Guynemer's SPAD VII

6 September 1998, 04:37 AM

I am preparing to do an illustration of the Guynemer/Udet duel at the moment when Guynemer, realizing Udet's guns have jammed, makes his final pass and salutes Udet before returning to his base.

I want to make sure I get the color scheme and markings correct on both planes. Can anyone recommend a book or a website that would have this information?

Thanks ahead of time,

TJ

6 September 1998, 12:28 PM

www.mae.com is the Le Bourget web site..loads on that

6 September 1998, 02:04 PM

Thanks for the info, Peter!

Barrett · 6 September 1998, 02:30 PM

You would have to know when the combat occurred, but if it was during Udet's tenure as CO Jasta 37, there's fairly good evidence of his Albatros markings: black fuselage with white block letters "LO" beneath the cockpit and a white chevron forward on the nose (more or less even with the cabane struts, I think) similar to the gruppefuhrer emblem of the WW II Luftwaffe. I saw a rendition of these markings at the Over the Front meeting in Mesa, AZ, this May.

6 September 1998, 07:13 PM

I think Guynemer's spade was and all yellow spad.

8 September 1998, 08:40 AM

Not all-yellow. Most French SPADs were covered in undyed fabric, clear-doped and unpainted, so the fabric had a sort of beige colour to it. Guynemer's SPAD VII had a red number 2 painted on the upper left wing, with the 2 mirrored (ie reversed) in the same position on the right wing. The name "Vieux Charles" was painted under the cockpit on the port side only, and I believe the emblem of Les Cigognes was painted on both fuselage sides aft of the cockpit. I would imagine the Windsock data file on the SPAD VII would have a profile; so does Squadron/Signal's "SPAD Fighters in Action."

8 September 1998, 01:34 PM

DARN PATROL THIS WAS A MOVIE MADE IN 20'S

Billy_Bishop · 8 September 1998, 05:18 PM

"DARN PATROL THIS WAS A MOVIE MADE IN 20'S"

Uh oh. I think someone has re-appeared, in a different form.

And the movie is daWn Patrol.

mike_baram · 8 September 1998, 06:43 PM

Hey, Al...
Wasn't "Dawn Patrol" with Errol Flynn....sometime around 1935 or so? (Dontcha just HATE it when the Caps Lock gets glued?)
Mike

Billy_Bishop · 9 September 1998, 06:29 AM

Hi Mike: Yeah, specially since my passwords almost all have alternating small and caps in them.

Actually, I think there was a silent film version made earlier. But the one that most of us have probably seen was made around 1935, or so with Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone I believe.

Later,

Al "The Nitpicker" Lowe.