French built Arado A-6 forced to land in Sweeden

[Einar Sandvik]

 

 

   

 

Entering sweedish territory on February 11. in 1943 this Arado 196 A-3 with codes NH+ZF was forced to land in Sweeden and was stored. This plane was originally built by S.N.C.A. de L'Ouest in St. Nazaire in France in 1942 as number 6 out of only 21 built there. German authorities prescribed a change in interior colour for planes from RLM 02 to RLM 66. Beeing built well into 1942 one should expect this plane have its interior painted RLM 66, but the seat and back of observers cabin looks painted RLM 02 to me. Comments?

[Werdna]

No picture showing, for me..

[Einar Sandvik]

   Now?

[John Masters]

  Is that all there is of the aircraft?  

[Einar Sandvik]

There are several pictures of this aircraft, but now I am interested in comments of the interior.

[JWM]

Here is a photo of DH+ZF (not NH+ZF) as one of two Ar196 in Sweden

http://www.histaviation.com/ar_196_sweden.html

Regards

J-W

 

Edited November 6, 2020 by JWM

[Einar Sandvik]

DH, of course. Thank you!

 

IPMS Norway has an ongoing project building models for the airplane collection at Gardermoen, and I am building a model of this particular plane as it looked like in Norwegian markings during spring 1946.

 

My concern is about interior colours, which seemed to differ from official regulations in November 1941, seemingly painted RLM 02 when it should have been RLM66.

Edited November 6, 2020 by Einar Sandvik

[fishplanebeer]

Just to add that there is an excellent article in the December issue of Flypast magazine covering the restoration of an Arado built 196A-5, TW+SH, Werknummer 196 0293, manufactured in the summer of 1942 and subsequently re-coded 6W+LK when under new ownership.

 

From the pics in the article the interior of this example would appear to be RLM66 so perhaps the French factory was lagging behind those in Germany when the interior colour was changed from RLM02?

 

It's worth noting that during the BoB it is possible to see Bf109E's with both RLM02 and RLM66 interiors so such colour changes were not always implemented uniformly.

 

Regards

Colin.

[Einar Sandvik]

Thanks!

 

Yes, I think this French factory perhaps was a small factory, producing only 21 Arado-planes before production was moved to Holland due to allied bombing and problems with the French workers, so supplies of paint was not exhausted very fast, I think. Besides, in those days there where shortages in supplies and old paint probably had to be used before new was introduced. 

 

Could the seat possibly have been unpainted aluminium?

[torqueofthedevil]

15 hours ago, Einar Sandvik said:

Could the seat possibly have been unpainted aluminium?

Yes, but I very much doubt it. Any maritime aircraft is treated carefully, even the parts which aren't meant to have direct contact with the water. And at the time this aircraft was pictured, the Germans were still some way off the desperate 'throwaway culture' which was evident near the end of the war. 

 

As to the original question about RLM 66 vs 02, it's whatever colour you think it is based on the pics, not whatever a decree from Berlin might have required. Small remote factories might have had several reasons for not complying. 

[Einar Sandvik]

Thanks! Seems reasonable to me.