Search the Community

Here's my interpretation of Hermann Graf's BF109 G6 W.NR 15 729. Based around images taken on or after November 1943, when Hermann Graff joined NJG11. The WIP has some great contributions from forum members. I expected to be building a basically monotone RLM76 scheme when I started, which is in the title of the WIP. However, looking at the images several times before getting to paint, I decided that unfortunately RLM76 couldn't be the visible top layer of the colour scheme. After much procrastination, the scenario I went with is that the factory base colour applied was monotone RLM76, that was then partially oversprayed with a darker colour. My thought process is below. There are clues unearthed by another forum member that this airframe had features that would normally not necessarily be present on a G6: the desiccants, and no cockpit wall air vent for example. Perhaps this aircraft could have started down the line as a G5. The records indicate it left the factory as a G6. The Erla canopy could have been added on the line or in the field. Due to the roughness of the overspray job, I'm thinking this was most likely done hastily in the field. I picked RLM74 to represent the overspray. Not the only possibility, by any means. The werk number looks only partially masked and casually spray-painted around. I thought that the base colour revealed underneath the w. nr could most likely either be white or RLM76. As the swastika has the white surround in the same image, I've gone with RLM76 for the aircraft base colour. The barely visible starboard wing cross looks crudely overpainted with a darker colour than the rest of the wing, so potentially black. The vertical band on the fuselage close to the tail, I took to be yellow. The wing root in the vertical plane looks unmolested by exhaust soot, and critically is also missed by the overpainting spray. I'll come back to that. The wing root colour appears to also tonally match other areas where the dark overspray isn't present, except the rear fuselage band already mentioned. The mechanics look trussed up in many layers, as they would be on a cold day in November. The image of the three amigos sitting on the wing..... Firstly, the visible part of the leading edge slat is not the same colour as the rest of the wing. To me, it resembles the same base colour behind the werk number and the wing root. Secondly, the senior personnel either side of Graf are clearly attending a jolly occasion, just looking at their open body language. Graf joining NJG11 was a cause for celebration. Is my take. Note: all images are direct links to the source page Marc-Andre Haldimann Summing up my thoughts: these images were likely taken on the same cold winter day, and probably dated to when Graf joined NJG11 in November 1943. I have an explanation I'm satisfied with for the wing root not being overpainted: if the overspray session(s) was ordered to be done hastily in the field then the aircraft may have been oversprayed with the normal thick exhaust soot in situ. That's the most logical reason I can think of for not having any overspray colours in the wing root area. The plane would certainly have been cleaned up for the Graf 'photoshoot'. All other opinions are of course available but, hey presto that's the summation of my project scenario😁 All in all, this one was hard to copy to any degree of satisfaction. Working on a viable scenario was key to fully engaging with the subject. Hope you find the images interesting..... Thanks very much for looking. I'm most grateful for the considerable amount of kind help and suggestions on the WIP that I received to go along with this project.

Hello folks - long time no post. I thought it was about time I dug out my account and shared a little work with you, as whilst no-one will remember me, I've lurked around for a long time... Here, to get the ball rolling is one of the famed Hermann Graf's early mounts, built from the delicious Eduard BF109 E1 ProfiPack, with a scheme from the late, great Jerry Crandall at EagleCals. Paint was a mix of AK Real Colour and Gunze, weathering with Abteilung 502 oils, although this was kept very light as this particular airframe was repainted after about 6 weeks of action. One final note - the Hakenkreuz has been digitally edited out, as my main platform is Instagram these days, and they're very, very hot on their community guidelines - if or not they make sense. Thanks for looking folks! My Instagram Account

Dear fellow Britmodellers, another Bf-109 fresh off my workbench - the "Red Tulip" (aka "Green 4") of JG 52. This particular aircraft was allegedly piloted by famous ace Hermann Graf. Decals from Eagle Cals, painted with Gunze/Mr.Hobby acrylics. My attempt to paint the nose tulip using self-cut masks failed due to the curvatures of the front section - I struggled to get the masks lined up straight. Instead I used the decals provided by Eagle Cals. They worked well, although cuts had to be made around the air intakes to make them conform to the surface structure, as well as some touch-up with brush paint. The result is far from perfect, but the best I could achieve! Photographs by Wolfgang Rabel. + Best greetings from Vienna, Roman

Hasegawa´s Fw 190A-5/U7 kit 09976 built as Hermann Graf´s regular A-5 because I didn´t dare to use the resins included. I managed to remove a chunk of the wing early on the build, break the right side´s lightning bolt and part of the white trim on one of the tulips. While building the kit, I thought the only difference between Graf´s regular A-5 and his later U7 was only the cowling, painted entirely in yellow with the high altitude intakes, but it turned out that the A-5 didn´t have the outer cannons, and these were added to the kit. I was so fucused on the paint scheme that I didn´t realise the difference in armament. The model was brush painted with Revell Aqua 15/40/45/49/69/47 (RLM 04/70/02/65/74/75).