Heinkel He 162 upper wingcolour Mystery

[DaveM2]

The wing crosses are applied as they were found on the aircraft during restoration, different styles for the upper and lower wings.

Dave

[NC900A8]

Yes Dave!

Exactly what we found during the cleaning of old paint.

Remenber also that the very first He 162 of the serie 120 received on the fuselage the small b&w cross.
And also the two tails were green......with the "WNr." painted in white.

Sorry I work this night, but it is time to take the road before going to my bed!!!

See you later!

Philippe

[SMF144]

Philippe,

NO! The original upper wing camouflage on the wings of 76 and 86 were and are not 81/82!!!! And, the intake for the engine pod of 86 is not 02 like yours. End of story.

Stephen

[NC900A8]

Hi Stephen,

I just say "I hope", not "I am sure" for the upper wings color.

But Here is a photo showing part of the upper wings of 120086.

For you what is this color: RLM70, 81 or 82?

[O.Menu]

Philippe i post the link from JCM because it's the only one i know on the web... I saw in "Couderchon, P., 0ct/Nov 2005: Aviation Française Magazine N°6 " one of the color picture from R.Goyat colection and the white swastika is quite clearly there... You perhaps not found it again recently simply because it was erased during the the 1970 cleanning work done before 120015 was repainted as yellow1... I suppose the aircraft was pretty well cleaned only with the most important markings kept untouched...

The photo from 120223 at Leck with a green fin on it's right side is visible inside "Myhra David, 1999: Heinkel He 162 – X planes of the third reich series, Schiffer Military History, Atglen, 96p."

To wait until 2008 will be a long time to wait

[NC900A8]

Hi Olivier,

In first, about the photo taken in 1975 and showing the right fin of the 120015 during its first partial restoration, I just look my others high resolution photos, so I can confirm that the upper white swastika is not the original german one painted in 1945, but the one painted in 1960 by the Musée de l'Air!!
Effectivly, this white swastika is painted just on the SNCAC emblem (painted only in 1947), not under.
You can see the original one painted in black at lower position and under the grey color of the fin!
Sorry, but again in 2005, we re-discovered this, always at the same position!

For the question about the real 12223, a first photo taken at Leck just before the english soldiers arrived, show this plane with its two original fins in grey and with its complet tips.
After this plane have a "ground accident", the left tip was missing and the right fin was replaced by another green one. (perhaps one from 120015!!)
And, now, we have this "12223 original grey fin" on the 120015.

For the french n°3, the 120093, I have no confirmation as it was the real 120231 or not.........the big problem is that we have not photo of each He 162 at Leck in April/May 1945!

[NC900A8]

Hi Olivier,

On this photo taken in spring 1975, the "white svastika", painted by the Musée de l'Air in the 1960's:

<a href="http://img252.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lebourget1975before1ya.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/9223/lebourget1975before1ya.th.jpg" border="0" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" /></a>

In first the original subject was the camouflage wings of the 120076, so it is preferable to speak about this 120076.

For the 120015, you must have patience until 2008!!!

[O.Menu]

No problem Philippe, i just doesnt know about this 1960 camo And after a second close examination this white swastika was sligtly not high enough as well as not perfectly vertical to be German...

Very strange to see that this supposed broken fin is not!

The only explanation would be that:
1/ 120223 goes to the repair place cause of its broken wing tip and there give its right bleu fin to another plane which is among the five given to the French. >> if true and if it's the only element we have to say that 120223 came in France then 120223 perhaps never came in France >> need to check

2/ sometimes later, perhaps only after surrender, a new green fin was added to 120223

Cheers

[NC900A8]

Sorry Olivier for the photo,

The good connexion is:




Philippe

[O.Menu]

Quote
"The only explanation would be that:
1/ 120223 goes to the repair place cause of its broken wing tip and there give its right bleu fin to another plane which is among the five given to the French. >> if true and if it's the only element we have to say that 120223 came in France then 120223 perhaps never came in France >> need to check

2/ sometimes later, perhaps only after surrender, a new green fin was added to 120223"

>>

This would explain why, except from the two A-1 "red 7" and "yellow 5", we have four W.Nr. (120015, 120093, 120223 and 120231) for only three He 162.

Then the three flyable French one would have been:
N°1 = 120093 "unknown fuselage number"
N°2 = 120015 "white 22?" with right fin from 120223
N°3 = 120231 "white 6"

(N°1 and N°3 could have been inverted depends from which one show RATO attachement points on photos - And in any case if N°1 doesn't have RATO it can't be 120223...)

(120015 can't be white 21 since white 21 is pictured at Leck with a later camo than the one awaited for 120015, can't be white 1 since marking are not on the correct emplacement. And white 22 probably had JG1 emblem painted on the front fuselage same as white 21)