What causes the streaking on green Dr.1s?

[Lufbery]

All,

I've seen pictures of Fokker Drideckers that are painted green. The thing is, the green paint has lighter streaks in it. What's the story on the streaks? Were they painted on or a natural consequence of the process used to cover the planes? If the streaks happened during the covering process, why don't they show up on other planes (or do they?)?

Thanks,

-Drew

The Green streaked Camo is a result of brushing green paint over the sky blue all over paint job of the Fokker DR.1. They used a 3'' bush and sort of dry brushed green paint to all of the upper surfaces. The result is the streaking that you refer to. This is the Original manufacturers paint job. All delivered DRI came this way. Any further painting were done by the Jasta Mechanics .

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Drew Ames:
First of all the fabric surfaces were given three coats of clear dope. Second, the top and side surfaces were given 1 coat of an olive brown coat of thinned paint.
Third, the paint is rather thin and as a consequence can be repeatedly brushed, and with each brush stroke the application is thinner on the surface, thus initially resulting in a dark stroke followed by successively lighter strokes. where the the fuse and upper wing cross fields were to painted the camouflage was omitted.
The under surfaces of the wings, fuselage and tailplane were painted a sky blue except on the area of the lower where the cross field was located. The sky blue extended 20mm up the side od the fuselage covering the the bottom edge of the camouflage streaking and 20mm over the edge of the of the top surface of the tailplane. The matte black crosses were painted on the upper surface of the upper wing, bottom surface of the lower wing both sides of the fuselage and rudder.
The white cross fields were painted on the upper wing, fuselage and rudder. The lower wing cross field was left clear doped. All markings and stenciling was done in matte black. Finally the entire fabric covered airfame was given 1 coat of copal varnish to water-proof the fabric. The engine hood and side and top metal cowling were painted a solid olive brown. The aluminum under panels were painted sky blue.
Blue skies,
Dan-San Abbott
Dwight there was never a coat of sky blue under the olive streaking camouflage.

[Lufbery]

Thanks a lot, guys. That really clears up my confusion. It sure seems like a labor intensive way to paint a plane, though.

-Drew

[Ginger.]

Why did the Huns go to all that trouble? Then everybody overpainted them red yellow and white!!!
It's just like painting a 64 ton King Tiger in "ambush" pattern camouflage.
Is there any wonder these tosspots come second in two world wars?

One common thread in german engineering is the knack of using 12 parts where one would do. A knife is also a wire cutter, spoon and bottle opener. Umpteen overcoats of paint certainly seemed like a good idea at the time, and then once it was written down it becomes gospel.

Can you claim to have stand so long fighting against almost the whole world?

[Ginger.]

If you keep putting your Jackboots in other folks Country's you cannot whinge when you get your earhole thumped.

[PeterL]

Dan's description of the method of application is lucid as always and matches that given by, I think, Peter Cooksley back in the fifties by way of independant confirmation. Now watch someone pop up with "recent research proves otherwise" My understanding of the reason for it is that it saved pigment, something in short supply in a blockaded Germany. Dyes use chemicals rather than pigments making printed fabrics an attractive proposition. But that's another story.

cheers

Peter L

[Ginger.]

Dan,
what colour would the aircraft be after the initial three coats of clear dope,would it be the same shade as the underside of an RFC machine or did the Germans use a different coloured linen?