[VonHelton]

Originally posted by Langdon@Dec 21 2003, 03:53 AM
[b] VonHelton, I agree with Lyle (actually I'm sure I mentioned this previously as well) the streaky camouflage would use less paint or stain than a solid coat, the only reason people believed in the solid coat theory was because they did not have enough information to suggest otherwise, at the time. If you used the photos from "Windsock datafile #25" by P Grosz as a basis to form an opinion on the wings colour then you could well be excused for thinking it was a solid colour, the wings are always either reflecting light off of their varnished upper surface or they are in shadow and either way you cannot tell how they are painted.

I think the real debate should be, did Dan-San get it right in 1999 when he decided the upper surface has bands of brown and green and the underside has violet and blue? As I have stated previously I believe he is correct. It seems to me that there are a lot of high profile researchers that use the Aerodrome site who do not have an opinion on this matter, thankfully Dan-San has reaffirmed his belief.

The E.V 183/18 used in Poland after the First War could easily have still been painted in its original streaky style although it does have some other bands painted on it, the underside of the wing looks to be very light in colour but it could have faded to this after two years of use, the samples I have from Koloman are very faded now after only being exposed for a month, and not in direct sunlight.

The D.VIII aircraft used be the US Air Service were over-painted in the US I believe.

If I am correct that the wing undergoing testing in the photo on page one of this thread is a D.VIII wing rather than an E.V wing then that photo would have to have been taken in late September or early October when similar testing was being undertaken at Adlershof; if this is correct then I do not believe they would have changed the camouflage style in the last month of the war.

Langdon

Fokker used turquois for the underside of the Dr1 & D6, so it may very well be that color as well.