Könnecke's "Green Tail" Albatros DVa early 1918

[Romani]

Greetings, here is another look at one ace and his famous aircraft wich receives all the attention while actually he scored most of his victories on a similar, overlooked airplane

Piecing together from the various Osprey books here's a summary of
Otto Könnecke career

Victories
1-2 Jasta 25 Macedonia ( late 1916- early 1917 Albatros DII? DIII? )

Returning to France April 1917
3- 11 Jasta 5 (Albatros DV)

1918
January-April
victories 12-23 (Albatros DVa)

May-June unit equipped with Fokker DrI , no victories

July - November
Victories 24-35 (Fokker DVII)



Since the first Albatros DVa arrived to units in November of 1917, and Konnecke was an accomplished ace by then, I presume that by December Konnecke would have exchanged his green DV and likely worn out for a brand DVa. we have indirect confirmation of this because fellow Jasta 5 ace Josef Mai had 4 victories by the time the DVa arrived and he was flying that model before the end of 1917 (5285/17)

I'd assume Konnecke DVa would be a close number to Mai, so what it would look like in the first months of 1918?

If any one can provide a picture, I'd be happy, but I am content if anyone can confirm the following assumptions, or at least tell me if they are plausible enough

- It would look identical to Konnecke DV, green fuselage and checker board insignia, with unpainted cowling and fuselage underside in varnished wood, with the red spinner and green tail edged in red of Jasta 5.

- About the wings, I'm not sure, 5 color lozenge with blue or pink tapes, of course, but would have Konnecke painted the upper surfaces green and with the red chevron as in his DV? Looking at Mai's plane, maybe the wings were left in lozenge.

- National insignia, at least until March would have been iron crosses, and then from April to May altered to be thick straiight arm crosses with continuous white boreder-


So, any takers?

[StephenLawson]

Hey Romani; The speculative nature of the topic has people taking the high road to safety. Try The newest productions from Albatros Prod. Ltd Jagdstaffel 5 Vol. #1 & 2 by Dr. Glen Merrill. (Owner operator of Americal Gryphon by the by.

http://www.windsockdatafilespecials.com/

[StephenLawson]

The full story of Jasta 5, one of Germany's crack air units in WWI, is related in graphic and meticulous detail by Glen Merrill. Supported by many large-format photos, many b/w sketches and all-new colour art by Robert Karr, Bob Pearson and Ray Rimell, many 'well-known' Jasta 5 fighters appear here in revisionist artwork for the first time - Flashar's dragon-marked D.V; Rumey's striped Albatrosse and the enigmatic D.III of Werner Voss, plus many more. For modellers of Albatros D.IIIs and D.Vs, Fokker Triplanes and D.VIIs, there's enough colour data here to keep them going for years!

Volume One contains 60 packed pages (inc. covers) featuring Jasta 5 history; pilot careers, combat details and colour data with over 60 photos and 11 colour pages profiling more than 30 Albatros D.III and D.V aircraft - many wing and full plan views also appear. The book also includes over 30 mono sketches of Fokker E.II, Halberstadt, Roland and Albatros D.II fuselage markings. Stunning cover art by Robert Karr and Bob Pearson depict the striped and chequered aircraft of Fritz Rumey. Price £22.00.

Volume Two (published in late May) contains 56 pages (inc. covers) that concludes the story of Jasta 5 and its pilots with more than 40 large-format photos, and 11 more colour pages depicting over 30 colourful aircraft: Albatrosse D.III and D.V; Pfalz D.III, Bristol F.2b (!); LVG C.V; Fokker Dr.Is and Fokker D.VIIs. Many wing and plan views are also included plus over 30 additional mono sketches of Albatros D.III and D.V fuselage markings. Fabulous cover art by Robert Karr and Bob Pearson portray the 'Blitz' aircraft of Hans von Hippel. Price £22.00.

http://www.windsockdatafilespecials.com/ger.html

[Romani]

Well, I knew it was a shot in the dark.. I figure out that if nobody knows the answer, there will be always somebody that knows where I have to look for it

Well, thanks for the reference, I was despairing of ever finding anything on Jasta 5. Now that was indeed a "flying circus"

Given how you people get in such heated arguments regarding a well known plane such as Udet's DVII I understand no one wants to give an opinion. However.. that makes me despair of ever finding out what was the "Green Tail" DVa like. The DV gets all the spotlight, and I am afraid that it's because is the only one with surviving pictorial evidence, or because later planes flown by Könnecke were not as striking. There was no mention of his plane on the Osprey 2nd volume on the DVII, so I am afraid he piloted a non-descript Fokker.

Back to the Jasta 5 books, they look great, and I'm sure they are well worth the money, it's just that for that price, I would rather pick some more Osprey books instead. After all, buying them just for one picture of one plane I'm interested in it's not enough of a reason, and I'm afraid that the pictures on Konnecke would be of the same green DV that can be found everywhere. I would consider getting them if I knew for sure there are pictures of his latter planes on the volume.

[StephenLawson]

Romani; The subject of WWI aviation is like a dinner at your favorite restaurant. Don't settle for the scraps from somebody elses plate. Dive in and make your order. I highly recommend the Jasta 5 blue plate special it comes in two servings. When it comes to Jasta 5 this is the finest meal anywhere.

[Intrepid]

Originally posted by StephenLawson@Sep 1 2004, 11:33 PM
[b] Romani; The subject of WWI aviation is like a dinner at your favorite restaurant. Don't settle for the scraps from somebody elses plate. Dive in and make your order. I highly recommend the Jasta 5 blue plate special it comes in two servings. When it comes to Jasta 5 this is the finest meal anywhere.

I would agree wholeheartedly with Stephen. I own both volumes of Glen Merrill's Jagdstaffel 5 and highly recommend both them and other publications from Albatros Productions.

I also highly recommend Americal Gryphon decals.

[StephenLawson]

Dessert anyone?