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Minimoa colour scheme

Anything to do with gliders & gliding.
IJNoble
Posts: 28
Joined: 08 Apr 2019, 12:31
Location: USA

Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by IJNoble »

I have asked a photographer friend to see if he can digitally analyze the photos and sent him a few samples. Will let you know what he comes back with.

Ian
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VinceC
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Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by VinceC »

These are just some of the books I have on my computer
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Paul_Williams
Posts: 173
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 17:53

Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by Paul_Williams »

A fantastically useful book collection Vince but I think many of them are still in copyright ?
Is there a way around that problem ?
Paul
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VinceC
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Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by VinceC »

Only my way. Our friend in Germany sent most
Paul_Williams
Posts: 173
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 17:53

Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by Paul_Williams »

I'm currently working on an extensive rewrite of the existing SSUK article, although that requires a little more research.
The aim will be to make it easily readable for those who don't own an anorak or aren't fully signed up members of the scale police :lol: .

Surprisingly, I can find no answers to the following questions...……...

Did the Luftwaffe operate any gliders between 1933 and 1935 and how were they marked ?
Did the Luftwaffe operate any gliders between 1935 and 1937 - if so, did they use the civil glider regional colour markings or Luftwaffe markings ?
If Luftwaffe markings - what coding and what colour were the gliders - one of the RLM pale greys ?

Did the Luftwaffe operate any gliders between 1937 and 1939 when the WL registration was introduced ?
Logically they did and first carried NSFK D-11-125 style markings - but is that just an assumption ?
If individual gliders did transition from NSFK to WL registrations, did they retain their glider number i.e. the 125 of D-11-125 to become D-XI -125 ?
Were Luftwaffe gliders coloured FAS.1 cream or the near identical RLM.05 or , just possibly, one of the pale RLM grey shades ???? (colour photos ?)

We are told that WL relates to gliders used for training by the Luftwaffe - but - WHAT training exactly ?
Was it just a cheap method of power pilots maintaining their flying hours ? or structured training ?

Why are there WL registrations, when for example, the training schools for troop glider pilots used a different registration e.g. +S1 -3+
Many training school powered aircraft were painted in a variety of pale greys - so were the school gliders also grey ? as that would be incredibly hard to detect from b/w photos (not the time to discuss exactly which grey for the moment).

As can be seen, there is (as far as I know) a surprisingly lack of knowledge concerning Luftwaffe gliders and even how numerous they were.
Can anyone add any further information ?

Paul
IJNoble
Posts: 28
Joined: 08 Apr 2019, 12:31
Location: USA

Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by IJNoble »

Hi Paul,
Here are a couple of photos of Kranichs at Breslau

Regards,
Ian
Attachments
d108-Flugschueler%20auf%20einem%20Segelflugzeug%20des%20Luftgaues%20XVII.jpg
d017-Schul-Zweisitzer%20des%20Luftgaues%20XVII.jpg
IJNoble
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Joined: 08 Apr 2019, 12:31
Location: USA

Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by IJNoble »

This one seems to have a light coloured nose. Thought it was a shadow to begin with, but cant see any shadows cast by the pitot tube or venturii
Attachments
XXL-Photo-DFS-Kranich-Segelflugzeug-1941-Breslau.jpg
Paul_Williams
Posts: 173
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 17:53

Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by Paul_Williams »

Hi Ian,
I agree the Kranich nose is definitely coloured, light grey or light blue I would guess.

Nice Kranich shots at Breslau - and these show fairly typical WL markings although it should be noted that the font/typeface was not necessarily consistent. This raises another 'unknown' …… were glider markings allocated and painted on the airframe at the factory or after delivery to club/unit ?

My impression is that markings were added at the unit, as this would explain the differences we see in the size and font of the numbering.
It seems possible that units or areas made up their own paint stencils but I haven't ben able to look at sufficient photos to confirm or discount that theory.

What can be said is that there were a heck of a lot of non standard coloured paint schemes around after 1937, that theoretically should not have existed.

I'm currently doing a bit more research before writing an up to date guide on markings (being delayed by too many holidays :D )
At the moment I am looking for examples of gliders marked for the Schulen such as S1+ -3 (not necessarily for publication if anyone wants to PM me)

For a separate research project I am looking for a photo of one specific Kranich !!! WL-IX-365

Paul
IJNoble
Posts: 28
Joined: 08 Apr 2019, 12:31
Location: USA

Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by IJNoble »

Hi Paul,
Haven't found out anything on Kranich WL-IX-365 yet, but have found a photo of a Kranich D-1-302 in the common white/light blue scheme as seen on the Minimoas, Grunau Babies, Mu13 and Rhonadler. Not the best quality photo but just clear enough to make out the white nose and inboard wing panels.

Cheers,
Ian
Attachments
Kranich D-1-302.jpg
Kranich D-1-302.jpg (18.34 KiB) Viewed 2598 times
Paul_Williams
Posts: 173
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 17:53

Re: Minimoa colour scheme

Post by Paul_Williams »

Hi Ian,
another nice photo, where did you find that one ?
Certainly a white nose, the fuselage colour is hard to discern and looks lighter than the white disc of the swastika.
For those not familiar with the Kranich, what looks like a fuselage stripe is the shadow of the wing root.
The black square is a large hole into which the wing root is inserted.

I'm still working on the markings article but two holidays in quick succession are going to delay me a bit !
Paul
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