dpm1did1

Check out Bf109 V-14. It is essentially an E-0 but imagine it backdated and with a cross rather than the civilian codes and you could have a nice bright prewar military scheme that would have scared the daylights out of the European governments as it toured them on 1937-8...!(note: colour scheme of D-ISLU is still conjecture as to blue or red and exact shade, but for this build the all red fits in perfectly:))

Supposedly the 162 was anything but an easy ride and the initial recruits at least were certainly to have needed an experienced leader. Dig out that Revell 32nd He-162 and give it a nice red belly and underwings? Or a big red 'Rudolph' nose and dull scarlet tail?

It's why I said 'may not have' been on the frontline - every rule will have exceptions and you could easily consider changing a Yellow nose Bf109E in a Red nose special for an early war scheme. By the time the 262s were operational I doubt the over 50s would have been excluded purely on age grounds. In fact in the final few months a fit and capable 'Richthofen-esque' pilot would have been snapped up even if he were drawing his pension.

Richthofen would have been 47 at the start of WW2 if he had survived so may not have been a front line pilot at the start. However as the tide turned you could speculate a return from staff duties following a fall out with Hitler and Goring similar to Adolf Gallands return to the fight. To this end I would look at adding him to the ranks of JV44 or similar 'Experten' and build a late Dora or even a Ta-152. Alternatively a 262 would fit the bill. Maybe all red would have been too much at this late war stage (but a post war American Warbird FW to outdo the native Mustangs?). I can however see fuselage and tail bands, as well as rudders etc being red extended beyond the usual limits with a styalised Triplane badge.

A build thread for a couple of Hellcats including this very A/C: JZ789/C7D, 808 NAS British East Indies Fleet, Trincomalee, Ceylon, 1945 http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234943352-hellcats-x-2-finished/ (tho I must admit I like the F6F-5K in it's orange, although I am known for living Outside the Box at times:))

The first 3 web refs (inc from the IAF museum, albeit of rather wrecked engines) all matched in stating the R-2800s drove 4 blades of 13ft6in diameter.

I had one stashed before a clear out a few years back. Iirc the cockpit wasn't quite correct for the D>E changes, plus it didn't have the full set of weapons pylons (again iirc it was missing the front outer fuselage stations). Some vague memory of problems (accuracy or fit?) with the intake area too. Overall it has decent reviews but obviously cannot be built OOB as a true E, and doubly so for the rivet counters, as it was bases on the D airframe. Imo still worth building if you tackle the obvious issues as the kit itself is pretty nice (although it appears fit may have deteriorated with later releases, although they have better weaponry it appears)

Love the kit, love the build. I built the same kit many years ago, followed by the M577 and later the Italeri M163 - sadly all long rehomed. I too added some basic details to the interior (mostly iaw the Vanguard book - far fewer webby refs in those days) but otherwise just a few rolls and packs from the spares box. Eventually placed it on a small base to make use of the figures. May well repeat the exercise if I stumble across a cheapo box. It may be outclassed by the Academy version but I'm no rivet counter and those track skirts mean the lack of suspension is easily overlooked.