More fun for the photoanalysts

[stona]

My latest aircraft may either be Willi Trabert's Bf109G-14AS or carry the drop tank below (it would be another aircraft from JG300 so why not?) Here is a detail from a well known picture of Trabert's "Green 3" showing the tank in question.

Question is,what's happened at the front of the drop tank. Is it missing paint,some spillage or something entirely different.

Any opinions welcome,it's only for a model LOL!

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

First thought is that it is not spillage. If it was fuel or coolant, it would run down getting thinner as it trailed out not the pattern I see at the bottom of this mark. Also, may be shadow, but near the rear of the tank, and below, there are other dark marks. This, to me, looks like paint has been stripped off leaving patches, a seemingly unlikely scenario. Given the highlight near the middle front of the stain, it looks glossy or wet. but even oil wouldn't run with this shape, note the very sharp edge to it and the sticky out bit to the rear of the stain above the highlight.

Could it be a very crude daubed on camo pattern?

[Ian M]

Flakey paint! I see it all the time on my models :laughing:

Ian M

[Guest]

it looks like the trailing edge of it has v shaped areas suggesting maybe paint tearing away?

[stona]

Graham you've confirmed my "spillage" suspicions,it doesn't look right.

I've never seen a camouflaged drop tank. The red script on a tank says that it's not a bomb and that if you retrieve and hand it in you'll get 10 Reichmarks for your trouble.The Luftwaffe wanted them to be found,one of the advantages of dropping them over friendly territory. They'd be easily hidden on an airfield and anyway the aircraft would be the primary targets,not a pile of drop tanks!

I'm leaning towards Ian's flakey paint but remain open to suggestions.

Cheers

Steve

[Ian M]

Well in leu of that I would say there is a good chance that it could be a recyckled tank and has been draged, pushed rolled and kicked aroud abit. Could even be the pilot was bored while waiting around and just got busy with a blister. Who can resist a bit of peeling paint....

Ian M

[Guest]

is it me or is that a shiny reflection right at the front edge?If so maybe the shine would indicate a hasty repaint without prepping the surface resulting in paint flaking?just my .02

[Guest]

I would go with the damaged paint, a different angle photo to see the tank.

[stona]

So I'd paint that as dark aluminium? Ray's piccy just reminded me that if I do Trabert's machine I will have to do a spinner spiral.

[Guest]

I'd agree with above - ironically the paint may have flaked in this pattern due to a spill that was not removed before the white / grey was applied...

Stuart

[Guest]

I'd go with paint also, the sharp edges, angles and such look like a tear in the paint.

Most likely flaked easily due to contaminants on the surface.

On another note, how do folk paint a spiral on an aircraft spinner?

[AlanG]

Looks like paint has delaminated. Being low down like it is there is a good chance that damage to the paint surface was done be FOD thrown up by the prop wash. Then having to endure 300mph flight the airflow can tear into the said damage and 'lift' the paint away

[Guest]

I will get one of these Photo Analyse pictures right one day :-(

Spinner spirals usually come as decals. Only ever done one, my FW190 build. Got the decal off the sheet in the tweezers, held it near the spinner and it just leaped the gap and dropped into place. It was nearly as simple as that!! I was dead chuffed lol.

[stona]

On another note, how do folk paint a spiral on an aircraft spinner?

With a great deal of difficulty. I use a decal and repeat applications of microsol if I can. Otherwise paint the spinner white,use skinny masking and spray the RLM70.

There's no right or wrong Graham! Just a balance of probabilities, the need for more opinions is why I asked the question.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

It's not spillage - the edges are too regular. It has to be flaked paint.