A beautiful piece of wing to identify

[Chris Goss]

Hmm-suspect or what? Surely tape is time consuming during wartime and as you say stencils were used?

[Snautzer]

Pouncing pattern would also be an option

[lostcause]

Condensing the previous posts we have assumptions, problems, and questions.

Assumptions:
1. It's from some sort of A/C, Luftwaffe or otherwise. Flush rivets and aluminum point to that. I doubt the use of those for ground or marine vehicles.
2. It is a hinged access panel. I could be totally wrong on the following but I'm going to say it is a structural piece given the rather substantial inner structure. Most access panels have limited inner structure but this appears to have a place for 3 bolts (see teardrop openings minus their covers) to secure it to a frame plus the remnants of a possible latch in the center of one of the edges along with evidence there was possibly 2 more latches/mounts at the outer corners of same edge (see inside shot).
3. Piece does not seem to be damaged by a crash but rather removed by what appears to be a chainsaw.
4. Stored inside based on the condition.

Problems:
1. Is it a fake? Could easily be from any A/C and the balkenkreuz added. The size of the balkenkreuz seems to be rather small in relation to any A/C.
2. Bare metal - wasn't as common in the Luftwaffe as say the USAAF. Yes it did occur, more so at the end. If so that should narrow down the A/C.
3. The balkenkreuz with this apparent ratio/size would normally be placed on an upper wing making it a rather thick wing by the time you add what was underneath it. Thick wing would equal large A/C, large A/C should equal larger balkenkreuz.


Questions:
1. What are the widths of the bars? At 500mm in length the wide black should be 125MM, white 25mm and narrow black 17mm. If they are off then that may be an issue.
2. Finding out where and when it was found would help tremendously.

[gilles collaveri]

Hi Lost cause and others.

Thanks for the synthesis. I am fully in line with that.

I just got some more information, I hope this will help narrow the path :

space between rivets : 2 cm
diameter of the heads : 0,6 cm

hexagon nuts : 6 X 0,5 cm

I have asked more precision and shall revert to you when I receive them.
concerning the place and date of found, I did ask the question but the owner (plenty of goodwill) has absolutely no idea as to its origin.

So, with the rivets size, shall we have some clues ?

Happy Christmas to all and enjoy the end of 2018 with this quizz.

GC