von Schleich's Albatros D.V, August 1917
by Ronny Bar

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SCHLEICH.S NEW SCHEME


I was working on a series of profiles of the Albatros D-V for a client and in doing this I found out that I was not convinced at all with the von Schleich's Albatros D-V scheme as we know it up to these days... So I wrote Greg van Wyngarden with whom I had recently been working on an article by him for OTF and told him about my doubts... (We all know his expertise in WW1 German airplane markings...) After watching closely at several pictures sent by him and after considering his opinions I.ve got several conclusions:

1st) There are no signs of wood grain on the light parts of the fuselage supposed to be varnished, and this, together with the lack of the weights table on the port fuselage side and the Bestell Nr on the fin, clearly shows that the fuselage was painted with a solid color... Maybe over the previously varnished factory finish, and most possibly at the field.

2nd) The Dark Green fuselage top suggests that the idea was camouflage... So, if this was so, the only possible color (in my opinion.) is Light Blue... As a matter of fact, it looks very much like the same Light Blue used on the undersurfaces of wings and tail... Moreover, watching at another picture sent to me by Greg of a line up of some D-V's of Jasta 21 we can clearly see three planes with obviously varnished wooden fuselages and two or three others with the same scheme as von Schleich's plane... This seems to indicate some kind of a (more or less.) standardized camouflage scheme... At least, at this Staffel.s level.

Greg suggested the possibility of Silver-gray, but again, watching at the pictures it seems to me that it doesn.t have the same texture as Silbergrau finished planes as the Pfalz D-III. Also, it hasn.t the same reflective properties as seen on pictures of Silver-gray factory finished D-V.s (i.e.D.1033/17), or von Greim.s or some of Jasta 5 Silver-gray fuselaged Albatros.

Well, after all these and several other considerations I concluded that this is the most possibly accurate scheme for this famous plane...

It.s just my interpretation. And I.m aware that when all this comes to light it will arise some controversy in the Forums, but I think that we should do fine in disclosing such a long dated error...


Photos...

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