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Old 7th February 2018, 20:41
Dénes Bernád Dénes Bernád is offline
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Camouflage scheme worn by exported German fighter aircraft

An interesting discussion is unfolding on a Hungarian language Facebook page I created and maintain about the camouflage scheme worn by exported German fighter aircraft (in relation to the camouflage scheme of Hungarian machines imported from Germany).

Here is my statement: "It has to be mentioned that the application of standard Luftwaffe ‘splinter’ type camouflage scheme on exported (German) fighter aircraft is unique in the case of the Bulgarian Bf 109Es (the first ten ones). All other fighter and fighter trainer aircraft, directly exported (i.e., sold) to an allied, or neutral, country, before and shortly after the start of the war, wore different camouflage schemes, mostly consisting of a single green colour on the upper surfaces, over light blue, or were painted in overall light grey."

Can some challenge my statement?
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Old 8th February 2018, 15:30
rfl51 rfl51 is offline
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Re: Camouflage scheme worn by exported German fighter aircraft

here is a Junkers Ju 88A exported to Russia:
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Old 8th February 2018, 15:36
Dénes Bernád Dénes Bernád is offline
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Re: Camouflage scheme worn by exported German fighter aircraft

Thanks for the sample, I was already aware of it. However, I was referring to fighter aircraft, as that's the topic of my current research.
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Old 8th February 2018, 16:32
Modeldad Modeldad is offline
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Re: Camouflage scheme worn by exported German fighter aircraft

My observations. As for the light gray, that would be Spain as far as I know and not light gray. The earliest went over unpainted. The light gray could be L40/50 or RLM 02, not clear as photos distort. Also. some C/D? went in a single Dark Green and were perhaps repainted in Spain. The German Dark Green did not work well in Spain for camouflage and perhaps there was a lot of repainting. Note the Es that went to Spain, they seem to have a unique scheme of a light color with that distinctive use of black from the exhaust, down the fuselage and across the wing root. I have pictures of Es being repainted. They may have arrived in RLM 71 and been repainted in 02. I cannot think of another country that received a light colored 109.

As for the others I believe the use of a Dark Green (71?) was standard on export, e.g. Swiss, Yugoslav, Romanian, etc. Your reference to a few in Bulgaria in 70/71 is interesting. I have poor pictures of 4 and 7 and both seem to show a single green. Love to see better images.

This use of a single green for export may explain the number of 109 D and E in Luftwaffe service that appear to have a single green camouflage. It may be as war was immanent, export aircraft were held back for the Luftwaffe. This would be similar to the way the US held back aircraft intended for the UK and appear in Dark Green and Dark Earth, as opposed to Olive Drab for USAAC aircraft.

Glad to share pictures. modeldad@verizon.net
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Old 8th February 2018, 17:26
Dénes Bernád Dénes Bernád is offline
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Re: Camouflage scheme worn by exported German fighter aircraft

Thanks, Modeldad, for your input. What you wrote I believe reinforces what I wrote: German fighters (not only '109s, but any model) and fighter trainers exported officially in the late 1930s, early 1940s were either (some sort of) light grey overall, or dark green over light blue. The only exception I found are the Bulgarian Bf 109Es (the first 10 ones), which wore two-tone splinter scheme on their wings and horizontal stabilisers (I never said the colours were RLM 70/71, as they were not!). Their fuselage was however uniquely painted, also in the same two-tone green colours (in the attached photo I identified them with No. 1 and 2. Both are lighter that the propeller cone, No. 3, which supposed to be Black Green/RLM 70).
Any further exception(s), if any, would be welcome!
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Old 10th February 2018, 16:53
Modeldad Modeldad is offline
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Re: Camouflage scheme worn by exported German fighter aircraft

That's not the "splinter scheme". The "splinter scheme" is the one seen on Luftwaffe aircraft, with jagged pattern on fuselage and wings. The pattern applied in your picture seems to be unique to the Bulgarian order. Seems to be perhaps 71 tops, 02 mid horizontal and 65 underside. The spinner and prop blades would be 70. The scheme is all horizontal on the fuselage, with bands on the wings. The one in the photo attached appears to have the yellow fuselage flash applied.
But as you know all that already.
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