109E color questions

[stona]

These are he.

Official portrait.



In Sicily.



On Galland's left (right as we look). This is earlier, around September 1940.



Sicily again.



The Luftwaffe never did paint bands or coloured tips on their propellers. I've no idea why not as most other air forces did and still do.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Guys, what would the colors be for the flying uniform worn by aircrew during this time? Same for the ground crew please.

I have some crew members I would like to add to the model.

Theuns

[stona]

There were a lot of different variations. Are you looking to add figures to a scene in Sicily?

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I am not really specific on what period of theater of OPS. mayby Sisily as my grandfather was an Spit Mechanic for the SAAF/RAF there and north Africa

The figures I have are of a pilot in flying suite being helped by a ground member in long trousers and long sleeve shirt to strap it chute on.

Both have the typical "banana" flightcaps on.

Theuns

[stona]

The 'banana cap' the pilot (and possibly the mechanic) is wearing was called a 'fliegermutze' and would be grey-blue in colour. Officers and other ranks differed slightly in detail but not shape. I doubt you will be worried about differences in piping at 1/48 scale.

The ground crew member might be wearing a 'drillichmutze' which was a black cotton version of the blue-grey woollen 'fliegermutze'. It would give a bit of variation to the personnel.

I haven't seen your figures, but the mechanic is probably wearing a two piece 'drillichanzug'. At various times this combination was produced in unbleached cotton termed 'rohgrau' or raw grey which describes the colour, a sort of off white/grey, and also in black. The choice is yours at this period.

There was also a one piece work overall called an 'arbeitsschutzanzug', these came in raw grey, dark blue and black.

Is the pilot in a one piece flying suit or a combination of jacket/blouse and trousers? It makes a difference.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Looking at it now Steve, the pilot seems to be leather clad?? Maybe it was to hot for the Med OPS?

Here is the link to what I have (the two lads far right)

http://modelingmadness.com/scott/misc/figures/icm/48082.htm

Theuns

[stona]

Mmmmm! the ground crew guy looks to be wearing a 'fliegerbluse' and 'tuchhose', rather than work wear. The colour in the illustration is a good guide.

The pilot is wearing a 'Kombination, Sommer' which was a one piece flying suit made of a durable 'braunmelliert' cloth, not leather. Again the box art is a good guide to colour, it did vary a bit.

A remarkable fact about this flight suit is that it was designed to be worn OVER a life jacket and incorporated a quick release a bit like a parachute rip cord to allow access to the inflation bottle of the life jacket in an emergency. Most aircrew didn't wear it that way, preferring to wear the life jacket on the out side. Eventually the chest loops for the oxygen hose were moved so as not to be obstructed by the life vest, a tacit admission by the Luftwaffe that the vests were normally worn outside the flight suit

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Cool thanx Steve, so if I do it like the box it should be realtively close to what Munsheberg and crew would be wearing in Sicily?

Theuns

[stona]

Certainly the ground crew. Several are wearing versions of that uniform in the pictures above.

Honestly, most pictures of Muncheberg in flying gear show him wearing some kind of uniform trousers and, on top, like many officers, he seems often to be wearing a non-standard jacket.

Whether he wore a summer combination I don't know. Many of the photographs of him and his aircraft are posed propaganda photographs, not genuine 'action' shots.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Thanx mate. :-)

Theuns