DFW from Italy

GrzeM · 22 March 2006, 06:23 AM

Hi!
In Baracca Museum in Italy there is preserved piece of DFW C.V (?) fusealge with number and in original(?) camouflage:

Any comments? What colour it is? Standard? Individual?

Cheers!
G.

Dan_San_Abbott · 22 March 2006, 11:53 AM

GrzeM:
DFW C.V(Av) 3955/17 came from an order issued to Aviatik in April 1917 for 200 DFW C.V(Av) 3800 to 3999/17. Deliveries commenced about July 1917 and th order was completed in about September 1917. DFW C.V(Av)3955/17 was probably delivered around mid September 1917.
The DFW C.V(Av) machines in this order were painted dark olive green on the top and side surfaces. The underside of the wings and tailplane was clear doped and varnished linen fabric. The underside of the fuselage was shellacked and varnished birch plywood resulting in a warm yellow color.
All struts were painted light grey. The wheel covers were painted white.
The Iron crosses on the wings were 1300 m high and wide. The upper wing crosses were surrounded with a 50mm wide white border. The lower wing crosses were plain without borders. The fuselage and rudder crosses were 500 mm high and wide with a 50mm wide border surrounding the crosses.
The Aviatik Logo decal was centered on the rudder crosses.
The Windhof radiator was strut mounted in front of the upper wing.
I hope this helps.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

GrzeM · 22 March 2006, 12:39 PM

Dear Dan-San!

It's much more than I expected!!!

MANY THANKS!!!

btw, interesting scheme, olive green overall. Very British!
G.

Piotr · 23 March 2006, 01:22 AM

Dear Mr Dan San Abbott,

I have one question:
Did you ever seen original or original pieces from D.F.W. C.V (AV), and can you confirm underside paint method?

Best regards
Piotr

Dan_San_Abbott · 23 March 2006, 12:03 PM

Piotr:
I have several soures on the DFW C.V, but it is not complete. I have determined the camouflage patterns used on all the production orders. I have not confirmed all the colors. Some of the data comes from analyse of fabric samples held in the Imperial War Museum, London, Some from French sources, articles that appeared in Le Aerophile. Some are from a British listing of German Aircraft in Bulgaria after the war. Finally some are photographs of fabric samples in private collections and museums. It is not absolute.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Piotr · 25 March 2006, 04:29 AM

Dan-San:
Thanks for answer.
I asking because some years ago examine D.F.W C.V (AV) C.2172/18 (?) pieces, and on the fuselage find two colours (in this time don't have Metuen): greyishgreen similar to RAL 6011 and greyishviolet similar to RAL 4009 and 7036. This second colour was very similar to sample shown above???.
Underside was only in light yellow primer.

Maybe this dark olive green paint was used not on all AV. batches?

Best Regards,
Piotr

Dan_San_Abbott · 26 March 2006, 07:22 PM

Piotr:
Would it be possible to send me a copy of those RAL colors. I sure would appreciate it. It is something like this that helps on the colors.
In regard to the violet, In April 1917, Idflieg sent out a directive to all manufactures and appropriate offices in the Luftstreitekräfte instructing that the use of reddish or red-brown colors would be discontinued and dark green and lilac will be used. Well lilac is a greyish pink, mauve slightly darker was used, In the course of time it went to violet to purple by some manufacturers. If you could send me acopy of those colours I would be enternally gratefully. My mailing address is:
Dan-San Abbott
1800 Stone Cress Court
Ceres, CA 95307
U.S.A.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Piotr · 28 March 2006, 01:56 AM

Dan-San:
RAL colors it is modern German paint catalogue, unfortunately I don't have extra one

In all good German model shops this catalogue you can buy.
Maybe some of the German colleagues help you. In this year I dont planing next visit in Germany. In next year I can buy it for you.

I make some pictures to shown colours what I find on this
D.F.W C.V (AV) C.2172/18.

In my FTP you can find the photos:

ftp://80.55.17.60/DFWC5Av2.zip

Please tell me do you have werk numbers for C.2172/18 production batch?

Best Regards
Piotr

Dan_San_Abbott · 28 March 2006, 12:07 PM

Piotr:
I don't have any serial numbers for the batch on the Aviatik built DFW C.V aircraft, serial numbers C.2150? to C.2250/18?
I would like the color data on DFW C.V 2172/18.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Hans · 29 March 2006, 03:19 AM

I am fully aware of all the problems showing 'the real' color on PC equipment, but this site may be a help for RAL Tones:
http://www.kern-gmbh.de/index_ral.ht...ierung/ral.htm

H.