[edNorth]

Paul. You are missing the whole point. I am not going to write an whole essay explaining why I say this is so and so, D-5 or not. This is definately not year 1940 or early 1941, as the gentleman abowe are speculating about (and then putting some question mark on the accuracy, the quality or the ability of the ´expert´ researchers of the EOE project - see another thread here on TOCH - but they themselves have to answer for that). The D-1´s possibly exised more on paper in early 1941 (apart from testing examples) but from March 1941 the poduction version was still the D-2, by May 1941 only a few A-4 / D-1´s´s had been made - and none I know of flew in ´The Blitz´ over England prior to June 1941 (so far as I know anyway). And in June 1941 I am yet to find there are or were any D-1 lost at all. Only in July 1941 on the Eastern Front do we find a loss for D-1.

We both agree this has all the hallmarks of an A-4 airframe. However I say this is possibly likely LATER than the ´early standard A-4´, possbly even A-4/trop, D-5/trop or D-1/trop. (Late rudder with aerodynamic balance on top, has slant mid-post in upper main front canopy window, has ejector stubs for the wing anti-ice hot-air on nacelles, flame dampers, long wings, etc.) I agree there might possibly be one more detail obscured by the KOPIESCHUTZ ´sticker´ on fuselage top surface. So one has just too see if someone here won this and can put us straight. W.Nr. usually was painted on the missing part of fin (of 4U+UL) but often not painted or pained over.

Just looking at the Props I see VDM thin cord meal props but the D-1 usually had VS II wooden props, right? However if this is D-1, it does not match the data I have found out over the years. And finally Brian Filley´s Squadron/Signal books are fair to good but far from perfect in many ways.

Best regards
ed