Color Questions/Suggestions for three Fokker Dr.1's

[rfindley]

Looking for feedback on colors for these three triplanes knowing there are probably no absolute answers.  However still looking for your opinions.

Ltn. Eberhand Mohnicker/Ltn Hons Joachim Wolff Jasta 11


Ltn Hans Korner Jasta 19


Obt Robert von Greim Jasta 34b

[RLWP]

I'm feeling lazy - could you say which pilots those DR.Is belong to so I don't have to look it up?

Richard

[Berman]

 You could look at www.fokkerdr1.com

[RLWP]

You could look at www.fokkerdr1.com

I could - I'm not asking for help

[rfindley]

I'm feeling lazy - could you say which pilots those DR.Is belong to so I don't have to look it up?

Richard

Added pilot names to the best of my knowledge

[RLWP]

I'm feeling lazy - could you say which pilots those DR.Is belong to so I don't have to look it up?

Richard

Added pilot names to the best of my knowledge

Splendid. Bob Pearson has gone with light blue for the Wolff DR.I


And Peter Grolz has the von Greim one as yellow:



http://www.fokkerdr1.com/146_17.htm

Richard

[petrov27]

my opinions:
For Mohnicke - I think Fokker underside turquoise is as good a guess as any, maybe there were some stocks of that color at the aerodrome for repairs etc. Alternatively any light blue
For Jasta 19 yellow tails I personally would use a pretty standard yellow like Tamiya XF-3
For von Greim yep I personally would paint the tail with the same silver/grey that would go on a Pfalz DIIIa - again theory might be that there was some of that color available due to its common use on Pfalzen. edit - I note as linked above it says "yellow" as the tail - I guess I have never seen a Jasta 34b von Greim or other triplane depicted as yellow - always I have heard the silver gray with the darker bands behind the pilot being personal color but I am no expert on that....

[RLWP]

but I am no expert on that....

Who is though? When you get down to it, most experts disagree and many are cautious about specific colours

Personally, I'd go with the underside blue for Mohnicke, it seems credible. And I like the yellow for von Greim

http://www.fokkerdr1.com/images/Dr.I%20146%2017%20WN%201858%20Jasta%2011%20First%20Jasta%2034b%20%20Ltn%20Rudolf%20Stark.jpg

Richard

[RAGIII]

I am pretty sure that von Greim stated to researchers or wrote in his diary, that the stripes and cowling were red and the tail sections of the Jasta aircraft were a silvery white. In one photo he actually colored the struts, cowling, and bands red. So if they are red then the tail is certainly not. Of course JMHO based on other peoples research like Greg Van Wyngarden and others. As for the Jasta 11 Mohnicke bird yes, Fokker Blue/Turquoise works and is generally considered correct, again JMHO.

RAGIII

[rfindley]

Thanks for your comments.  I will probably stick with my choice of underside blue for Mohnicke. I favor more of an RLM 65 light blue and not so much a turquoise for my Fokkers. I feel the strong turquoise color interpretations originated with aged varnished samples and that the original color was much lighter. (JMHO with no intent on opening that can of worms)

Tamiya XF-3 looks good for Jasta 19 tail plane.  I was thinking a chrome yellow would have too strong of an orange tinge.

As for von Greim - got to go with something like Pfalz Silver-grey especially after looking at the photo referenced.

Appreciate your help

Rick in Virginia

[Borsos]

I am pretty sure that von Greim stated to researchers or wrote in his diary, that the stripes and cowling were red and the tail sections of the Jasta aircraft were a silvery white. In one photo he actually colored the struts, cowling, and bands red. So if they are red then the tail is certainly not. Of course JMHO based on other peoples research like Greg Van Wyngarden and others. As for the Jasta 11 Mohnicke bird yes, Fokker Blue/Turquoise works and is generally considered correct, again JMHO.

RAGIII

I wouldn’t bet on the „Silvery“, but go for white as well. I think somewhere else I read, that he took over these markings for his Fokker D. VII, and this bird had a white tail and two red bands.
Andreas

[skeeterbuck]

My guess would be that the underside of the Jasta 11 machine would be the factory blue. IIRC the latest research indicates that the Fokker factory undersides were painted a light blue and the turquoise shade came from original examples that the varnish had yellowed over the years turning the blue to a turquoise.

For the Jasta 19 machine, I think a RLM 04 yellow would be a better. A little more subdued compared to Tamiya XF-3 yellow. I also noticed that the color scheme you posted for Hans Körner's has the upper wing crosses background in olive where a it usually shown in white. This may possibly be showing the aircraft at a later date where the background was painted in. The underside crosses are also usually also shown backed in white. If the background for the lower wing crosses were later painted in, I doubt that a matching blue would have been used. Here are Ronny Bar's profiles from the DR-1.com site.

http://www.fokkerdr1.com/Profiles/Profile_RB9.htm
http://www.fokkerdr1.com/Profiles/Profile_RB10.htm

As to von Greim's I would use an off white to very pale gray.

Hope this helps and good luck with you builds!

[rfindley]

Thanks Skeeterbuck.   Actually I have read somewhere before that many of the WW1 German colors eventually became WW2 Luftwaffe colors so RLM 04 yellow is certainly a possibility.

Based on the photograph of Greim's machine noted above, I'm going with a silver grey.  There certainly a marked tonal difference between the tail color and the cross outline.

I never thought about painting out the lower wing cross backgrounds which should have been unbleached linen.  I don't think they would have used white.  Food for thought!