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...