Milos Gazdic

Hello, Yes, that same story is mentioned on quite a few places, but as discussed above Chamois is paint for internal surfaces, not intended for external use. Eye witness mentioned "buff" style color if I understand right. So my question is - could British color be used for the surfaces? Also - unpainted lower surface = NMF or light blue? thanks for taking time. I am so desperately awaiting few books & magazines from France & England ordered over last 3-4 months on the subject. Including the booklet you just mentioned above. Got it fairly cheap on ebay finally since prices went rocket high. Milos

Guys. what would be the chance that the aircraft was really "buff" color but painted in British Middle Stone? What do you think gents? I am still in lockdown here & all the ordered books we discussed some time ago are still stuck in customs... Very nicely done 1/72 scale model (Facebook link) done in Middle Stone

I see the 3 + now! and yes. your patches seem to be on right places. But now I wonder about camo

I see the rear view window. But I do not see the Balkenkreuz

Hello Rob, I have opened the still you've uploaded above, in Photoshop & darkened the mid-& high-tones and didn't manage to see "White 13" on the rear fuselage at all I see some squiggles there but doesn't look like 13. But I would agree with you that fuselage is RLM 76. Tone on the top of the fuselage & bottom is the same. Shot was taken on completely overcast day & bright areas are not the reflections as originally suggested. Best, Milos

Yes. Still in SH. Not easy. Our guest room which doubles as my modeling room is occupied now by our daughter's nanny so I cannot do modeling although if I would not have to be with my 3 year Angie whole day (it was her 3rd birthday yesterday - celebrated in the Lockdown), I could model quite a bit. I started translating some articles & books about D.520 for my own needs since I am planning a series of Dewoitine D.520 builds... Finding food you really love is not easy but not impossible. Situation is not great, but seems like Western Media does portray it in a ways they like to do those things about "East". Anyhow, I wish lockdown gets lifted soon & we go back to our normal lives for sure

Lovely

I wish the same. So many of them in my storage and 90% yellow. Wonder if exposure to UV would help?!

Arado Ar 96 is one of my favorite aircraft ever! But I don't think there is any vacform canopy for it One can maybe buy some old kit like vacform Hit Kit or MasterX resin kit & use those? I have MasterX kit in Belgrade but the vacform canopy is completely yellow :(((

Avions Nº233 article & caption confirming we are seeing #1 here too: in what I call the "third style" of markings above (CFP star was removed completely. The rudder is unchanged. Tail marking receives a white disc under numeral 1. FFI was applied to the fuselage stripes - black letters over white stripe)

I believe it was an overpaint done on unit level and with not so heavy coverage. I wish I could post images here to show the image I have edited.

I forgot to mention that chapter 18 of Docavia's book writes (once again my own translation so take it with the grain of salt): "As they left the factories in Tarbes or Toulouse, the D.520s of the Doret Group received an individual identification number, painted on their tail fin in black on the white circle. (IMPORTANT!) Each of the two squadrons numbered its aircraft from #1, without taking into account the other squadron. As a result, the numbers from 1 to 5 were worn by two different aircraft of two squadrons!" To overcome this issue suffix BIS is given to Ossun's airframes (i.e. #2bis) or they are referred as: # of X location (i.e. #2 of Ossun). Of importance is: "The #1 of Toulouse was destroyed, on August 24, during an accident which cost the life of the Chief Warrant Officer De Bar." so basically #1 of Ossun & #1 of Toulouse, that were also camouflaged differently, didn't have long "overlapping life", lasting only one day! (#1 of Ossun Nº548 was built on 23rd, and #1 of Toulouse Nº531 was lost on 24th according to Docavia & 25th according to Aero Journal (on the same day they were built). If anyone has access to these loss records - I would appreciate the pointer. Of note: There are some discrepancies between SNºs given by Docavia book (published earlier) and Aero Journal HS Nº8. Main issue is Black Noº1 of Ossun which in Docavia book is marked as Nº526! Anyhow, Nº548 is mentioned in use up until GC I/18 in Docavia book too (where except it's listing in GC I/18's inventory it says: "On 7 March, D.520 Nº548 was scrapped after an accident" which fully matches A/J's statement in article's chart. I tend to believe to A/J team a bit more (I still hold Docavia as a bible on the subject) due to the fact it was further after the publication date of Docavia book. Correct me if I am wrong in this belief please.

if you take the photo & brighten it you will notice camouflage pattern showing through & yellow cowling areas too. For me it still seems like a resprayed airframe but I am not sure what Mr Urbanke brought as the conclusion once the color shot surfaced?

I have replied over on HS explaining my belief (turning to be correct) that the "worn out" D.520 is indeed "Black 1" often portrayed in profiles LINK to Hyperscale discussion on the same subject Big thanks goes to @GiampieroSilvestri for the pointer. With too many books & magazines on the shelf I often fail to locate the needed info All the citations below come from Aero Journal Hors-Serie Nº8's last, fourth chapter, dealing with "Liberation Dewoitines", the authors explain (my own translation, mind it, I don't speak French, so take this with care): "As elsewhere in France, the resistance was far from united in the R4 region around Toulouse. Alongside politically oriented organizations was the OMA (Organisation Métropolitaine de l’Armée), made up of non-politicized former army officers and reservists, whose sole aim was to drive the occupiers out, from French soil. Its local leader, Major Pommiès, could not find common ground with the other resistance organizations and decided to create his own unit, the Corps Franc P (which later became Corps Franc Pommiès). On June 6, 1944, the date of general mobilization, no less than 6,000 volunteers joined the CFP, making it the most significant military formation in the region. In fact, in the R4 region, things will develop swiftly immediately after the Allied landings in Provence on August 15, 1944." ... "On August 19, Colonel Ravanel, commander of the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) in the R4 region, signed the official birth certificate of the “First FFI Fighter Group of the R4 Region”. Two former Air Force officers have refused the command of this unit, so Mr Segaut offered it to Marcel Doret on August 20." ... The text further explains that Doret & few other companions (pilots) travelled by car to Tarbes / Ossun where they arrived on August 22. And also explains the use of D.520s Nº8, Nº513 and Nº531 as the first machines used in the action by SNCASE pilots. ... "At Ossun, Caillette’s predictions proved to be too optimistic. The French found only one D.520 (Nº548) in good condition but partially dismantled. It took 48 hours for it to be able to fly again. The aircraft was officially taken over by the CFP on August 23 and duly decorated with the Corps Franc badge on the fuselage. Six other aircraft, awaiting delivery of spare parts from Toulouse, can be returned to flying condition within a fortnight (two weeks period)." ... The photo of the aircraft in the initial post is printed with the caption: "The “#1” of Tarbes/Ossun (Nº548) as it appears at its recovery. The Luftwaffe markings have been roughly repainted. (Photo M. Garel, Collection: G. Fruchart)" The photo of Black 1 is given under, captioned as: "Against a background of Pyrenean landscape, Nº548 with the black and white stripes and the CFP insignia, probably at the end of August 1944. (Collection: R. Cassou)" Photo shows "Black 1" with B&W stripes, CFP star, 1 on the tail, and roundels with Lorraine Crosses over them (most famous photo we all know). ... Obvious from the captions and a table given at the end of the article "Black 1" and worn out the machine of my interest are in fact the same aircraft and the aircraft was obviously swiftly prepared for action. I suspect, looking at the photos showing "#1" on the fuselage behind the CFP star that the airframe received only one top colour & one side & underside colour! I believe this has not changed until the end of its career, with small overpaints of marking changes. Some of them are explained in the text: "August 26 also saw the arrival of Captain Gérardot to Toulouse. He was sent by the General Staff in Algiers to Doret. This was the first step toward the Air Force taking control of the unit. Without wanting to make him a sort of “political commissioner”, Captain Gérardot probably came with the order to avoid any possible drift, even if the conduct of the Doret group had been irreproachable up to that point. He gave the order to repaint the planes with markings closer to the traditions of the Air Force (one can assume that the CFP insignia had disappeared at this time)." Morane-Saulnier plant in Tarbes-Ossun (where one part of the unit was based, inc. famous "#1) was pushing out much fewer machines from their "factory" compared to SNCASE in Toulouse. Their camouflage obviously differed. Tarbes-Ossun machines were similar to "Black 1", where SNCASE ones had more extensive "dotting" applied to them. When they moved all to "circled" numbering on the tails the font differed a bit too. I am trying to compile as many of these machines together so I can more clearly understand these differences and finesse of markings that were obviously changing on a "daily" base. Regarding "Black 1": _first style was: Black 1 behind the CFP star. Lorraine Cross superimposed over the roundels on 4 positions. Lorraine Cross over the white area on the rudder. _second style: Black 1 moved to the tail position. CFP star remains. B&W stripes were applied to the fuselage & wings. _third style (standardisation of the markings): CFP star removed completely. The rudder is unchanged. Tail marking receives a white disc under numeral 1. FFI was applied to the fuselage stripes - black letters over white stripes. Additional NOTE: The photo I have of "Black 1" showing this phase show only FFI on the fuselage, but the photo of "Black 2" from Tarbes-Ossun, photographed side by side next to SNCASE's "Black 2" shows the difference in the camouflage between these two units/factories. Additionally, spinners seem to have received 1/3 white segment (similar to some Luftwaffe units / could be the utilization of spinners produced during the Luftwaffe / Erla's control over the production, but could equally mean that this feature was applied to some of the surviving Ossun machines at one time. Just like some of these Ossun machines received softer dots "a la Luftwaffe" on the sides of the fuselage. _fourth style would probably be in line with GC II/18 looks With GC II/18 Saintonge taking over Group Doret's aircraft, stripes do disappear & areas are overpainted and heavily dotted. Based on Aero Journal & Docavia book, It is clear that Nº548 survived & served in both GC II/18 & I/18. An accident by Cne Mangin was documented on March 7, 1943 which seems to bring Nº548's career to the end. Could this possibly be Nº548 in GC I/18 ??? [differently marked in Docavia book's caption!]: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/download/file.php?id=138748 Thank you

Awesome Giampiero!! Will check it out Milos