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1/32 Me-262 decals |
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Preview by Steve Bamford on Oct 5 2005 |
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Three new 1/32 Me 262 decal sets are coming from Cutting Edge Modelworks in a few weeks! These sheets are specifically fitted to the new Trumpeter 262 kit; please note that decals simply blown up from 1/48 scale will not fit your Trumpeter model well.
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CED32070 Me 262 A-2a, White 3, Ofhr.
Hans-Guido Mutke, 9./JG 7, Prague, 1945, currently in Deutsches Museum; Me
262 A-1a, Green 4 (Black Bar + Bar), Major Theodor Weissenberger,
Kommodore, JG 7, Kaltenkirchen, January 1945; $12.99
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CED32071 Me 262 A-1a, Yellow 3, 9./KG(J) 54, Spring 1945; Me 262 A-1a, White 14, 3./EJG 2, Lechfeld; Me 262 A-1a, White 7, Ofw Hermann Buchner, Kdo Nowotny, Nov 1944, Lechfeld; Me 262 A-1a, White 3, Gen Adolf Galland (& Franz Stigler), Verbandsführer, JV 44; Me 262 A-2a, Black X, Fj.Ofw. Hans-Robert Fröhlich, I./KG 51 & Gefechtsverband Hogeback, Currently at AWM, Canberra. $12.99 |
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Me 262 S7, VI + AL, W.Nr. 130012, Eprobungskommando 262, Lechfeld, Summer 1944; Me 262 A-2a, Black 711, Hans Fay (test pilot), W.Nr. 111711, Schwäbisch Hall, March 1945, & Wright Field, 1946; Me 262 A-1a, White 17, III./EJG 2, Lechfeld, 1945; Me 262 A-1a, B3 + Green BC, Ofw Friedrich Gentsch, 7./KG (J) 54, Neuberg, March 1945. $12.99 |
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Notes on specific
aircraft:
First, we’ve paid extremely close attention to the shape, size, and color of
the artwork for the decal sheets. We’re very confident our decals are correct.
HOWEVER, the precise colors and in some cases the color schemes are much more
difficult to deduce from (frequently) small, grainy photos.
White 3, W.Nr. 500071:
This jet has usually been portrayed with natural metal wing undersides. This is
not correct. The original Swiss equipment capture report states the undersides
were painted “whitish gray (Nr. 76).” Additionally, this jet has 76 wing
undersides currently in the Deutsches Museum, where it went after return from
Switzerland. The Germans put quite a bit of effort into their restoration, and
in fact the plane wore its original paint well after it went to the museum.
In addition, on the right side fuselage just in front of the windscreen there is
a painted area that generally corresponds to the size and common location of a
JG 7 badge. To be clear, this area WAS overpainted when the jet went to
Switzerland and NO badge was visible. However, you can use a JG 7 crest off the
decal sheet to hand paint over to represent the general appearance of a badge
formerly painted in this area. Again: there was no badge in this area when the
plane went to Switzerland and no badge is in this position currently. This is
just a suggestion on how to hand paint this area to represent what can easily be
seen in photos.
Green 4 (Black Bar + Bar), W.Nr. 111002:
This is Weissenberger’s jet. Only one photo is known to exist and it’s been
published in numerous sources. This is a severe problem because some of the copy
photos are really terrible. Good prints of the photo clearly show a white
outline to the green 4. It’s also difficult to decipher the shape of the JG 7
badge in the bad prints. Better prints show the badge to have a highly
non-standard shape and arrangement. Finally, even the better prints of this
photo do not show the W.Nr. on the fin clearly. Some have argued there was no
number even painted there, but you can see something is painted there; if not
the W.Nr., what? We provide the W.Nr. in a common style so you can decide for
yourself.
Determining the precise camouflage is a huge problem due to the poor quality of
even the better photo prints. Ken Merrick, who I respect highly, believes the
topside fuselage camouflage was a very tight mottle. This is certainly
reasonable. You will need to look at the photo yourself to decide exactly how
you want to paint your model.
Yellow 7, W.Nr. 500491:
This is the jet in the National Air & Space Museum and was the subject of an
extremely careful restoration. Our markings match the NASM scheme. You should
note that the tiny kill markings on the rear fuselage belonged to Heinz Arnold,
who was killed in another aircraft. The jet went to Fritz Muller, and it’s not
clear whether Arnold’s kills were overpainted at that time or not.
Yellow 3, (9./KG(J) 54):
You will note the shape of the “3” is different on our decal than some of
the artists’ renditions of this jet from over the years. We closely examined
the photo of this plane in the postwar boneyard published in Brett Green’s
book, and matched our decal to the photo. That same photo nicely shows that the
topside camouflage paint was rather thinly applied over the metal and the putty
along the rivet lines is clearly visible through the paint. This will make a
really killer model! Finally, please note that the nose tip of this jet is not
visible in photos. We’ve shown a plain yellow nose cap, as this was consistent
with unit practice. One published profile shows an elaborate yellow/black/white
nose cap, but frankly there is no more proof of this than anything else—the
nose can’t be seen! You can decide for yourself how you want to paint it.
White 14 (3./EJG 2):
The photo of this jet appears to show a dark nose, but it is almost certainly
the shadow of a tree making it look dark.
White 3 (Galland)
Notwithstanding the conjecture that’s appeared on the internet recently about
this plane, a photo of it appears in Held’s book captioned as Galland’s jet.
Dana Potts (you guys know him as “Smudge”) asked Gen Galland personally a
few years ago how his jet was marked the day he was shot down. Galland told him
that it was “White 3” with no other markings on the plane. This description
is certainly consistent with the photo published in Held’s book. While it is
certainly conjecture whether this particular “White 3” was really
Galland’s jet since the photo is too indistinct to see whether the pilot has a
cigar in his mouth, it is no greater conjecture that many, many other photos
reputed to be the mounts of other pilots. If you don’t believe it, you have
lots of other subjects to choose from!
Black X, W.Nr. 500200:
Any question you might have about this jet is more than adequately answered in
Brett Green’s Me 262 book. Buy it!
Black 711, W.Nr. 111711:
There were both color and B/W movie films taken of this jet after Messerschmitt
test pilot Hans Fey surrendered it in March 1945. There are quite a few B/W
still photos from that same period, and many more from the period after it went
to Wright Field for flight test. From a very close evaluation of these photos
were able to identify many small “711” stencils on the airframe, and a bunch
of tiny “58” stencils (presumably a construction sequence serial) all around
the airframe. The color photos confirm the putty was a fairly light gray,
although it shows up rather dark in B/W photos. The fin base fairing was in a
primer of approximately RLM 02 color; although whether it was technically 02
would be anybody’s guess. The nose gear door also had an unusual stencil.
White 17, W.Nr. 110956:
Again, there are a number of rather good B/W and color photos of this jet. One
remaining point of contention is the color of the nose, which appears to be
either natural metal or some unusual darkish gray. Paint it as you wish. Also,
the left engine nacelle apparently had a different nozzle mounted at some point.
While the intake for the left nacelle is clearly natural metal and the nozzle is
often portrayed natural metal in artists’ interpretations, the color photo
clearly shows the nozzle was 76 with a darker camouflage color mottled along the
top edge. HOWEVER, other photos taken in a different location at a different
time show what appears to be a natural metal nozzle on the left nacelle.
Therefore, you have a choice of how to paint your model.
Green B3+BC
Note the unit sash was almost certainly yellow. The Classic Publications book
has a color profile of this jet with a yellow sash, but the caption to the
photos on the same page state it was a white sash. This is highly doubtful. If
you examine the photos it’s easy to see how unlikely it was that the sash was
white. After conferring with a bunch of 262 experts, we all believe the correct
color for the sash is yellow, and that’s what we provide on our decal sheet.
Photos and Text © Meteor Productions
