[WWI] Imperial Russian Nieuport 17 color?

[Diego Fernetti]

Jan!
> What the appearences are, is another thing. I have seen B/W photos of a
> certain ot aircraft shot in the bright sunlight with the result that the
> surface looks treated with aluminium paint and then seen another photo
> of the same machine, shot not long before or after but in an overcast
> day with very different, matt gray appearence. Published info dug from
> the archives stating the paint used was matt light gray.

Yes, atmospheric conditions can vary greatly how the colours photograph,
especially with those orthochromatic emulsions. Just to think that for may
years it was thought that all Sopwith Strutters in French service were CDL!

> Plus you have to take into consideration the effects of use and wear.
> Which must have been considerable in the wwi context, anyway.

The aluminium doped surfaces have certainway to show grime and wear that is
very hard to replicate in scale. The stains look smudged or so. Maybe
smudged is not the best word to describe it, but it's the first one that
comes to mind.

> On the other hand, Russians may have run out aluminium powder/paste and
> used gray paint instead. Though it escapes me why gray paint? Why not
> just CLD? Or anything with any camouflaging effect, like green or brown?

We can't rule out the fact that they may have used other colours that would
protect the covering from sunlight damage (the main reason why the airplanes
were painted) like greys and light browns. If we just had a surviving
example of fabrc from a Dux airplane! Maybe there are still in Russia.
D.