Purple wing rib tapes?

Breguet · 3 November 2004, 02:41 PM

A question has arisen on one of the other forums re the rib tapes of the Albatross DVa. The Australian War Memorial and Smithonian aircraft both have purple wing rib tapes. Is this accurate? Or would they have used left over printed fabric? If not why purple and was it actualy purple fabric or just doped that colour?

Dan_San_Abbott · 5 November 2004, 04:45 PM

Breguet:
The Albatros Werke used salmon pink on some of their Alb.D.V/D.Va and Albatros built Fok.D.VII aircraft. OAW used blue tapes on some of the Alb.D.Va9OAW) and Fok.D.VII(OAW) machines. I don't know of any German firm using purple rib tapes. I suspect this is mis-information.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Breguet · 7 November 2004, 03:21 PM

Hi Dan-San,
Here is a picture of the tapes on the AWM DVa and I'm told the Smithsonian one is much the same.

Dan_San_Abbott · 7 November 2004, 03:47 PM

Breguet:
The color of the rib tapes on both aircraft, are salmon pink. They are not purple.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Breguet · 7 November 2004, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan_San_Abbott

The color of the rib tapes on both aircraft, are salmon pink. They are not purple.

Well the colour might be salmon "pink" but it sure looks purple to me!! *G*

StephenLawson · 7 November 2004, 05:00 PM

Maybe in an screen image but in real ife Dan is correct.

Breguet · 7 November 2004, 06:30 PM

I don't know Steve, I've seen the AWM machine and that is an accurate colour match!

StephenLawson · 7 November 2004, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Breguet

I don't know Steve, I've seen the AWM machine and that is an accurate colour match!

Breguet; As you will see here under the Pfalz D.XII interior thread Colin Owers explains some of the short cuts taken in the rebuild of Pfa. D.XII 2600/18. I was doing a bit of research on the D.XII recently and ran across an old article that I had collected on the subject titled. 'The Pfalz that never was. The up shot to this is that rebuilt, remodeled, re-covered, refurbished aircraft are notoriously recreated. One great example as can be seen in this forum is Alb. D.7161/17 Stropp. In short the 5 colour lozenge is not original to the machine when captured. It was two toned camouflage. It was after she had been in storage that the French included her in the late war US Bond drive and the wings that were shipped with the fuselage were not the originals. When she was later refurbished that error was perpetuated and the machine covered in 5 colour camouflage with bogus thick Balkan Kreuz added later to emulate the type that were on the mismatched wings. On the NASM Fokker D.VII (OAW) 4635/18 'U.10" the lozenge was ok, but they painted the cowling panels a cream / tan colour...I swear they hire frustrated interior decorators to rebuild WWI aircraft. These are just afew foibles. Don't get me started on the NASM Pfalz D.XII I go into high RANT mode.

Of all the WWI aircraft that were in the AWM collection only the Pfalz D.XII and the Alb. D.Va 5390/17 are intact. When 2600/18 was being rebuilt all of the fuselage colours were removed before anyone thought to do colour photography or colour chips. To defray the costs AWM sold some of their lozenge to the NASM for the recovering of D.7161/17. The rib tapes are strips of the lozenge as seen on upper surfaces.

Yet the bottom set on the Pfalz D.XII at Le Bourget appears to be solid and I believe they may have just run out of the right lozenge to continue their job or heaveb forbid they took a short cut.

On real time or actual WWI German aircraft purple (mauve) was a camouflage colour in the two toned type certainly but not included in the 4 or 5 colour lozenge patterns or the rib tapes used at the German factories.

I have noted the use in recent model kits or Eagle Strike decals of the purple colour on their rib tapes. This came directly from the recreated AWM items and I have castigated Gaston B for such errors. While I have no problems with their 4 & 5 colour lozenge decals (since I helped in the colour matching), imagine my chagrin when my name was tacked to the bogus rib tapes. Try a search if you will. I think it was in 2001 so go the main forum page and try the dead threads. When you get to 2001 do a search of that form only on rib tapes and Pfa. D.XII types. I found some very helpful items there. Best of luck Stephen

Breguet · 7 November 2004, 07:55 PM

Thanks Stephen,
I'm sure all that you said for the DXII goes for the ALB DVa too. I was recently in Canberra and both aircraft (Currently in storage) are awaiting funds for proper restoration. I know they now have rolls of proper printed fabric and are keen to do it accurately. As for cam colours for the fuse they have samples of the original colours under hatches and the edges of panels etc. It will be great to see them when they are finally wheeled out!