Help - Fokker DVII (OAW), 213th Aero Squadron USAS

[Brad Cancian]

Hi all - I was looking for an interesting scheme for my 1/72 Fokker DVII (OAW) and stumbled across this one on the WNW site -



It's obviously a captured machine (likely post war) from the 213th Aero Squadron USAS, probably being used as a squadron hack. Does anyone know any history on this aircraft, or what its colours may have been?

The nose, wheels, interplane struts, disc behind the SQN emblem, and rear fuselage look to be the same colour - it's not white (compare to the cross and rudder), so perhaps light blue? Grey? Off white?  The rest of the fuselage is also a dark colour, perhaps a red or a brown? Any thoughts?

Any help appreciated.

Cheers,

BC

[Rob_Owens]

And a Nieuport windscreen(?), to boot. . .

[Black Max 72]

Do you know the colours of the 213th's Indian head insignia? Because to my eye the tip of the Indian's feather looks pretty close if not the same tone as the fuselage.


Dave Rickard
Rockhampton QLD

[Brad Cancian]

Thanks Dave - from what I can find, the tip of the feather is red. So it could be a red fuselage with blue, white or grey cowl / tail, I think. Anyone have any other information on this bird?

Cheers,

BC

[Black Max 72]

After having another look she's looking rather clean and tidy. I wonder if the Americans have given her a partial repaint. If so it wouldn't surprise me if the nose was blue, that would make the fuselage good ol' red, white and blue(though not in that order) very patriotic! There might be some precedent for this as a lot of their training Nieuports were painted up in some pretty exotic colours and a lot did have those patriotic overtones. If the photo is post war that could be why the German markings were left on. Maybe she was used for early form of aggressor training, Top Gun 1919! If those are the colours it would make for a striking scheme. I was considering a similar scheme for my Roden 1/48 Nieuport 28, the red,white and blue Theda Bara.

Dave Rickard
Rockhampton QLD