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Re: ME109E - From the ?Horse?s mouth?.

Posted by PeterA on Thu Sep 05, 2002 10:42:00 AM

In reply top ME109E Pics in Aeroplane monthly... posted by Tony on Thu Sep 05, 2002 02:39:57 AM

From a close study of detail photographs of the Indian Emil and making judgement on the erosion and weathering of the recovered Indian Spitfires, where the first coat of paint on is the last coat off, the livery history of this aircraft appears to be as follows:-
1) After assumed European service the aircraft was on the strength of a training school by virtue of the stencilling of the school name on the rear fuselage including the telephone number.
2) Under the wings there is less erosion of paint and a North African scheme is evident.
3) The last scheme applied, and the faintest, is RAF. There is still evidence of the ?Red? of an RAF C type roundel on the starboard side and the red of a fin flash on the tail over a swastika. This last scheme appears to have been an overall olive green application and there is a witness mark in this green of a former code ?8?. At this time this ?8? is thought to be associated with the RAF scheme.
4) On the fuselage there is evidence of at least two but possibly three German crosses. The two German codes are a Black 6 over a Black 5.
If you assume an arbitrary coat of paint is '1 unit' thick an RAF roundel may '3 units' thick locally in the middle depending how it was masked. Equally a German Cross has multiple thickness paint. As erosion and weathering occurs at a uniform ?x? mm per annum the thicker coats per scheme protect the earlier coats, accounting locally for more vibrant and visible earlier markings.
Whilst the Emil has been secured and removed, there is grave concern that all this premature interest, on what has been a six year episode, may jeopardise the owners plans to rebuild this aircraft to fly in the UK.

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