAF, dated 6th March 1944, they cover part of an unknown airfield which looks totally empty, however I noticed these two aircraft sitting on their own.
This imagery has been greatly enlarged and I cannot sharpen the images anymore without losing what detail is there in the first place.

Any comments on what they are would be grateful.

Thanks for your time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...zos/unkown.jpg

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Could they actually be twin-engined types and their shadows? Certainly looks like this could be what I see the bottom right image anyway...

Cheers

Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

I aggree, a low sun casting long shadows on a couple of two-engined aircraft. As the engines seems to end about in line with the fuselage I'd say Ju88 or possibly He111

/Anders

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

The one that is "nosing ahead" of the other looks to me like a Me 410 from the wing shape/engine configuration.

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Thanks for your comments, here are two basic scans of the airfield. Still the location is unknown at this time, it looks like it is next to a large river or the coast, that could put it anywhere.
One comment that was put to me is that the left-hand image could be an Me 262.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/matzos/1-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/matzos/2-1.jpg

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

I agree with the 410: the wing planform of the other looks like Junkers, so a 188 is my guess, but it is difficult.

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Matzos,

It could be Lechfeld airbase. See http://virtualglobetrotting.com/view...&mid=39092 for example, and the river profile together with proximity of airfield.
I believe the left-hand image is a Me 262 too.

Michal

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Good night to all!
Quite interesting photographs indeed. Do you know the name of the pilots that took them? It would be very interesting to know.
I looked carefully and I noticed what seems to be a twin vertical tail. My humble guess is that it COULD BE a Heinkel He 280. We would have to check, if one member put correctly if this airfield is indeed Lechfeld and what kind of aircraft were there by the time the pictures were taken. ( I remember seing a good book by Schiffer Publishing about LW Experimental Airbase or anything similar. The actual tittle I do not remember, but what I do remember was the name of famous experimental pilots and engineers being co-authors. Perhaps there is more about Lechfeld and the kind of aircraft that were there by 6th March 1944. )
Very friendly yours
Adriano Baumgartner

PS: By the way, where you managed to get those aerial pictures?

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Hi,

It looks to me that the LH plane is not a 262 as it is only the shadow that has a swept back wing appearance. It looks more like a 188 and the other a 111. Are there photo times on the edge of the pictures. They would appear to be early am or late pm.

Just my photo int two pennies worth!

Regards

David

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Hi again,

Yes Adriano, looking at pic again it does indeed appear to have a twin fin tail.

Regards,

David

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Good evening Matzos !

This airfield is Berlin-Gatow !. Here the question is, if, at this stage of air-war, those items are really aircraft or are they some kind of antenna. In my neighbourhood was a person, who was trained at Gatow for a fighter-pilot in 1944/45, but failed his licence by the aprupt war-end. He never told anything about jets e.g. on the place.

Maybe this helps !

All the best,

Horst Weber

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

The prints were flown on the 6th March 1944 Sortie AA817 which lists as the imagery been taken by Maj. W.Weitner OC 14 Sqn 7th Photo Reconnaissance Group USAAF, he was flying Spitfire PR.XIPA 892
On this day Maj Weitner is listed in "Eyes of the Eighth" as flying the official photo-reconnaissance mission to Berlin.

I have had the prints over 20 years, they were left, with some others, to me by a dear friend just before he died and this is what got me hooked on photo reconnaissance.

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Hi,

Aircraft on right looks alot like a Siebel 204, one always seems to be around the field!

My $.02,

Don

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Siebel_204.jpg

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Hello!

To be absolutely frank, I find these "aircraft" resemble amazingly to wooden decoy A/C, like those the Luftwaffe used in many places...the planforms and the shadows seems all wrong for A/C photographed from near vertical they just do not fit together...the shadows suggest an incredible wing dihedral the like of which I have never seen!

JV

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Thanks Horst Weber,

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=D...atow,%20Berlin

That gives me a starting point, again thanks!

Mick

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Hi Don,
I reached the same conclusion 2 min ago.
bregds
SES

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

My 0ne "€uro centime" idea for the left pics :
a Focke Wulf FW 58 Weihe ,very common sight on german places at those times .

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Hi, folks...

Richard B, I like the idea of an Fw58... very good suggestion, and the thumbnail showing the high-dihederal shadow of the wing... :)

And what an amazing sight, to be able to compare the original aerial photos from the war, with the modern day aerial map.

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Well, good interesting news added here since I last entered!
However, we still do have what seems a twin vertical fin, isn´t it? Or only I and another friend saw it?
The Fw 58 CAN be a candidate...however the tail isn´t quite the same that appears on the photograph.
6th March 1944...I still bet my money on the He 280...
Will try to search more when at home ( where my books are stored ). I am 250km far away by now and will return only in a couple of weeks. If I do remember correctly, on the book Me 262 Combat Diary by Harvey and Foreman there are some entries for that day or something related to the Heinkel He 280. Someone could find it out meanwhile?
Thanks and let´s hope there is more news coming along...
Yours very friendly
Adriano

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

Hi,

Re my earlier post on this thread have we any indication of time of photo?
With sun at a low angle the wing dihedral can be misleading in the shadow but can possibly be checked by knowing angle of sun.

I still agree with the twin fin on one aircraft, and scale doesn't look right to be a Siebel - just a thought! Another thought is that if an aircraft was damaged eg wing spar broke on one side, each side of the aircraft could give the wrong impression as to actual dihedral, then accentuated by shadow.

Regards

David

Re: Unknown Aircraft.
 

There is no time stamp on the titling of the prints. Just the date 6th March 44