[Charles Bavarois]

Hello Guys,

may I add a few toughts to this topic?

As Jochen said, Werknummer 110064 was a G-5 from Erla-Leipzig with first BAL acceptance on 10. Jan. 1944. As Leipzig built no AS-aircraft at that time, it presumably was a regular G-5 with DB 605 A engine.

The color of the fixed canopy is of a bright pale shade, as is most of the airframe. The darker colors are painted on very crudely and they avoid the markings. This is typical for AS-engined aircraft from Erla-Antwerpen, which were delivered in 76 all over and sometimes got more camo only at unit-level. For that reason, the splinter-camo on the wings have an unusually bright (76) background color.

It takes some time to repair a damaged aircraft. I don’t think, that WNr 110064 was delivered to Luftwaffe, damaged and then then put to repair at Erla-Antwerpen. The time-frame from early Jan to early April is simply too short. I assume the newly built G-5 was sent directly from Leipzig to Antwerpen for installing the AS-engine, which was not unique btw. Perhaps Rasmussen can help us with this issue.

At Antwerpen they did not only change the engine. They also attached a new Erla-canopy, indicated by the tubular frame at the rear cockpit. And they got rid of the equipment for pressurizing the cabin. To ventilate the now sealed cabin, they added those air-scoops beneath the forward canopy-frame. And they added also small rectangular flaps in the fuselage directly under the cockpit. These flaps ("Belüftungsklappe" in Ersatzteilliste) were moveable from the inside and could be opened to improve airflow. They were regular items on non-pressurized Gustavs. Both features are clearly recognizable on the foto. And finally they rebuilt the GM-1-device as to deliver MW-50, which is clear from the “C3”-triangle.

As Luftwaffe was not happy with the cabin of the G-5s, at some later date it war ordered to dismantle the compressor for recycling. I do not know, whether the Baureihenbezeichnung of such aircraft was changed from G-5 to G-6. But I don’t think so, as in spite of lacking the compressor, the airframe itself remained different in many ways to G-6. As for Spechts aircraft, I’ll tend to the Baureihenbezeichnung ”G-5/U2 AS”

And last, a notice for my friend Veltro: A moveable part of the canopy, very similar to the Erlahaube was developed for the pressurized Me 209 H. As the 209 H never appeared and late Bf 109 did not need this feature, IMHO it never got to series-production. AFAIK the few AS-engined Bf 109s which needed the pressurized cabin for some reason kept their old-style canopy.

Great topic, please carry on.

Carl