Mainly28s
Senior Airman
User Name: Mainly28s
Name: Olaf
Category: Beginner (possibly upgading to Intermediate as discussed elsewhere)
Kit: Smer Fiat G.55
Scale: 1/48
Accessories: Assorted decals
My main interest is 1/48th aircraft. Of course, I don't do things the easy way, so I picked a specific pilot to honour. Hans-Werner Lerche provided a good source of variety and diversity. He was senior test pilot at Rechlin until 1945, and flew about 125 different aircraft types, as told in his autobiography/memoir "Luftwaffe Test Pilot". My plan is to eventually build (as well as I can), as many of the planes he flew in 1/48th scale. Of course, his biography doesn't list every code on every plane he flew, but there is enough to make very educated guesses about a large number.
Anyway, for this group build, I'd first planned to build a Liberator as flown by the Italians and then H-W Lerche in Sicily, but can't find the required decals. So, with that off the table, I figured a Heinkel He-111 that he used to fly him to various Italian airfields would be OK. While re-reading the book, I found a reference to a trip in October 1943 that included a number of Italian aircraft. I checked which ones he flew on the trip, and only found one candidate available at a low price- the Fiat G.55 (ANR insignia over standard Luftwaffe colours in the kit). A trip to e-Bay later, and it was on its way to me. Next step- some research. Special Thanks to Giorgi N at Britmodeller for his help.
Firstly, any aircraft produced in Northern Italy would have carried Luftwaffe markings, as ANR markings were applied starting in January 1944. The most likely colour scheme would have been the "continental" scheme of Verde Oliva Scuro 2 (dark olive green) over Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 (light blue grey). This was the scheme applied to most, if not all, G.55s at the factory until mid 1944. The first ANR unit equipped with the G.55 was the Squadriglia Complementare Caccia Montefusco in late 1943, operating from Venaria, just outside Turin. The unit would most probably not have been operational in October, so Lerche most probably flew one of the machines built by the Aeritalia division of Fiat, but not yet delivered to anyone and so taken over by the Luftwaffe.
Three machines were completed in October and delivered directly to the Luftwaffe, all finished in the dark green over grey scheme, and although any potential machine flown by Lerche may have been completed earlier, the scheme would have been the same. The original scheme seems to have retained the Italian 600 mm wide white band on the rear fuselage. Crosses on the wing and fuselage were thinner than the standard used by the Luftwaffe, and were 700*700 mm, while the swastika on the tail was 580*580 mm.
The serial number can only be between MM 91054 and MM 91070. The aircraft with serials MM 91066, MM 91067 and MM 91068 were the 3 completed for the Luftwaffe in October. MM 91066 was flown to Germany, while the other two were tested in Italy and then sent back to Fiat to be refurbished and used by the ANR.
I will add photos as soon as I can (once I figure out my Flickr again).
Name: Olaf
Category: Beginner (possibly upgading to Intermediate as discussed elsewhere)
Kit: Smer Fiat G.55
Scale: 1/48
Accessories: Assorted decals
My main interest is 1/48th aircraft. Of course, I don't do things the easy way, so I picked a specific pilot to honour. Hans-Werner Lerche provided a good source of variety and diversity. He was senior test pilot at Rechlin until 1945, and flew about 125 different aircraft types, as told in his autobiography/memoir "Luftwaffe Test Pilot". My plan is to eventually build (as well as I can), as many of the planes he flew in 1/48th scale. Of course, his biography doesn't list every code on every plane he flew, but there is enough to make very educated guesses about a large number.
Anyway, for this group build, I'd first planned to build a Liberator as flown by the Italians and then H-W Lerche in Sicily, but can't find the required decals. So, with that off the table, I figured a Heinkel He-111 that he used to fly him to various Italian airfields would be OK. While re-reading the book, I found a reference to a trip in October 1943 that included a number of Italian aircraft. I checked which ones he flew on the trip, and only found one candidate available at a low price- the Fiat G.55 (ANR insignia over standard Luftwaffe colours in the kit). A trip to e-Bay later, and it was on its way to me. Next step- some research. Special Thanks to Giorgi N at Britmodeller for his help.
Firstly, any aircraft produced in Northern Italy would have carried Luftwaffe markings, as ANR markings were applied starting in January 1944. The most likely colour scheme would have been the "continental" scheme of Verde Oliva Scuro 2 (dark olive green) over Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 (light blue grey). This was the scheme applied to most, if not all, G.55s at the factory until mid 1944. The first ANR unit equipped with the G.55 was the Squadriglia Complementare Caccia Montefusco in late 1943, operating from Venaria, just outside Turin. The unit would most probably not have been operational in October, so Lerche most probably flew one of the machines built by the Aeritalia division of Fiat, but not yet delivered to anyone and so taken over by the Luftwaffe.
Three machines were completed in October and delivered directly to the Luftwaffe, all finished in the dark green over grey scheme, and although any potential machine flown by Lerche may have been completed earlier, the scheme would have been the same. The original scheme seems to have retained the Italian 600 mm wide white band on the rear fuselage. Crosses on the wing and fuselage were thinner than the standard used by the Luftwaffe, and were 700*700 mm, while the swastika on the tail was 580*580 mm.
The serial number can only be between MM 91054 and MM 91070. The aircraft with serials MM 91066, MM 91067 and MM 91068 were the 3 completed for the Luftwaffe in October. MM 91066 was flown to Germany, while the other two were tested in Italy and then sent back to Fiat to be refurbished and used by the ANR.
I will add photos as soon as I can (once I figure out my Flickr again).
