V4895 Luftwaffe captured P-51B and Spitfire PR.XI 1/48th scale www.venturapublications.com www.venturapublications.com Ventura Publications, Wellington, New Zealand. [email protected]P-51B T9+CK, Paderborn, late 1944 8 7 16 15 17 Spitfire PR.XI, T9+EB, July 1944 P-51B T9+CK, Hannover-Wunstorf, summer 1944 9 11 5 7 8 17 15 16 12 13 3 14 14 8 3 7 7 P-51B Mustang T9+CK in mid 1944. This frequently published photo shows it in either US Olive Drab or Luftwaffe applied dark green with undersides and tail section in Gleb 04 (Yellow 04). Our later scheme with T9+CK bare metal with yellow tail section and undersides may not even be the same aircraft! A late 1944 photo of a Mustang coded T9+CK in bare metal and yellow. It may have been stripped back from Olive Drab, or it may have been captured uncamouflaged. a & b ? NB. Decals a and b are speculative no step warning decals provided for you to create no step markings if you desire. 5 6 This Spitfire PR.XI was operated by the Versuchsverband Oberkommando der Luftwaffe . 4 18 10 2
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V4895Luftwaffe captured P-51B and Spitfire PR.XI 1/48th
scale
www.venturapublications.comwww.venturapublications.comVentura Publications, Wellington, New Zealand. [email protected]
P-51B T9+CK, Paderborn, late 1944
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Spitfire PR.XI, T9+EB, July 1944
P-51B T9+CK, Hannover-Wunstorf, summer 1944
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P-51B Mustang Ò T9+CKÓ in mid 1944. This frequently published photo shows it in either US Olive Drab or Luftwaffe applied dark green with undersides and tail section in Gleb 04 (Yellow 04).Our later scheme with Ò T9+CKÓ bare metal with yellow tail section and undersides may not even be the same aircraft!
A late 1944 photo of a Mustang coded Ò T9+CKÓ in bare metal and yellow. It may have been stripped back from Olive Drab, or it may have been captured uncamouflaged. a & b?
NB. Decals Ò aÓ and Ò bÓ are speculative Ò no stepÓ warning decals provided for you to create Ò no stepÓ markings if you desire.
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This Spitfire PR.XI was operated by the Ò Versuchsverband Oberkommando der LuftwaffeÓ .
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The RAF identity of this Spitfire PR.XI is unconfirmed. It may be EN685 which the RAF lost in May 1944. (via Ashley Lamb)
Package contains one decal sheet.Ventura Decals are printed thinly. Cut out each item and dip in water for a few seconds, then leave to stand on a non absorbent surface. At first the decal will curl up and then flatten out. This indicates it has loosened. Apply carefully to a gloss painted surface and position with a minimum of moving about. We suggest Ò Micro SetÓ and Ò Micro SolÓ to aid setting down these decals. WARNING. Test them on a decal from this sheet that is not needed for your subject.
Spitfire PR.XI T9+EB was captured by the Germans and used by the Versuchsverband Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (Experimen-tal Unit of the Luftwaffe HQ).
The 2nd Staffel of this special Luftwaffe unit was also known as the Sonderkom-mando Rosarius (Rosarius Special Unit - from the name of the OC), and informally as the Ò Zirkus RosariusÓ (Rosarius Circus) or Ò WanderzirkusÓ (Wandering Circus). The units role was to display captured Allied aircraft to personnel of regular Luftwaffe units. Note the 2nd Staffel of any Luftwaffe unit was identified by the letter Ò KÓ as the last character of the code. The letter Ò BÓ , seen in our colour photo as the last of four characters was associated with the Gruppenstab (Group HQ).
Our colour photo was apparently taken at Sagan-KŸ pper airfield (now Zagan-Kopernia in Poland), an advanced training base, in July 1944. By then the Spitfire had been completely repainted by the Germans, probably with SchwarzgrŸ n 70 (Black-green 70) with Gleb 04 (Yellow 04) under surfaces and tail section. The codes tend to merge into the camouflage, but the black letters look more like Ò EBÓ than Ò BBÓ or Ò EKÓ .
Features of particular interest include the wire aerial, and the small red circle marking with white stencilled instructions
on the side of the fuselage. The HF wave-band wire aerial extends from the standard mast to a makeshift attachment at the top of the fin (not on top of the rudder as it was in aircraft with British HF radios). The origi-nal radio has most likely been replaced with a German HF set.
The red circle symbol was used as standard on German aircraft to identify the ground electric supply socket. Its presence seems to indicate that the aeroplane was considered operational Luftwaffe equip-ment, to be used and serviced along with other types. Had it been retained as an experimental machine at a test centre, there would be no need to modify the electrical system. Normally, a Spitfire would have the ground socket in the port wing root fillet, and use a 12 volt system. The Germans preferred 24 volts.
The main wheel hub is a pale blueish grey, possibly RAF PRU Blue.
The identity of the Spitfire is still a mystery. Authors mention two PR.XIs serv-ing with the Cirkus Rosarius: T9+BB and T9+EK. Known photos show that the EK was applied on top of an overpainted earlier code, so both could be the same machine. According to the respected Ò Spitfire Inter-nationalÓ , T9+EK was EN685, lost by the RAF in May 1944.
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S p i t f i r e P R . X I , p r o b a b l y i n SchwarzgrŸ n 70 (Black-green 70) with Gleb 04 (Yellow 04) under surfaces and tail section. The spinner also seems to be Black-green 70, rather than black.
