1/72 Daimler-Benz Spitfire EN830 (1 Viewer)

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Here is a little more history our subject:

This is taken from a website called "Unreal Aircraft"

In early spring of 1941, another Spitfire had been captured and transported to Rechlin for testing. A suggestion that it be tested with a Daimler-Benz engine to enable a more direct comparison with the Luftwaffes' Messerschmitt Bf.109 led to it being flown to the Daimler-Benz facility at Backnang, near Stuttgart, on April 24, 1941. There it was to receive a DB 601 engine. This work proved to difficult and the project was abandoned. That aircraft returned to Rechlin on September 9, 1942.

The acquisition of the second Spitfire, EN830, revived the idea. The Spitfire was sent to Echterdingen, south of Stuttgart, where Daimler-Benz operated a flight testing division. Flugkapitän Willy Ellenreider and his staff were responsible for testing to improve performance of other current aircraft, and a number of types served as flying test-beds. Among them were Ju.52s with a DB 605 engine in the centre position; He.111s, Hs.130s, Bf.109s and 110s, a Ju.87 and an Fi.167.

Spitfire EN830 was repainted to German standards, dark green above and pale blue below, with bright yellow tail control surfaces and large, black crosses. Radio code letters CJ+ZY were painted on each side, below and, unusually, above the wings; and the British serial transferred to the fin above the swastika.

The Spitfire reached Echterdingen minus guns and ammunition, with the gun ports closed. The radio had been replaced with ballast, but it still had its original Merlin 45 engine. Several flights were made by Daimler-Benz pilots before conversion was attempted. A decision was made to replace the intruments and the entire electrical system with standard German equipment, because the Luftwaffe used a 24 volt system, whilst the RAF used a 12 volt standard.

After the Merlin engine was removed, it was discovered that the Spitfire's front fuselage cross-section was very close to that of the standard Bf.110G's engine cowling. A new engine support was designed, and a standard DB 605A-1 engine (Wk-Nr 00701990) was mounted to the fire wall. The work was completed at the Sindelfingen Daimler-Benz factory, near Echterdingen.

That's enough for now. I hope this is as interesting to you as it has been for me.
 
Nice work so far mate!

(Unfortunately) I think I could give you a run for your money on most kits started but not finished! :)
 
The time has come for a discussion about the colors of this aircraft. Other people who have built this look to have gone the way of Blue/ Gray top color and yellow nose, belly and tail sections.

ColorprofileEN830.gif


Wings Pallet suggests a Blue/ Green top color with a yellow nose, belly and tail sections

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I'm no expert on the topic of German captured aircraft but I do love the topic and most of what I've seen suggest a some kind of Blue/ Green (More Green) top color but it appears to be a custom color because I can't seem to find an RLM color that matches. Suggestions are welcome to anyone who can point me in the right direction for the top color.

Now we come to the next color of contention if you will. I don't believe the entire belly of this aircraft was yellow. If we look at the black and white photos I posted at the beginning of this build they don't seem to match the color profile.

I don't believe there is any doubt that the nose and the tails control surfaces were yellow as seen in this photo.

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Here is another angle

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And yet another. Lots of soot on this bird. In this photo you can also see the difference between the yellow on the top portion of the rudder and then the difference an the lower bottom.

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The question is according to documentation from the website "Unreal Aircraft" (Not sure what their source is) the belly was light blue. Right or wrong if you go back to the black/ white photo you can clearly see there is a difference in the color of the belly, the nose and the tail control surfaces as noted by the color arrows.

ColorProfile1.jpg


Here is another angle of the same aircraft. Right or wrong I think I'm leaning toward RLM04 for the nose and Control surfaces, RLM70 with a possibility of RLM75 molting. I hear a lot of the aircraft having a molting effect but I don't see it in any of these photos. And lastly the bottom will be RLM65

Any comments are welcome.
 
Far as I know from previous descriptions, the upper surfaces were RLM71, with a splinter pattern on the wings, possibly RLM70, and this may also have been on the fuselage, in the old pattern used up until winter 1939. The undersurfaces were yellow, like the nose and rudder, for recognition purposes.
 
Thanks for the info Terry.

Ok, not a lot to show for the weekend with Mothers day and all but here it is. More sanding and filling. Augh!

I got to the point where it looks pretty good but I decided to give it a shot of some very thin primer (very little build up) to highlight the trouble spots.

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Not to shabby

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Aside from the nose job there won't be a need for a lot of filler on either of theses kits. The Hurricane is going to be a Lend Lease Russian bird

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Alrighty then, the nose work is complete as far as i'm concerned except for the re-scribing of the panel lines. Next its time to make a decision on the colors. This topic has been discussed endlessly on multiple sites over the years and seeing how this aircraft was destroyed on 14 August 1944 and scrapped shortly there after (67 Years +/- ago) with no one to tell us otherwise. (knowing my luck a living witness will pop onto the board and tell us the facts right after I finish applying the last color :confused: ) I've decided to go with RLM 70/71 on the upper surfaces and the sides of the fuselage are RLM 70 with RLM 71 mottling. The nose and the control surfaces will be RLM 04 and the belly of the beast will be... RLM 65. Seeing how the propeller and spinner were taken from a 109 they will be painted or should I say left the original colors of the time RLM 70.

Now that that is settled its time to look a head to trying to figure out how to recreate the damage the aircraft suffered in its initial crash into the turnip field. Damage can clearly be seen in the photo below toward the bottom of the Z Y call letters. What we can't see but we know has to be evident to some degree is damage to the bottom of the aircraft. It is highly unlikely the Germans had all the parts need to replace every damaged part.

LeftProfile.jpg


I'll post the photos of tonights progress tomorrow as its getting late and I have to go to work tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who's been following along on this build. Till next time. ;)
 
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So far most of the attention has been paid to the front of this aircraft. Now its time to do a little nip tuck to the other end and the underside.

Time to separate the control surfaces
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Before
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After
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Thats all for now.
 
Neat work Dirk. Still not sure about a mottled fuselage though - I think the lighting in the photos gives the impression of mottle, but it's an odd shape if it is. Personally I think it's 'solid' colours.
 
Dirk, considering that mottling was a way of 'toning down' the fuselage colour to suit the theatre of ops, it's probably unlikely that an aircraft used for trials, and possibly 'enemy aircraft comparison', would have a need for such a scheme. The colours of captured aircraft, if changed at all, were more for camouflage against the ground, with the neccesary high visibilty colours to help prevent 'friendly fire', as it would be known today. Most pics shaow a basic RLM cammo, just to 'do the job'.
Bottom line - almost certainly basic splinter pattern, no mottle.
 
The first bit of paint is applied. I started with the belly of the beast

Before the RLM65
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After
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It is time to pop open the 109 doner kit to grab the carburetor box

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Next I applied the RLM04 to the masked Messer-Spit

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The nose unmasked

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Masking for the next step

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Time for the next step, applying the RLM70. The first step is masking all the pieces of the model I don't want painted

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The next applying the RLM70

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Till next time thanks for looking ;)
 

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