Great story Paul! Thanks for taking the time to copy it out.
So I read on another forum here
ULTRA - 3 - The Luftwaffe Archives Records Reference Group in a post by a chap named David E. Brown his theory on the colour scheme for White Y. With thanks to the author, I quote:
"KG 51 had a great number of Me 262s operational from the summer of 1944. It was the preferred destination for the Me 262 as this was a bomber unit (Kommando Schenk – KG 51) and so had the highest priority for the new jets. A great number of these came from the front end of the 170000 Werknummerseries as can be noted in Dan O'Connell's Werknummerlist on the Stormbirds site (
STORMBIRDS.COM - Luftwaffe Resources). Indeed, a close examination of one of the Classic photos shows a Werknummer in the same size, style and position as other 170000-series aircraft on the aircraft's starboard fin. While it is not readable, the Werknummer position and style, layout of the underlying faded two-tone camouflage scheme and its grey tone in the images, the style of national and unit code markings together suggest that it was an early production 170000 Werknummerseries aircraft originally painted in the grey 74/75/76 scheme prior to the introduction of the late-war 'green/brown' colours in July 1944.
Having survived into 1945, "White Y" was given an overall (top and sides) meandering and dotted overspray of probably 81 Braunviolett to tone down the rather light grey appearance. This scheme and colour was applied to many nightfighters (Ju 88 G-1/6, Bf 110 G-4 and a few Me 262 B-1a's) during the last months of the war to help conceal them on the ground. Colour photos of such aircraft reveal that the choice colour was
invariably 81" [Bold red Mine]."The camouflage pattern is indicative of the type applied at the unit level. It is highly probably that the colour 81 would also appear on the wing upper surfaces in a similar pattern to that on the fuselage sides and top. This dark over light 81/74/75 pattern and scheme would certainly afford significant concealment value for the late winter conditions (dominantly bare deciduous trees, snow-covered ground, etc).
It is instructive to note that photos of other KG 54 aircraft during the same period wore a reverse pattern (light over dark) on all upper surfaces. The application of a white welle/mäander (wave/meander) pattern was necessitated by the original darker all-green 83 or 81/82 upper surface scheme."
Well this is an interesting twist as the Tamiya profile calls up an 82/83/76 scheme with the squiggles in 83 over the lighter 82. All other profiles I've seen on the KG 51 262's use the same colours, albeit in different fashions, the first two machines in Rochie's post being a good example of patches of 83 over 82.
Anyone out there agree with Mr. Brown or have other insight into this machine? Maybe I should switch to Red B?!