Siemens-Schuckert D.IV colours

[AHC-ED]

Greetings all,

On display at the Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim, NZ, is a replica of this aircraft with the fuselage being a dark brown, perhaps wooden, colour with two equally wide bands of white and black immediately behind the cockpit and just in front of the cross.

Can anyone throw any light on whether this is a Jasta or personal colour scheme? Details would be appreciated either way.

Thanks

[Kilian]

This one?
Siemens Schuckert, Aviation Heritage Centre, Omaka, Marlborough, New Zealand, 25 Feb. 2007 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Dan_San_Abbott]

AHC-ED:
The SSW D.III you are describing is SSW D.III 1628/18, it was assigned to Kampfeinsitzerstaffel (KEST) 4b. Kest 4b was based Freiburg Airfield in September 1918. The SSW D.III 1628/18 was assigned to and flown by Vzfw Paul Leim. The wings and elevator were covered with five color dark pattern on the top surface of the wings and elevator. The undersurface of the wings and elevator were covered with the light lower five color fabric. Rib tapes were cut strips about 20 to 25mm wide. The fabric was appiled to the upper wing with the adjoining panel seams at a45 degree angle to the leading edge. The fabric was applied lower wing panels, ailerons and the elevator spanwise in one piece. In addition to the broad black and white bands aft of the cockpit, the engine cowling and propeller spinner were also painted black.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[AHC-ED]

Wow, what a quick response!

Kilian: yes, indeed that is the one.
Dan-San: I must check the serial number when I'm next in to see if you are right and the placard is wrong!

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Kilian:
We have a SSW D.IV on display with the markings from a SSW D.III. It seems that the Museum picked markings that looked good on their SSW D.IV, without realizing the markings were on a SSW D.III. I wonder what serial number they have on this machine?? Siemens-Schukert did not use blue rib tapes, they used cut strips of matching printed fabric, dark on dark upper fabric and light on the light under surface fabric. Little things can really screw up a nice piece of work.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Roadhog]

Thanks again guys. More good information for the final chapter of my book when the heroes fly either D-IIIs or D-IVs. BTW, what was the standard fresh-from-the-factory color scheme on a D-IV? Happy Easter guys. Scott

YIKES--This is my 666th posting but it is much less scarier than most of the things I post.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Roadhog:
The fuselage, stabilizers and fins were stained a reddish brown, shellacked and varnished
The engine cowl, spinner, access doors, air intake scoops, lower cowling panels, under-carriage struts, spreader bar were natural aluminum. The rudder was white. The printed fabric was five color intermediate dark pattern
on the top surfaces of the wings, ailerons, elevator and wheel covers. The light lower pattern was used on the under surface of the wings, ailerons and elevator. Rib tapes were cut strips about 20 to 25 mm wide cut from the intermediate dark pattern on the upper surface of the wings, ailerons and elevator. The rib tapes for the under surfaces were cut strips about 20 to 25mm wide from the lower light pattern. The strips were joined at the leading edge. The wing covers were applied to the wings at a 45 degree angle to th leading edge. The elevator and ailerons were covered spanwise. The interplane struts were covered with doped on upper dark pattern printed fabric. After covering the struts were doped and then varnished. The edges of the wing, ailerons and elevator panels were covered with cut strips of the upper fabric about 40 to 50 mm wide. The black crosses were matt black lacquer, the white borders was flat white enamel. All markings was matt black lacquer.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[AHC-ED]

Had a word with one of the Centre's Trustees today who told me that the owner bought it as a D.IV and had it refurbished as a D.IV. However the serial number on it (1031/18) is totally spurious -somebody's birthday apparently. Will pass on the message and see what re-action it gets. Actually I'm a bit surprised since the owner is usually dead finicky on accuracy.