Who's Albatros was this?

Jagdpanzer · 20 January 2005, 12:07 PM

I don't know if this should be a model related question, but since it is only generally related to models I thought I would ask here. While looking at the Eduard models site I found a pdf. of painting instructions for an Albatros in a scheme I am unfamiliar with. The link is:http://www.eduard.cz/products/pdf/n11/1104_14.pdf It shows a Alabtros purported to be 2225/16 of Jasta 5 circa 1917. The rudder is covered with the blue and white diamonds that I believe derive from the colors of Bavaria. There is also a blue and white band around the fuselage.

My question is, is this an accurate paint scheme? I have never seen a Jasta 5 machine that didn't have the entire tailplane painted green and trimmed in red until I saw this profile. Additionally, can anyone tell me who flew this machine?

StephenLawson · 20 January 2005, 01:29 PM

Mr. Terry Crisp quoted that aircraft as being the mount of Ltn. Strobel Check out http://theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4036 Or try http://www.us-aircraft.com/hmfrmfnt.htm

StephenLawson · 20 January 2005, 01:32 PM

To all forumites here I originally posted a caveat here as this was on the aircraft title originally. Our Webmaster Scott has rightly moved it to the models title, so I have modified this entry.

Jagdpanzer · 20 January 2005, 01:36 PM

Thank you Stephen. That would indeed seem to be the same machine I was interested in ....

Dan_San_Abbott · 20 January 2005, 04:45 PM

Jagdpanzer:
The information I have states the pilot of this machine is Ltn. Fritz Oppenhorst.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

JFM · 20 January 2005, 05:36 PM

Jagdpanzer,

You can see 2225/16 in the below image, fourth plane from left (not counting the partial foreground empennage):

Also, G.K. Merrill's Jagdstaffel 5, Volume One, says this about 2225/16:

"Another famous machine and one frequently and incompletely rendered in terms of markings. It was supposed to initially have been aircraft number '6', but there is no photographic evidence that it was ever so marked. Its number was then changed to '0' and there are photographs that show it with zeros on the fuselage sides and turtledeck, zeros under both lower wings and an ex-works tail with legible serial. At this time it was flown by Uffz. Weiss. After this Strobel, another ardent Bavarian nationalist, took it over in April 1917 and had the vertical tail surfaces painted in blue and white Bavarian diamonds. Probably this inspired Wolf to a similar, but fuller treatment of his D.V later. Strobel flew it for a time with just the tail marking and the zeros elsewhere, but when markings proliferated under Flashar he had the zeros scraped off the fuselage and the blue and white diagonal bands added, parts of the zeros still being visible. There is no reasonable doubt that the zeros under the wings were retained. The blue and white chevron on top of the upper wing seems anomalous because Strobel was not an ace (no victories at all as far as we can tell). Perhaps he was senior enough to lead a Kette and this might explain it. The rear fuselage and horizontal tailplane were in unit markings as was the spinner. It had an Axial propeller."

--Jagdstaffel 5, Volume One, p.54

Dan_San_Abbott · 20 January 2005, 05:54 PM

JFM:
At the point intime of the above photograph the aircraft had the pilot's initial under the lower wing on both sides. "F" for Flashar, M for Matthaei, H for Hippel, S for Schlomer, and O for Oppenhorst. I think Gary may have made a mistake.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Jagdpanzer · 20 January 2005, 07:34 PM

I had noticed the "O" under the wings in the pdf I referred to and wondered of its significance. That the "O" stood for Oppenhorst seems very reasonable to me Dan San. JFM, I didn't know a actual photograph of this aircraft existed. Thank you for posting it!

John Masters · 20 January 2005, 08:03 PM

Not to confuse the threads, gentlemen, but where can I find the markings for that Bavarian diamond design? I'd love to build that one. Cheers.
JDCMasters

Albatroid · 21 January 2005, 04:03 AM

Other than Karaya in the Czech Republic, this is the cheapest I've ever seen it advertised:

http://www.greatmodels.com/cgi/displ...tem_num=ed8035

Aeromaster included this option on the OOP set depicted here:

http://www.eaglestrikeproductions.co...8/ad48182a.jpg

The Aeromaster sheet is not easy to find these days, but blue diamonds may have been too dark anyway depending on your interpretation of the photo.