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The WW1 modelers' reference library => Markings and Camouflage => Topic started by: Brian James Riedel on March 29, 2025, 05:47:37 AM

Title: No. 29 Squadron Nieuport 23 upper wing color?
Post by: Brian James Riedel on March 29, 2025, 05:47:37 AM

Was wondering what the color of the upper wings of these No.29 Squadron Nieuport 23?s was(is?). It looks like some sort of camo color(s) instead of silver.

Brian Riedel

Title: Re: No. 29 Squadron Nieuport 23 upper wing color?
Post by: Brad Cancian on March 30, 2025, 08:38:18 AM

Hi Brian - silver finishes can often be deceiving in photographs due to the strange way in which the light can reflect off these surfaces; we see this also with photographs of Pfalz and other aircraft types finished in silver dope. I'd say that the upper surfaces were indeed silver.

Cheers,

BC

Title: Re: No. 29 Squadron Nieuport 23 upper wing color?
Post by: Brian James Riedel on March 31, 2025, 04:32:03 AM

Thanks for confirming my suspicions!

Brian Riedel

Title: Re: No. 29 Squadron Nieuport 23 upper wing color?
Post by: WD on April 03, 2025, 08:04:38 AM

Brian,
        As usual, I'm a day late and a dollar short, apologies for being tardy for this discussion. Eric Fisher (of Aero-Rarities) and I havebeen corresponding this last week on just this subject: aluminum dope finishes and reflectivity. Long story made very, very short: it's almost as if aluminum-doped fabric almost has a "grain" to it so-to-speak, and can result in some strange optical illusions. In my case, it was the last section of the underside of the fuselage looking dark, the part on which the tail-skid cover goes. We've come to the conclusion that, despite them appearing very dark in many photos, but yet just like the surrounding alu-doped surfaces in others, it's a function of the reflectivity.
Now, how I'm approaching this on my builds is a big experiment at Chez Dickinson right now.  8)

Warren