Fokker D.VII Streaking

Bookmaker · 21 September 2005, 05:46 AM

I just made an interesting observation that might shed some light on the "look" of the D VIII diagonal streaking. In the Osprey Publications Fokker D VII Aces of WW I Part I, I noted the photos of

Willi Gabriel's D VII. There are definate contrasting diagonal streaked bands around the fuselage. These photos are on page 20 and 21. There appears to be at least 3 bands about 4' wide. Also on page 17 is a photo of Lothar Von Richtofen's FOk D vII 244/18. While I realize this is doped fabric, it does show the use of wide diagonal bands a few months before the E.V / D. VIII came on line.

Could the D VII bands also have been a brown/ green combo?

Just food for thought on what the D VIII wing may have looked like.

Dale

buzz1941 · 21 September 2005, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookmaker

In the Osprey Publications Fokker D VII Aces of WW I Part I, I noted the photos of

Willi Gabriel's D VII. There are definite contrasting diagonal streaked bands around the fuselage...

I just looked at those photos, and I think you're on to something. The streaks do appear to change color. I'm going to soon work on a model of Gabriel's Fokker; it would be interesting to alternate the streaks in something other than the conventional-wisdom olive-green over CDL.

buzz1941 · 21 September 2005, 02:32 PM

Looking at pix of early Fokker D.VIIs ... and what we originally thought were changes in the intensity of the Dr.1-type streaks on the early birds are actually clearer as color changes.
It actually would be a more effective cammo scheme if there were color changes, say green to brown and back again.

Dan_San_Abbott · 21 September 2005, 04:15 PM

Bookmaker:
The first order of Fok.D.VII from serial numbers from D.227/18 to about D.376/18 had the fuselage, tailplane and forward half of the fin painted in streaked camouflage with dark green Methuen 26F8. The range of color would vary from pastel greyish green to the intermediate as deep green, 26E8 and the dark green 26F8. On the sides of the fuselage the streaking was vertical. On the fuselage turtle-deck and tailplane the streaking was diagonal about 40-45 degrees. The under sides of the fuselage axle wing and tailplane were painted sky blue and varnished. The top of the axle wing and the aluminum cowlings were painted dark green, 26F8. (From a fabric sample in the Imperial War Museum.)
Commencing with about Fok.D.VII 377/18 the entire aircraft was covered with printed fabric, initially the four color pattern and later the five coor pattern, dark pattern on top and side surfaces and the light pattern on the under surfaces.
The streaked camouflage started with the top surfaces of the Fok.D.III. It was used on the Fok.D.IV, D.V, AEG C.IV(Fok) and Fok.DR.I. The Streaked camouflage was a simple and effective means of camouflaging an aircraft.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Barker · 21 September 2005, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzz1941

I just looked at those photos, and I think you're on to something. The streaks do appear to change color. I'm going to soon work on a model of Gabriel's Fokker; it would be interesting to alternate the streaks in something other than the conventional-wisdom olive-green over CDL.

Buzz, you can find this on Internet Modeler, Feb '04.

http://www.internetmodeler.com/2004/...ation/dvii.php

EricGoedkoop · 21 September 2005, 05:32 PM

To quote from the above-linked article:

Quote:

The Streak:
Four types are thought to precede this aircraft. 1916 D.III & IV of two blended colors, D.V had a slightly different, translucent application, 1917 F1 triplanes were brownish olive either streaked over turquoise or blended with it and production Dr. 1 had wet blending of the following: A similar brown olive, as per above, olive and a brighter, purer green, dark green and grass greens. Period photos can not possibly distinguish these nuance but paint receipts are kept and consulted from the period. Lastly, the D.VII is likely two greens, however some aircraft were thought to also have streaks of blue or brownish olive.

Note in this photo (posted earlier in the E.V/D.VIII thread) that the fella painting the topside of this Dr.I wing has four cans of paint at his feet:

buzz1941 · 21 September 2005, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricGoedkoop

Note in this photo (posted earlier in the E.V/D.VIII thread) that the fella painting the topside of this Dr.I wing has four cans of paint at his feet

One for each lozenge color for the Austrian triplanes?

Dan_San_Abbott · 21 September 2005, 06:11 PM

Gentlemen:
Fabric samples from Fok.DR.I 144/17, (Ltn. Eberhardt Stapenhorst, Jasta 11 captured on 13 January 1918) are in the collection of the Imperial War Museum,(IWM) London. The fabric was coded by Paul S. Leaman. Fabric samples from Fok.D.VII 386/18, (Ltn. Hans Schultz, Jasta 18 captured on 6 June 1918.) were also coded by Paul S.Leaman also in the IWM.
The colors are precisely as described. They are not painted on any other color, the olive brown (Fok.DR.I) and the dark green (Fok.D.VII) are painted directly on the clear doped fabric.
The variations in the paint is the result of multiple strokes, one after the other moving with each stroke. There is no mystery. There was only one color on the clear doped surface. This not my imagination. While there are some who think that the Fok.F.I machines (F.I 100-103/17) were painted sky blue and then over painted with the olive brown. The blue under color comes from a visual sighting by Capt.

James McCudden on 17 September 1917, during the combat with Ltn.Werner Voss.
All the other participants of that fight reported green, not silver-blue. The RFC Intelligence Report , RFC Number G.72 dated 27 October 1917
All Fokker streaked camouflage was painted directly on the clear doped fabric. That applies to the Fok.D.III top surfaces only, D.IV, D.V and the
AEG.C.IV(Fok).
Blue skies,
Dan-San

RAGIII · 21 September 2005, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookmaker

I just made an interesting observation that might shed some light on the "look" of the D VIII diagonal streaking. In the Osprey Publications Fokker D VII Aces of WW I Part I, I noted the photos of

Willi Gabriel's D VII. There are definate contrasting diagonal streaked bands around the fuselage. These photos are on page 20 and 21. There appears to be at least 3 bands about 4' wide. Also on page 17 is a photo of Lothar Von Richtofen's FOk D vII 244/18. While I realize this is doped fabric, it does show the use of wide diagonal bands a few months before the E.V / D. VIII came on line.

Could the D VII bands also have been a brown/ green combo?

Just food for thought on what the D VIII wing may have looked like.

Dale

I have a friend,Ira Campbell ,who worked sorting pictures from the Ferko Files at the University of Texas(Dallas). He sent an incredible copy of the originals of

Lothar von Richthofen in 244/18. There is NO Doubt in my mind that the streaking is OD over CDL! I wish I had saved the pic. Perhaps I can have Ira send it again if he still has it on file. I don't know if it could be posted on this thread due to copyright, but I could forward it to those interested. It is incredibally sharp, and shows a lot of staining etc. on the lower fuselage. There are lighter areas of streaking and darker areas of streaking but the overall color under is CDL.
RAGIII

EricGoedkoop · 21 September 2005, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan_San_Abbott

The variations in the paint is the result of multiple strokes, one after the other moving with each stroke. There is no mystery. There was only one color on the clear doped surface. This not my imagination.

Dan-San,

The topside painter in the photo above has four pots of paint gathered within easy reach on his right side, indicating that he's using all of them. His co-worker painting the underside has only one. If the Dr.I streaking was only one color, why does this guy have so much paint?