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- #61
Crimea_River
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The search for a scheme continues, often frustrated by discrepancies between the various resources I'm using. Here are some of my thoughts on schemes that I've been considering:
U5+FE of 14/KG2
This aircraft is well documented by profiles and 3 known photos. It has a very attractive (in my opinion) paint scheme of standard 74/75/76 over-sprayed by black on the undersides and up the sides. This aircraft, purported to have been flown by Ritterkreuz holder Rudi Abrahamczik, was the subject of the exquisitely built 410 by the chap over at Kitmaker Network who used the cartoon figures throughout his photo essay. Although it's a fantastic build, I think his use of the resin cannon set in the bomb bay was incorrect as photos of the front of the plane show no evidence of the WB151 twin cannon unrüst-bausatz in this location, nor do any of the profiles refer to the plane as anything other than a pure A-1 or B-1.
I really like the scheme but the downsides are that I would have to find or make the decals and the flame arrestors would also have to be fabricated, although this shouldn't be too hard. In addition, this model would not show off the huge firepower that many 410's displayed, a feature which is unique to this aircraft and therefore worthy to depict.
U5+FE of 14/KG2 W.Nr.420085
Identical to the scheme above, I've seen one profile of this aircraft but no pictures. It was flown by Lt. Hans-Georg Baack who was killed on the night of Dec 19/20 1943 while trying to land his heavily damaged plane. Same pros and cons apply.
3U+AA?(B?) of Stab I/ZG26
This one is a head scratcher. 3U-AA appears in a painting on the cover of the Squadron/Signal "Messerschmitt Me210/410 In Action" publication and seems to be referred to on a couple of occasions in the text as "Green A" flown by Lt Hannes Wenko. I like it because this plane sports the arrangement of 6-20mm cannons and because it seems the kit provides decals for it, albeit as 3U+AB where the A is blue which to me would indicate the Geschwader Stab (?). One of the pics in the publication shows "Green A" in the distance behind 3U+GB in the foreground but the second letter of the code is difficult to read but it looks to me like a 'B' like in the kit decals. It gets better in that this publication shows a frontal picture of an Me 410 running up its engines with the caption reading that it is Wenko's rig. The photo is credited to Wenko himself but unfortunately you can't read the codes. Petrick Stocker's book has the same picture, identifying the plane to be WNr 420625 but making no reference to Wenko nor the fact that it served in the Stab of I/ZG26. I looked up Wenko in the Aircrew Remembrance Society database and it says he flew 3U+AA. My brain hurts so this one is doubtful…I have decals but no aircraft.
3U+CK of 2/ZG26
Pics and profiles of this on abound but I have no decals! However, this plane also sports the 6-20mm cannon arrangement that I like. Looks like a well-worn paint scheme.
The other kit decals are 9K+Ww of Erg. Gr. KG51 and 5+- of II/ZG76. I've seen no photo evidence of the latter.
So that's it at the moment. I've done precious little on the kit. A bit of work on the rudder pedals and a coat of RLM 66 is all the progress I can claim so far. A slow start for sure.
U5+FE of 14/KG2
This aircraft is well documented by profiles and 3 known photos. It has a very attractive (in my opinion) paint scheme of standard 74/75/76 over-sprayed by black on the undersides and up the sides. This aircraft, purported to have been flown by Ritterkreuz holder Rudi Abrahamczik, was the subject of the exquisitely built 410 by the chap over at Kitmaker Network who used the cartoon figures throughout his photo essay. Although it's a fantastic build, I think his use of the resin cannon set in the bomb bay was incorrect as photos of the front of the plane show no evidence of the WB151 twin cannon unrüst-bausatz in this location, nor do any of the profiles refer to the plane as anything other than a pure A-1 or B-1.
I really like the scheme but the downsides are that I would have to find or make the decals and the flame arrestors would also have to be fabricated, although this shouldn't be too hard. In addition, this model would not show off the huge firepower that many 410's displayed, a feature which is unique to this aircraft and therefore worthy to depict.
U5+FE of 14/KG2 W.Nr.420085
Identical to the scheme above, I've seen one profile of this aircraft but no pictures. It was flown by Lt. Hans-Georg Baack who was killed on the night of Dec 19/20 1943 while trying to land his heavily damaged plane. Same pros and cons apply.
3U+AA?(B?) of Stab I/ZG26
This one is a head scratcher. 3U-AA appears in a painting on the cover of the Squadron/Signal "Messerschmitt Me210/410 In Action" publication and seems to be referred to on a couple of occasions in the text as "Green A" flown by Lt Hannes Wenko. I like it because this plane sports the arrangement of 6-20mm cannons and because it seems the kit provides decals for it, albeit as 3U+AB where the A is blue which to me would indicate the Geschwader Stab (?). One of the pics in the publication shows "Green A" in the distance behind 3U+GB in the foreground but the second letter of the code is difficult to read but it looks to me like a 'B' like in the kit decals. It gets better in that this publication shows a frontal picture of an Me 410 running up its engines with the caption reading that it is Wenko's rig. The photo is credited to Wenko himself but unfortunately you can't read the codes. Petrick Stocker's book has the same picture, identifying the plane to be WNr 420625 but making no reference to Wenko nor the fact that it served in the Stab of I/ZG26. I looked up Wenko in the Aircrew Remembrance Society database and it says he flew 3U+AA. My brain hurts so this one is doubtful…I have decals but no aircraft.
3U+CK of 2/ZG26
Pics and profiles of this on abound but I have no decals! However, this plane also sports the 6-20mm cannon arrangement that I like. Looks like a well-worn paint scheme.
The other kit decals are 9K+Ww of Erg. Gr. KG51 and 5+- of II/ZG76. I've seen no photo evidence of the latter.
So that's it at the moment. I've done precious little on the kit. A bit of work on the rudder pedals and a coat of RLM 66 is all the progress I can claim so far. A slow start for sure.
