4K Bf109E7 SKINS (ICDP Template) HERE

[BOO]

The very well known Black 5 of II/JG54, Eastern Front 1941.

 

http://www.mediafire.com/file/ilr256rlpa31r2h/Black_5_II_JG54.zip

 

Pack of six skins showing the aircraft in various stages of its service (3 each with and without the dreaded symbol). Made with ICDPs excellent template with additional/replacement weathering layers and a few tweaks here and there. For the reasons behind why there are 3 versions see the boring explanation in the Spoiler

 

Spoiler

Me and Black 5 got history. Almost 20 years in fact. In that time ive built the Hasegawa 1/48 kit of it 3 times, it was my one and only attempt at skinning in 1946 and I revisited it for clod with only half a brain for getting it right. Ive been told at various times that it did or didn't have wing markings, that it only had trailing edge marking on the underside, that it never/always had a fuselage band and that, in every case I tried, something was wrong. 

 

Anyhow, inspired by ICDPs marvellous template and armed with a black belt in google-foo I set off to make the definitive version for myself.

 

Hmm

 

So, despite every known combination of search being put into every engine I could find, and in spite of 1000s of words of conjecture and dozens of profiles (ranging from excellent to "have you ever even seen a 109") I could only find 4 actual photos of it. Being cheap and not wanting to buy yet another 477 page book on the off chance it may contain something useful I settled for them. Although there are only 4, they do provide a good insight into all the opinions spewed at me over the years (some by supposed experts).

 

The most famous is the one where its good self is flight and burdened by a 250Kg. Here there is no evidence of wing ID markings or the fuselage band. The next is a ground shot from the front that really shows little of use. But the last 2, oh!!.... the last two explain everything (well almost). In those Black 5 is resplendent in its fuselage band AND wing-tip/trailing edge markings. So it seems everyone was both right and wrong!

 

Armed with these I added a couple of extra references in the shape of the original Hasegawa box art, one or two of the better profiles and a skin made by Cannon way back when that, from memory, was based on the Hasa painting guide but the wrong way around (port on the Sbd) and voila!!

 

The Early Skin is based on the  Air to Air photo - no wing IDs and no fuselage band. The yellow nose paint is thinly applied and shows the remnants of the previously applied field camo. 

 

The Mid Skin is something of a fop - its there to give people a choice of having some of the markings but not on the upper wings - I have no evidence that the upper and lower surfaces were painted at different times. This adds the wing tip and lower trailing edge ID markings. 

 

The Late skin is based on the ground pics. In addition to the full ID markings (applied a little neater than they perhaps were), the MG cowling is repainted in RLM02 and RLM 71 (presumably a replacement cowl in RLM02 was added then RLM 71 painted in the upper surface) and more wear is given to the nose ID yellow paint to denote its degrading over time. Speaking of time, I dunno for sure the AtoA image was taken prior to the others, I'm just assuming this. Also , I dunno if the ID was applied over a matter of days, weeks or months.

 

The overall factory scheme is what it is. I don't know where the aircraft was built or its werk No. If I find this out of see a photo of the upper surfaces, ill rework the skins. 

 

Being the anorak I am, the photos also showed that the small segment numbers on the port side of the fuse did not always sit next to the joint. On Black 5 at least the "5" is located near to the middle of the section in order to stand out against the cross (yes the cross is positioned correctly) - same goes for the red cross of the first aid kit. Its slightly higher (I can almost see the beige polyester jumper now!!). The remaining stencils I kept (although I imagine a lot were overpainted in the field application of the camo) and I added the port flap position markings. 

 

And finally ill leave you with a word from the wise - when interpreting old B/W photos take a break and zoom out now and them. I spent 30 minute trying to work out the camo patter changes to the port fuse under the fuel filler and the reasons for it. Giving in, I went to make a coffee. 10 mins later, brew in hand, I looked again at the image and saw, for the first time, its wasnt camo. It was the shirt and braces of the dude fuelling the aircraft behind everyone.

 

(BTW how stereotypically "German Ace" does the dude in the sunglasses look!)

 

Hope you like

 

[RaFiGer]

Well done, BOO

 

And thanks for the nice explanation to the plane and it "clothes"!

Edited May 22, 2018 by RaFiGer

[PatCartier]

Airborn !

 

 

On April 6, 1941 began "Operation Punishment" by which the Nazi regime intended to invade Yugoslavia, who renounced there alliance with the Axis forces. There are five major raids on Belgrade, but the Luftwaffe is also carrying out numerous harassing attacks with smaller formations.

This aerial battle is confronted Messerschmitt 109 of each of the belligerent camps.

 

 

11 skins (4xRYAF, 2x7.JG54, 2x5.JG54, 2x2J.LG2,1xStab2.JG54)
4k template by ICDP

1 coop mission by Juri_JS

 

DOWNLOAD

Edited October 18, 2018 by PatCartier

[BladeMeister]

I have a question. When you say you used IDCP's template and normal maps, does that mean that the skin will only work if you have installed IDCP's normal maps?

 

S!Blade<><

[PatCartier]

No it is not. But it will be better with this normal map than an other.

[BladeMeister]

So, a follow up question then. If I install IDCP's normal map will all the skins I have work and look ok with it or only the 4k skins prepared for this normal map?

Thanks in advance.

 

S!Blade<><

[PatCartier]

They all will work.

Moreover, most part of them should be painted with ICDPs template.

[BladeMeister]

Thank you PatCartier. This clears up the Normal maps confusion I have been questioning. S!

 

S!Blade<><