Polish D.VII with streaked camouflage?

Jimmaas · 4 August 2005, 08:00 PM

Maybe this has been covered somewhere before (if so, my apologies) but I'm puzzled by two photos in the Kagero booklet ('#2') on the Fokker D.VII. Not state-of-the-art research content, but interesting Soviet decals, and on sale....

But I've just been trying to puzzle out two photos on page 21. They show Polish Fokker D.VII (maybe OAW from the grab handles, but the white serial "Fok. D.VII 530/18" - I assume /18, anyway - doesn't make sense for OAW). This same aircraft is also shown on page 18 of Fokker Anthology 2. The fuselage looks to be overall olive green. At first blush, so do the wings, but on closer inspection they show streaking (upper and undersurfaces). The streaking is back and outboard starting from the centerline - i.e., unlike the Dr.I or most depictions of the E.V/D.VIII wing streaking, it doesn't stay the same all the way across the wing, but 'chevrons' at the centerline.

A modest attempt at reviewing the threads on E.V/D.VIII wing streaking makes it clear that for that aircraft the streaking was stain on plywood, and that can't apply here. Is it possible that the Poles were replicating the D.VIII wing camouflage on their D.VII's? Or that there was some switchover from lozenge fabric to streaking in the works at the very end of the war, and it only shows up on postwar aircraft?

buzz1941 · 5 August 2005, 03:44 PM

I've been wondering the same. Here are the pictures detail:

Cezar · 5 August 2005, 04:44 PM

Hi there.
I did some investigating on the subject and here is what I think about it.
I don’t think this is the streaking as we all know it, I see it as brush marks produced by using thin, poor quality paint.
During the 1920 war many Fokkers ended up with lots of bullet holes and other damage, the Poles didn’t have any Lozenge fabric to do the repairs just the plain one. They were repainting fixed airplanes using dark green paint of rather poor quality and this produced the effect of streaking on the wings and fuselage. There are pictures of Polish Fokkers D VII showing amazing patchwork of Lozenge, plain fabric and the painted surfaces. Same thing with Albatros D III Oef. airplanes.
Once again, I don’t have any real proof to back up my idea, but I think I’m not far from the truth.
HTH,
Cezar.

Jimmaas · 5 August 2005, 06:07 PM

Cezar - I agree that the post-war Polish air arms did with what they had, but in this case the fuselage shows absolutely no sign of streaking, only the wings, top and bottom. Moreover, the top wing at least shows 'bands' (sort of like the D.VIII, maybe not as pronounced). On the right wing, the center area is dark; the light/dark band margin runs from the right cabane location point to half span at the rear, with another dark band appearing under the national insignia. On the left wing top a darker 'band' starts on the leading edge from just over the left forwrd cabane location to about half span at the rear. I guess if I was simply painting a wing I'd just do it chordwise and if the paint had poor covering characteristics, the steaking would simply be fore-to-aft. This streaking has just a little too much pattern for that.

buzz1941 · 5 August 2005, 07:35 PM

This bird is in pretty good shape. The streaks are to regular and neat to be a patchwork job. It's deliberate. We're also fooled a little by the shadow of the camera plane.

StephenLawson · 5 August 2005, 11:42 PM

Greetings all;
My two cents is, if your going to have an air service you need repair facilities. Your going to need ground schools, engine, structure, gun and instrument repair shops. The serial you quote 530/18 is an early production Fokker Schwerin built bird. Here's a shot I have posted previously elsewhere .

Polish Air Service Fok. D.VII types. closest is Fokker built D.502/18. third from the left is Fokker built D.505/18 I believe it is recorded as having a BMW from the Schwerin factory?