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Evil_Merlin -> RE: Hangar 9 Fokker D VII ARF (4/7/2008 7:07:49 PM)
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Yeah it was an early Fokker build (Schwerin). Not too far off from the build I'm currently doing (a Jasta 10 bird).
Since the bird in question was built before D.376/18, it also would have no louvers.
Go here: http://www.flieger-album.de/fotoalben/fotoalben115/index.php
Go to album 15, and photo 56 shows his bird quite well. There is also evidence that the area around the cockpit was streaky red/brown not a solid red like the nose.
Some nice information on Berthold:
Hptm. Berthold was not a member of Jasta 15, at no time. At this point in time Hptm. Berthold was Kommandeur of Jage. Nr.2. His regimental colors of the 3rd Brandenburg Infantry Regiment nr.20 colors were dark blue and red trim. He first used these colors when he commanded Jasta 18 before he was shot down on 10 october 1917. When he was given command of Jage Nr.2 on 20 March 1918, he adopted his Jasta 18 markings of October 1917. These markings were adopted by the switched Jasta 18 to Jasta 15 by trading War Diaries with Jasta 15. Both units retain all their equipment and personnel, they just traded War Diaries. His Pfalz D.IIIa was painted in Jasta 15 markings, and Jasta 15 became Jage Nr.@ Stabs Jasta. With the Fok,D,VII he altered the color join from forward of the cockpit on the fuselage, to mid cockpit and that became his personal markings as Jage Nr.2 Kommandeur
And:
Photographs of late-production D.VIIs at the Fokker factory show the tailplane fabric running spanwise, as it did on the D.VI and D.VIIs from the other builders. However, it doesn't matter in this case, as the fabric was painted, not printed. I was confusing Berthold's machine with Hantelmann's! Sorry.
Berthold's early D.VII, having streaky top and sides, would have left the factory with a light blue underside to the fuselage, tailplane and undercarriage wing. The fuselage underside may have been overpainted by Jasta 15; there is no proof either way. Undersides of tailplane and axle wing probably remained in factory finish, as on Hantelmann's aircraft.
The undercarriage wing, being covered with plywood, was simply painted, first in streaky green with blue underside, later in plain olive green overall. No lozenges, ever!
Fokker introduced lozenge fabric on tail units apparently at some point in the mid-360s. 353/18 had a streaky tail, 368 a lozenged tail under the blue-black and white Jasta 18 paint (see IWM sample). The observant will note that this was slightly ahead of the switch to lozenges for the fuselage, which occurred between 368 and 382.
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