resin Tankanhänger /refuelling trailer from customscale.de

 

from Michael Baldeweg customscale.de

" ..May I introduce my latest project: The Ah. 454, one of the most important refueling trailers used by the German Luftwaffe during WWII. Often incorrectly referred to as the "Sd.Ah. 454," this two-axle vehicle was a true powerhouse. Thanks to its eight wheels, it could transport over 3,000 liters of fuel across soft ground without sinking—making it perfect for the improvised frontline airfields of the era. Highlights for scale modelers: 

✅ Highly detailed 8-wheel chassis 

✅ Complete pumping system in the rear 

✅ Authentic details for the perfect diorama (e.g., alongside a He 111 or Me 262) 

This is the first test model—I am absolutely thrilled with the level of precision that modern 3D printing allows us to achieve..."

More Luftwaffe tankers and fuel bowsers on this blog here

The mysterious ‘swoosh’ - late-war Fw 190 colours by Giampiero Piva

 The mysterious ‘swoosh’   by Giampiero Piva

In the second half of 1944, the use of the new RLM 81 and 82 colours began to become widespread in production, alongside the practice of leaving the undersides of the wings partially in bare metal. On a number of Fw 190s - both short and long-noses - a section of the fuselage also appears to be painted in a darker shade than RLM 76, perhaps RLM 75, which generally extends beneath the fuselage itself. There is no certainty regarding the purpose of this ‘swoosh’, as British and American experts and researchers call it; there are only many hypotheses. Finally, it should be noted that it is present on both the FW 190 A/F/G (photo 1) and the FW 190 D (photo 2).

Do 24 of 7. Seenotstaffel -archive photo scan #49

Coded 'DJ+ZM' of 7. Seenotstaffel, WNr. 087 was one of five Do 24s delivered during January 1943. Under CO Hptm. Hans Tretter, 7.Seenotstaffel, together with 6. Staffel, was in constant action operating in support of the Panzerarmee Afrika. In addition to 'DJ+ZM' Tretter also took on charge 'VH+SK' (WNr. 071) during this month. 'DJ+ZM' was lost on 23 December 1943 crashing into a house on the seafront whilst landing in Kapsali Bay (Kythira) to pick up wounded. Three airmen were killed and three others injured. Click on the image to view large.

 

last issue of Batailles Aériennes (no.116) - Legion Condor fighters

 

"...Dear readers, Here it is - the latest -and final -issue of your magazine *Batailles Aériennes*(issue no. 116) dedicated to the fighter aircraft of the Condor Legion, written by Jean-Louis Roba. If I am not mistaken, these 116 issues represent 29 years of publication, which is not bad at all! Of course, all this work – the research, the writing, the illustrations (colour profiles) – is the result of a collaborative effort. I would therefore like to thank all the authors and illustrators who have contributed over the years to producing all these issues of Batailles Aériennes. In recent years, the number of authors has fallen dramatically… to just Bernard Baeza and Jean-Louis Roba. I would like to thank them warmly, for without them we would not have managed to reach issue 116. Rest assured, they are continuing their work, which will be published as special editions of AVIONS magazine. But this will be less difficult to manage as it will be irregular, without a quarterly schedule. Finally, I would like to thank all the readers who have followed us over the years; without you, none of this would have been possible! So a big thank you to everyone. Enjoy this final issue and see you soon for other projects..."    Michel Ledet 

  A photograph taken from a period magazine shows the first six German fighter pilots in Spain, August 1936. From left to right: Lt. Gerhard Klein, Lt. Ekkehard Hefter, Oblt. Hannes Trautloft, Oblt. Herwig Knüppel, Oblt. Kraft Eberhardt and Lt. Wolf-Heinrich von Houwald. Half of this small detachment would perish in Spain.

On 27 September 1936 Lt.Ekkehard Hefter’s He 51 clipped the tower of the town hall in Vitoria - having just got airborne - and crashed into the town’s main square, killing the pilot. Engine trouble was cited as the cause. However, malicious tongues whispered that Hefter had celebrated his first victory a little too heartily the night before, whilst others suggested that he had been performing aerobatics for the locals (he had taken a course at Schleissheim). Probably a bit of all three.

Also on 27 September the He 51 detachment received an unexpected but welcome reinforcement: six aircraft and ten pilots: Oblt. Dietrich von Bothmer, Oskar Henrici and Günther Radusch, Lt. Kurt von Gilsa, Paul Rehahn and Hennig Strümpell, as well as Uffz. Willi Gödecke, Kowalski, Ernst Mratzek and Erwin Sawallisch. As was 'customary’, all these volunteer pilots had left Germany and travelled as 'civilians'. According to Strümpell; 

 ‘..I went out to Spain with, amongst others, Günther Radusch, whom I had known since Döberitz. We travelled to Berlin in civilian clothes to report to the Ministry. Then came the train journey to Hamburg. At the station, a man was waiting for us and we followed him. We were taken by bus to the port, where we boarded a small boat that took us to a ship. Once on board were issued with our kit. Near the Spanish coast, we were almost intercepted by a vessel, but we were protected by the Deutschland. We were flying, in principle, for HISMA (Note: the ‘front’ company ostensibly employing the volunteers). We then arrived in Tablada..”

It was decided to keep seventeen aircraft, enough for the fifteen pilots. The surplus He 51s (in fact the two or three oldest ones) were handed over to the Spanish, who accepted them reluctantly; they hardly used them as fighters and quickly transferred them to ground support units (or to training schools).

An impromptu lunch in Vitoria. Oblt. Knüppel is leaning over in the foreground. Behind him is Uffz. Erwin Sawallisch, who had recently joined the unit.

Siebel Si 204 with FuG - ebay photo find #388

 

A rare interesting ebay photo find from the Petrick repro sale. Siebel Si 204 trainer fitted with FuG airborne search radar for training Nachtjagd Bordfunker. Thanks to Pablo for the heads-up.

Jens Bechler 'Aufschlagbrand' - Ta 152, Alteno

Wartime crash researcher Jens Bechler has published three volumes in his 'Aufschlagbrand' series. The term 'Aufschlagbrand' (lit. 'impact fire') generally refers to two distinct aspects. On the one hand, it describes the moment when, typically as a result of enemy fire, an aircraft hits the ground and bursts into flames. Otherwise, it refers to the cause of death for pilots and crews involved in such accidents. The term was used extensively by the Luftwaffe in corresponding reports and loss lists. Author Bechler, based in Dresden, was the founder of the organisation 'Vermisstenforschung' devoted to wartime crash-site investigations. In his book(s) and work at crash sites, Bechler strives to elucidate the fates of those aviators 'killed in action' in the last few months of the war as the Soviets closed in on Dresden.

Bechler's 'Aufschlagbrand Band I'- first published in 2009 and reprinted last year - published a 'new' and particularly rare image of the well-known JG 301 Ta 152 line-up photographed at Alteno (near Dresden) in February 1945.  

 The airfield at Alteno - developed by the Russians post-war with the construction of a concrete runway - lies some 70 miles north of Dresden and south-west of the Focke Wulf production plant at Cottbus.  Unfortunately there are no credits and no information about the image in the book. Or anywhere else for that matter. The publisher Flugbücher Verlag in Pirna, on the Elbe river near Dresden, does not appear to be a going concern. I have attempted to contact the author himself but with no result. As for the image - well, the book has little or no Ta 152 content either!  Thanks to Gunter Lauser for pointing out that Bechler has produced three volumes of 'Aufschlagbrand' - that all look quite similar. 

Hans Dieterle (Heinkel) captures the World Speed Record, 30 March 1939

 

Below; Oranienburg, 30 March 1939 - 24-year old Heinkel Werkspilot Hans Dieterle, pictured with his wife, has just attained a timed speed of 746 km/h with the (so-called) 'He 112 U' to achieve a World speed record. ( the 'U' may have stood for 'Udet' - who had test-flown some of the earlier He 100/112 'variants' during 1938). The aircraft was in actual fact the He 100 V8 coded D-IDGH with 'cut-down' windshield and canopy, powered by a modified DB 601 with methyl alcohol injection to produce around 1800 hp for a very short period. The aircraft covered the 3 km long Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) measured 'course' in just 14 seconds! Dieterle’s new record - 'schnellster Mann der Welt' -would last less than one month, however. On 26 April 1939, Fritz Wendel achieved 755 km/h (around 470 mph) in the Me 209, although some have argued that as this flight had taken place in Augsburg - which was much higher above sea level than allowed in FAI regulations-  Wendel's record was invalid.

'Rekordflieger' Dieterle (along with Chefpilot Gerhard Nitschke) had previously been involved in 'world record' flight attempts in another Heinkel prototype - the He 119 fast bomber/recce aircraft and earlier  in 1937 had achieved another world (distance) record in the He 116 four-engine long-range 'mail' aircraft (langstrecken Postflugzeug). Both pilots had been injured in the crash-landing of the He 119 V1 in December 1937. (on December 16, 1937 the He 119 SV-1, Wnr. 2402, D-AUTE crashed in Travemünde). The He 119 (below) featured a unique buried engine (coupled DB 601s designated DB 606) driving a nose propeller through an extension shaft.

Bundesarchiv caption - " World records being “processed” -  the two pilots of the twin-engine Heinkel aircraft, Flugkapitän Nitschke (left) and Pilot Dieterle (right), who on Monday set three world speed records over 1,000 km for Germany, together with the designer of the Heinkel aircraft, Dr. Ernst Heinkel (centre), with whom they are discussing their experiences on the record-breaking flight, November 23, 1937 .."