fw 190 A-8 black 5 of III/JG54 help please

[Airframes]

Yes, I agree in general about the original pic; it was just a thought about a possibility of it being from a colour original. And yes, Erich could very well be right, especially as these, I presume tactical, or recognition colours, were not so common at that period, as Erich rightly points out. Somewhere, not in it's usual place, I have some pics of the period that possibly show yellow cowling rings, and there has been various artwork (paintings and profiles), showing these rings, not neccessarily on JG54 aircraft though. There are some I have seen of JG2 and JG26 FW190's.
And now, I am going to bed!

 

[Wurger]

Also I'm heading bed. Sleep well.Chat tomorrow I hope.

 

[rochie]

wow you guys are great thanks a lot for your efforts.

i think i may delay starting the build just for while to see if any other info comes out into the open !!

but i must say that the model terry built is a very close match to the small photo's of a completed model printed on the side of the box.

but now i'm sure there was no orange any where near the aircraft in question !

also i'm no expert but the cammo colours do seem very dark and i'm edging towards 74/75/76 scheme and wurger's pic does seem to show more white than black on the spinner whichever way round it was painted !

once again thank you all for your efforts and hope fully this can be cleared up so i can get on and build the model

here's the box art to compare the model pics are to small for me to get worthwile pics of

 

[Wurger]

I also know and have the kit ( to be honest two kits no.2120 and no.2213 - the second one is with Kubelwagen.The kit is nice but needs some corrections if somebody wants a nice replic of the fighter.In addition I can tell you that initially the kit was offered with decals for both A-6 and A-8 version.But now there is a decal for A-8 only.Fortunately there are still parts for both variants in the box.

 

[rochie]

yes wojtec there are only one set of decals in the kit for the A-8

 

[Airframes]

Hope we've helped, rather than hindered Karl! You can still go ahead with the build, all you'd need to do would be add the yellow later, if we can ascertain that ring was yellow! Somehow, I think it might have been, judging by Wojtek's pic and the one I saw in the mag. I'm not sure, but I think the instruction sheet for my model indicated a lower cowling panel in yellow, which was wrong, and the magazine article pointed this out, emphasising the yellow nose ring. But, it was 30 years ago!!

 

[Wurger]

If it was 30 years ago Terry the engine ring could have become yellow indeed.You know, the older is a paint the much yellowish becomes.

BTW Have you got the good night resting?

 

[rochie]

you've all helped a lot terry, i'm not off work till sunday so i'm gonna trawl through the books i've got and also some of the il2 skin's websites (thanks les, i've got the game and loads of skins on my computer for the fw 190 why didnt i think of that) and see what i can come up with.
then i'll give you guys a run down on what i'm planning to do and see if we can come up with something as close to correct as possible
maybe master jedi wayne will chip in at some point you never know

 

[Erich]

I wrote a lengthy response last night and posted but it has been sent into cyberspace............

the closer view of the 1/4r nose area confirms the prop being black with white spiralschnauze. it is not one white ring but two the angle throws the view off had it been a full on side view you would see the strip coming around to the front area. This was of course deemed as standard for all Luftw. fighters as of July 44 as a recognition ID. from the closer view it also apears to me that indeed either RLM 76 blue grey or a very pale grey, thus being a B/W photo very hard to determine tint or colour.
Finally on that grey nose ring colour, IV./JG 54 when receiving Fw 190A-8's the appearance of their mounts in most cases looked to be a very pale high altitude grey with little darker grey mottling, of course their are other crates in that Gruppe that do show darker greys as such as this # 5 of summer of 44 in III. gruppe

 

[rochie]

from academy europe website of the model in question

what do you guys think ?

 

[Erich]

I'll say it again the prop should be black with white spiral as shown in pics of Nowotny's Black 10 and Unteroffizier Walter Uecker of 9./JG 54, his A-8/MK, and yes III./JG 54 had both variants flying. no-one had a yellow cowling that I can find so far, the RLM 76 blue-grey goes right on up from the underwings up the cowling into the engine compartment then a mix of two-toned greys. My personal belief again is the cowling is a grey-blue. Unless we can obtain a frontal view photo then my thoughts stand in my mind on the Cowling nose-ring.

E ~ do wish A. Urbanke would write and publish his book on III./JG 54 from fall of 43 through Normandie. this was promised years ago after the Green hearts book was pursued and published but Axel got onto other things.

also the Blue Reich band is RLM 24 if this is any help

 

[rochie]

ok Erich i'll go with that.
another question is the kit comes with twin MG151/20 gun pods were these ever used by this unit or were these a bit of artistic licence ?
rlm 24 great thanks again Erich

 

[Wurger]

As I remember the gun pods in the kit box were for the A-6 version.So there is no need to use them for A-8.

 

[rochie]

aaahhhh ! thank you wojtec

 

[Wurger]

No problem.

 

[Airframes]

I'm inlcilned to go with Erich's knowledge and experience; it would seem that the 'nose ring' would be the light grey, as evidenced in numerous photographs of other FW's of the period. Regarding the spiral though, I do concede, Erich, that the pattern should normally be as you have described, it's just that, on the particular photograph and profile I used 30 years ago, the spiral did look very much like the one in the second photo posted by Wojtek, with black on white. Perhaps this was a 'one off' for the unit?
Of course Karl (rochie) is faced with the problem, whatever the colour, of actually having to paint this difficult feature!
Good luck, Karl!

 

[rochie]

Of course Karl (rochie) is faced with the problem, whatever the colour, of actually having to paint this difficult feature!
Good luck, Karl!

was gonna send it over to you to do for me

 

[Airframes]

Please, NOOOOO! Had enough with the one on the Gustav!!

 

[rochie]

come on its only a small one just kidding my friend !!!!

 

[Erich]

Terry I just see the case of a lighter tone with the filter used to take the pic of the Fw 190 plus the angle which almost makes the prop foggy. the prop is black, the prop blades are black-green and the white spiral is evident. If you could see the other pics and profiles of the A-8's of the III. gruppe you would see what I am stating. look at my avatar that is what the prop looks like just like the 4./JG 301 190, because of angle you can only see the side of one stripe.