7. staffel III/JG53 in Sicily
 

Can anyone provide me with photos of the aircraft of III/JG53 , 7th staffel, with the paintings of the famous "PikAs Man", based in Sicily during the spring/summer of 1943? I can't find any photos of the front section of these aircraft and they have different spinners in every colour profile I've fond so far. In particular I'm looking for the aircraft of Uffz. Georg Amon , a G6/R6 Trop with white 9 tactical number (don't know the serial). Any info on what happened to the a/c would also be appreciated!

Thanks!

Re: 7. staffel III/JG53 in Sicily
 

Here it is the right side of Uffz. Amon's aircraft. There are photos around of the insignia on the left side...

http://win.150gct.it/public/veltro/white9.jpg

The spinner is of the tight black spiral on white seen on several Bf 109s in Italy in the summer of 1943.

Hope this helps.

Re: 7. staffel III/JG53 in Sicily
 

Thank you very much, Veltro!

One question about the photo - the right cowling of the MG131 machinegun lacks the additional oil radiator and air intake that G6 Trop's should have been fitted with. Yet there are two black holes visible when these should be - is it possible that they were simply removed, but the plane originally had them?

Re: 7. staffel III/JG53 in Sicily
 

The detail you apparently refer to, that is the second smaller "beule" on the right cowl side, has never had anything to do with the "trop" version and was never associated with it.

AFAIK, it was a later design originally foreseen for the G-5 (to accomodate a compressor) but so many cowls of such version were produced (in comparison to the small number of G-5s done), that this cowl was adopted also in the late G-6 and normal G-14 production, without anything inside requesting the presence of the smaller "beule".

Re: 7. staffel III/JG53 in Sicily
 

Here are three pictures of Amon's aircraft:

I hope these help

Cheers

Chris

Re: 7. staffel III/JG53 in Sicily
 

Hello Burdokva

I had forgotten that I had these which might be of help, with curtesy of the IL-2/Pacific Fighters comunity. Also I know that Iliad Design made decals of these aircraft in, I believe, 1/48 scale. I have other III./JG53 photos. Contact me off site with your email addy for details.

Cheers

Chris