Luftwaffe cockpit lines

[Etiennedup]

Another lines question...........?

This time it's a thin red line on mainly Bf 109's  but also on Ju 88 cockpit glazing.

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2020 by Etiennedup
Include pic

[Vlad]

I am pretty sure this is a dive-bombing aid, the pilot would line it up with the horizon to confirm they are diving at 45 degrees. The 109 looks like an E-7/B of JG.54 and I believe it is a fighter-bomber (JaBo). You wouldn't see these kinds of lines on regular fighter 109s, but Stukas have them too.

Edited June 2, 2020 by Vlad

[dogsbody]

What Vlad said!

 

 

Chris

[Mike]

Well TIL

[Ray_W]

First attempt at a detonation cord for ejection seat? 😏

 

No, it's what Vlad said.

[Roger Newsome]

I'm glad this topic has cropped up. Has anyone got any suggestions for replicating the red lines in 1/48? I'm thinking about cutting a couple of thin lines from a red decal but if anyone had a better idea I'm all ears.

 

13 hours ago, Vlad said:

You wouldn't see these kinds of lines on regular fighter 109s

I'm not sure that's entirely true unless I'm missing something which is entirely possible. At the moment I'm building Hans Phillip's Bf 109F-2 of I/JG54  and one of the colour photos I've found for reference clearly show the red lines. There's probably a good explanation for their presence but I dont know it yet. 🙂

Roger. 

[Vlad]

3 hours ago, Roger Newsome said:

I'm glad this topic has cropped up. Has anyone got any suggestions for replicating the red lines in 1/48? I'm thinking about cutting a couple of thin lines from a red decal but if anyone had a better idea I'm all ears.

 

I'm not sure that's entirely true unless I'm missing something which is entirely possible. At the moment I'm building Hans Phillip's Bf 109F-2 of I/JG54  and one of the colour photos I've found for reference clearly show the red lines. There's probably a good explanation for their presence but I dont know it yet. 🙂

Roger. 

Very interesting, I have never seen the lines on a "pure" fighter before, I wonder why Philipp's F-2 had them. Would you be able to share the picture?

 

[Roger Newsome]

28 minutes ago, Vlad said:

.Would you be able to share the picture?

Yes, of course. Scroll down to the ninth and tenth photos.

https://grafiq.ru/messerschmitt-bf109f-color/

 

Two explanations are the obvious one, which was that aircraft was used for bombing, or the canopy was a replacement previously fitted to a aircraft that was.

Roger. 

[Antti_K]

Hello guys,

 

years ago my grandfather (who used to fly bf-109s) explained the purpose of this red line. According to him it was there just to indicate the dive angle (45 degrees) and to aid the pilot to maintain wings level during the dive.

 

Personally I've always masked and painted that line.

 

Cheers,

Antti

[JRS-AU]

Just joined the forum so I could post this!

 

The "bitsa" (bits of this, bits of that) late model Bf 109G-6 at the Australian War Memorial  (AWM) has the Jabo dive orientation line on the cockpit canopy - please see the attached.  Now this aircraft is touted as the only "original Luftwaffe paint" Bf 109 in existence today.

 

Bf 109G-6 AWM Erla Canopy Closeup - courtesy "Warbirds Walkaround".

 

I used to pay a lot of attention to this aircraft as a young boy when it was stored in Sid Marshall's hangar in Bankstown Airport, Sydney.  I have lost the original photos from that time, but there are several available via Mr Google.

 

I note that this semi-restored exhibit has a brand new high length radio antenna mast.  My recollection as a child was no mast and the antenna wire terminated directly into the top of the fuselage through the loop antenna back to the normal G-6 tail and rudder.

 

Can anyone comment as to whether this was possible?  Did all G-6 aircraft with the standard (ie. not late model tail/rudder) have an antenna mast, or is it possible some were terminated on the top of the fuselage as was the habit with some G-10 and G-14 variants?  It is noted that this aircraft was a partial rebuild (including a new wing which doesn't match the other) in 1944.