[WWI] AEG C.IV

[Diego Fernetti]

> Any opinions on the photo at this link? 
> http://ipms.freeforums.org/post2616.html#p2616

It's a very nice picture. Where are the scantily clad girls? That can 
improve it a lot.

> The poster is asking , among other things, what colour the top wings 
> should be.
> He thinks CDL, I think not, unless they recovered the wings (not 
> impossible, because they seem to have done that to the
> rudder, to remove the cross, although it could be paint. Why I don't think 
> CDL is because Fokker built machines, from my
> reading of the Datafile, had typical Fokker streaky camo as on the 
> fuselage here, if early, and then got disruptive camo if
> later production. And this is a machine from September 1917. I think any 
> camo pattern on the lower wing has been washed
> out by the same glare you see on the top of the fuelage.

I also think it's CDL, or painted in a solid light colour. It's a guess, all 
right, but as you see, there's about the same shade of grey in the intrados 
of the upper wing and the little bit visible of the intrados of the lower 
wing (right by the wingtip). As there's no evidence of overpainting of the 
white field of the German cross, I assume that the fabric was replaced 
completely (like the rudder and fin); or else the wings were tidily 
repainted completely. f any surface were streaked with paint, it would at 
least be somewhat apparent  where the lower wing extrados is less exposed to 
glare.
Of course, the original photo print may show different.
And that's only my theory. And the theory is mine.

> The other unexplained bit is the light area at the bottom of the fuselage 
> sides behind the lower wing - either it's CDL
> and the fuselage streaks are painted over a darker colour, or the lower 
> fuselage has been painted a light colour. Messily.

Seems like it's some sort of patch or repair. Don't forget that interned 
aircraft many times were damaged before or after landing. Flying surface 
damage must be fixed 100% if you want to get the thing on the air again, but 
fuselage surfaces needs just to be patched up and the important reapirs 
devoted to structural damage. It was just sloppy Dutch, getting the plane 
ready for a ride. BTW see how they didn't even bothered to erase the white 
field of the German marking and just slapped the orange meatball just big 
enough to cover the cross? the wings seem to have been marked without need 
to cover previous markings. unless, as I've said, they were completely 
repainted.
IMHO
D.

> Any ideas, please?

I have lots of them.
D.
Show me the blueprints!