Hello all,
I have just received the 1/16 Guillows balsa model Bf109 and it appears to be a solid model. This is my first attempt at a balsa model and probably beyond my skill level having made many smaller plastic model cars.
I would like to model this after the craft flown by JG53 Kommodore Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn over the skies of Malta. He hunted allied planes with his unit from their airfield at Comiso from December 1941 until he was promoted out of flying duty in early months of 1943. It will go nicely as a display with a signed VDA postcard and four photographs taken upon his landing after completing his 400th flight. I am stumped on the paint scheme of the craft he was flying at the time of his 400th feindflug so I would love your opinions.
This is my primary source for the plane. This is a film reel I found in the archive of Agentur Karl Höffkes (AKH). This moment shows von Maltzahn taxiing in to the ceremony for his successful 400th. The camera operator never pans far enough to see the rear end of the craft beyond the double chevrons of his "<<-+-" marking. Getting the correct number of rudder victories appears to be difficult because its not shown and I have not found any information about when he completed 400 flights with which I could compare to his victory count. It should be between 50 and his final claim of 68. Other observations I notice is light mottling? The cowling should still be yellow I believe, and 1/4 of the spinner tip is white (other 3/4 may be blue but I think its black). The aeromaster interpretations will say the spinners were green and the Osprey books say Stab.JG53 were blue. The rest appears tan with small sections of a much darker tan.
I do not have the Osprey book on Mediterranean and North African aircraft to refer to but I have looked to many other references including some suspicious interpretations from Aeromaster. From what I know, he operated only two craft while at Comiso. He was shot down in his F4 WNr 8326 over Russia on July 15, 1941. He began flying another F4 which he may or may not have flown to Malta. He then was operating a WNr 7282 over Malta until a Spitfire sent him into the Mediterranean Sea on May 11, 1942. At this point he may have flown another F4 or he switched to the Bf109 G2 he used towards the end of his flying career. Aeromaster claims he also flew a G6 even later.
This one from Aeromaster has been one of the most promising examples I have seen online. It is part of Aeromaster PAF 48-05 that has a few questionable renditions of von Maltzahn craft. The PAF 48-05 is shown below. The top example was used by a fellow on britmodeller.com to paint his rendition of von Maltzahn at Comiso.
Another interpretation from Aeromaster that I dug out from somewhere. Shades of grey yet not like the dark greys they used while in Russia instead of tropical tans.
An interpretation from the HobbyBros kit. Not sure about the scheme of this one. The drop tank was not present in the archive film. Someone else on britmodeller had used as inspiration to paint von Maltzahn's F4 at Comiso although it more resembled the top model of PAF 48-05 in regards to color pattern and scheme.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide me in fleshing out this model.
Regards, Ben
I have just received the 1/16 Guillows balsa model Bf109 and it appears to be a solid model. This is my first attempt at a balsa model and probably beyond my skill level having made many smaller plastic model cars.
I would like to model this after the craft flown by JG53 Kommodore Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn over the skies of Malta. He hunted allied planes with his unit from their airfield at Comiso from December 1941 until he was promoted out of flying duty in early months of 1943. It will go nicely as a display with a signed VDA postcard and four photographs taken upon his landing after completing his 400th flight. I am stumped on the paint scheme of the craft he was flying at the time of his 400th feindflug so I would love your opinions.
This is my primary source for the plane. This is a film reel I found in the archive of Agentur Karl Höffkes (AKH). This moment shows von Maltzahn taxiing in to the ceremony for his successful 400th. The camera operator never pans far enough to see the rear end of the craft beyond the double chevrons of his "<<-+-" marking. Getting the correct number of rudder victories appears to be difficult because its not shown and I have not found any information about when he completed 400 flights with which I could compare to his victory count. It should be between 50 and his final claim of 68. Other observations I notice is light mottling? The cowling should still be yellow I believe, and 1/4 of the spinner tip is white (other 3/4 may be blue but I think its black). The aeromaster interpretations will say the spinners were green and the Osprey books say Stab.JG53 were blue. The rest appears tan with small sections of a much darker tan.
I do not have the Osprey book on Mediterranean and North African aircraft to refer to but I have looked to many other references including some suspicious interpretations from Aeromaster. From what I know, he operated only two craft while at Comiso. He was shot down in his F4 WNr 8326 over Russia on July 15, 1941. He began flying another F4 which he may or may not have flown to Malta. He then was operating a WNr 7282 over Malta until a Spitfire sent him into the Mediterranean Sea on May 11, 1942. At this point he may have flown another F4 or he switched to the Bf109 G2 he used towards the end of his flying career. Aeromaster claims he also flew a G6 even later.
This one from Aeromaster has been one of the most promising examples I have seen online. It is part of Aeromaster PAF 48-05 that has a few questionable renditions of von Maltzahn craft. The PAF 48-05 is shown below. The top example was used by a fellow on britmodeller.com to paint his rendition of von Maltzahn at Comiso.
Another interpretation from Aeromaster that I dug out from somewhere. Shades of grey yet not like the dark greys they used while in Russia instead of tropical tans.
An interpretation from the HobbyBros kit. Not sure about the scheme of this one. The drop tank was not present in the archive film. Someone else on britmodeller had used as inspiration to paint von Maltzahn's F4 at Comiso although it more resembled the top model of PAF 48-05 in regards to color pattern and scheme.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide me in fleshing out this model.
Regards, Ben
