Here's a First Look at Dragon's latest re-issue of the classic ex-Trimaster Ta 152H.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Hello Rowan

As the other 300(+) articles

very nice!!

cheers

Steffen

Thanks Steffen

You're a true gentleman!

I don't think I can resist building this one for the Battle For Europe campaign - and I need to get cracking! I'll replace the kit decals with those included with Kagero's JG 301 book. There they show "Green 9" W.Nr 150168 with a Hellgrün 25 spinnner with a white spiral - have you ever seen any confirmation of that?

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan

I will have a look. I guess you have browsed through the Kagero already? ... again I must say that i have not my full library here ...

I cannot believe green maybe blackgreen but rather black with white spiral

Until now I did not find a pic of green 9 (Rodeike and Kagero Monographie Fw 190 Vol. IV) green 4 has a black spinner with white spiral.

greets

Steffen

Hi Steffen

I've got the Kagero "mini-book" Vol.19. There's a photo of "Green 9" in RAF hands on page 75 (don't worry, I won't add the RAF markings! LOL!) and it does seem to have a light-coloured spinner compared with the cowling and propeller blades.

All the best

Rowan

Hi again Steffen

W.Nr 150168 was the aircraft that Eric Brown tested after capture and he describes it as an 'H-1. In the accompanying photo in Wings Of The Luftwaffe (a slightly different angle to the Kagero shot) the spinner again looks relatively pale.

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan

so when you have all the sources, then you do not need me .. there is most probably a report in British archives that has all features listed which is also most probably published several times. No further info needed.

greets

Steffen

Hi Rowan

You should try to find the capture report where the a/c is described. The spinner colour surely too.

is this that machine? (I cannot make out the WNr.)



I would say it is a blackgreen spinner on this machine.

greets

Steffen

yep this is 'Green 9' seen at the post-war Farnborough exhibition....there's some artwork in a SAM Dora, Ta 152 article we put together a while back - I don't have it to hand so couldn't tell you what colour we did the spinner ..pale green I think...

Hi Neil and Steffen

Thanks for digging up the photo and the advice - I'll see if they have any record of the aircraft in the archives at Hendon. I just had a look in War Prizes to see if there was any more info on this Ta 152 - sad to say, it seems to have ended its days on the scrap-heap at Farnborough after the German Aircraft Exhibition. What a waste...

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan an Neil

food for thought:





look how the spinner/prop looks lighter than the engine colour. Sadly the angle is not like in the other picture so the sun light reflects both on concarv surfaces in this pic while it is concave (spinner) and convex (propblade) on the captured Ta above

greets

Steffen

Hi Steffen

I've found a third photo of Green 9 after capture in Monogram's "German Aircraft Interiors 1939-45 Vol. 1". Unlike the other two photos I've got, this seems to have been taken on a different occasion and it shows little, if any, apparent contrast between the spinner and propeller blades.

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan

Many thanks for the addition. This is exactly what i was trying to put into discussion with my post above. Anyway the only "fool proof" evidence would be the capture report (I know it has a different name, but I cannot remember it).

best wishes

Steffen

Hi Steffen

As I was in touch with Eagle Editions, I had a bright idea and asked Jerry Crandall if he could help explain the "Green 9" mystery. His reply is extremely informative and explains the discrepancy between the photos:

"Hi Rowan;

Thanks for your note.

Regarding the “Green 9” color issue, when it was captured it had a black spinner with a white spiral. This is documented by a RAF report describing this Ta 152 when it was captured. For some reason, for the Farnborough exhibition, the spinner was repainted red with a white spiral. The color description on this RAF document describes the lower surfaces as being light blue and the upper two tone green. It does not mention anything about portions of the underwing being unpainted, but it is very possible as NASM’s 152 seems to have portions of its underwing unpainted.

Hope this helps you...

Jerry"

So the pale spinner was real enough (red, not green) - but only courtesy of the RAF!

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan

Great piece of information!

greets

Steffen

Hi again Steffen

Yes - it proves the value of exactly the RAF report you suggested.

All the best

Rowan

I have a 1/72 scale Dragon kit of the Ta-152. I wonder if this would be a good aircraft to use the color RLM 84. This sky green color is often debated as to whether it was actually used or not. Input welcome. Russell

Hi Russell

I'm thinking along those lines too. While the official colour called for was RLM 76, there is sometimes variation evident in photos due, in all likelihood, to the use of pre-painted subassemblies as was done with the Fw 190. RLM 76 varied in both colour and tone, particularly towards the end of the war - and, although I haven't yet seen hard evidence for its use on the Ta 152, I don't think "RLM 84" can be ruled out either for at least partial use on some machines. Part of the underside of the wings is also clearly n/m on some Ta 152s - but others seem to have been fully painted.

All the best

Rowan

Excellent review, Rowan. I agree with you on the numbers. I have the Kagero JG 301 book as well and will also use the decals from the book.

Very nice to see how a review can turn into a very informative discussion.