Fokker EV/DVIII wing colors

[Brown Baron]

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This is a copy of a posting I made yesterday evening in the Flying Models Forum. It was suggested that I move it here.

I've been away from these forums for some time. I left around the time of the great Fokker EV/DVIII debate on streaked or solid wing paint/stain. I've searched for anything recent on the subject but have come up flat. What's the current thought on the subject? Some of the photos that I've seen seem to be ramdomly streaked and a few, very few, seem to have a "banded' type streaking pattern.

My interest stems from the fact that I'm near the point of adding paint to my RC Fokker EV. Many years ago I build but never flew a Ben Buckle Fokker D VIII model. I removed the covering from the wing a few years back and am in the midst of recovering it. Should be done by the weekend coming. Now I know that the old BB kit is not very scale but it's mine and I like it so leave that aspect of it alone please. If I enjoy it I'm considering getting the Model Airplane News 1/4th scale plan as featured in the March 2005 issue. I'm also considering GTM's plans and Steve Stratt's plans or possibly BUSA. I'm strictly electric now and I have an old beast of an Astro Cobalt 60 looking for a home. That heavy lump of Cobalt motor and a couple dozen nimh cells under a scale sized cowl would balance the short nose nicely (I hope) and turn a nice big prop.

In any event, is there a source of conclusive photos giving evidence for the "banded" pattern? My eyes still see random streaks in the Windsock Datafile and other photos.

Regards,
Mike

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Brown Baron:
In my study of all the photographs of the Fok.E.V withthe exception of one, all were banded. The upper wing colors were brown (mocha) and true green stains and the under surface was azure blue and azin violet. It seems most were sloped to the left / ^leading edge, however some sloped to the right. They were NOT mixed on any E.V I studied. It appears the pattern wrapped around the wing and took an opposite slope on the bottom. The bands were not uniform in width and were not symetrical.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Brown Baron]

Dan,
Thank you for the info. I've read and re-read your descriptions many times. I'd love to see clear photos of this banding pattern. Really the best and clearest photo I've seen is on the wing being load tested to destruction. On some wings they clearly, at least to me, seem to be randomly streaked, not too unlike the Dr 1 wings, and on a few others they appear banded.

I've started a public Flickr album and have posted all of the Fokker EV/DVIII photos that I've collected online over the years. It's not that much and I'm certain that all of them have appeared on these forums at one time or another. I haven't knowingly posted anything copyrighted or that I've scanned or copied from books or magazines. As I say, it's all from online sources long forgotten in most cases. I'll post a link to the public album later today.

Regards,
Mike K

[Dan_San_Abbott]

BrownBaron:
I would suggest you enlarge to photo and look at it you will see the banding. On front views look at the leading edge they will appear as dark and light areas. The angle on the leading edge will provide the slope.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

BrownBaron,

the original print of this Jasta 19 photograph shows clearly, that the Fok. E.V wing in the background is covered with Flugzeugstoff, the printed fabric.

Fok. E.V wing covered with Flugzeugstoff

ZAK

[Brown Baron]

Zak-- I don't know. I have that photo in a book and have studied it closely. I don't see that. Looks streaked to me. The lighter color of the rearmost panel might be brightened by sunlight reflecting on the lighter-colored underside of the forward wing. I've been messing about changing color photos of contemporary RC models that have been painted to Dan's description to black and white. Now I know that simply going grayscale proves nothing with regard to color but my desire was more to see how the shades blended together. They do blend together so what looks like a consistent random streaking may in fact be "banded" or two-color cammo. If anyone's interested I can post photos in color and B/W showing what I'm describing. I happened upon photos of a nicely painted RC model on the Bengston Aerodrome Models site. The model seems to have been airbrush painted so the brushed on look of the varnish is lost but the color pattern looks good.

Mike

[Brown Baron]

Here's the link to my Flickr photo album. These are the most interesting photos that were on this computer. I have a lot more on my old PC but it's not connected online. Too bad as some of the pics are quite nice. As I've stated earlier, all of these photos were found online and to the best of my knowledge they are not copyrighted. I've not copied or scanned anything from books that I own.

Flickr: Photos from Mike K USA

Enjoy and please feel free to email me photos which I can add to the album.

Mike

BrownBaron,

if you refer to a photograph with PM Grosz as author, then I can help you: he got this copy of the original from me. Sometimes Peter forgot, where his photos came from. It was done with an Ilford FP 4, no match to an high resolution scan from the original.

ZAK

PS I have had just a look at your Flickr album. Yes, it is the same photo with the same blemishes.

[Brown Baron]

ZAK-- The book in which I saw that same photo is not the PM Grosz book but rather "Jagdgeschwader Nr II" authored by Greg VanWyngarden. It appears on page 85. I'll have to take your word on the pattern as the photo in the book is very small and the photo online is not of great quality.

As an aside, while doing a google search I noted the passing of Mr. Grosz. As I live only a few miles from his home I often considered contacting him but I never did as I did not want to impose on him. As it turns out, he passed away in the hospital in which I am employed. Perhaps I met him without even knowing it. A great loss to his family and community.

Mike K

BrownBaron,

have a look to whom was credit given: PM Grosz. It is the photograph from my collection, Greg couldn't know it.

"I'll have to take your word on the pattern."

No. It is just an information. Believe it or not.

ZAK