WW1 Camouflage

[Wustenfuchs]

Back to WW1. Here's a great example of dazzle camo. The USS Mahomet is barely even recognizable to be a ship.

[Geek44]

Great shot. It illustrates my point about the dazzle concealing shape. The bow of the ship is very difficult to discern because coloured stripes form planes of their own.

[Wustenfuchs]

Another example of WW1 German Lozenge camo, this on a recon plane. This airplane is on exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum, US.

[cyberia]

Fantastic! I can't see enough of these. Thanks Bill!

[Geek44]

Great pic for WW1 modellers Bill. Of special interest here are the thin strips of fabric doped over the wooden frames that run vertically in the photo (I forget their name dammit). They're the fine lines of lozenge pattern that disrupt the flow of the pattern underneath. You can see that the main pattern has been applied in diagonal strips that run in opposite directions on each wing with the same pattern on the lower wings. Decal manufacturers (the usual source of lozenge camo for models) never take these two points into account. There will amost definitely be another lozenge pattern on the under surfaces of the wings in different colours.
Peace.

[Geek44]

Here are three examples I found on the net of three, four and five colour lozenge camouflage patterns. Also shown are the corresponding 'lower surface' patterns to go with each. As was rightly pointed out at one site I checked out, these schemes were often compromised by the gaudy personal markings sported by these aircraft. Not also that these schemes are 'directional'. The arrows in the diagrams point forward. I don't know why that is.

3 Colour Lozenge.jpg
Three colour lozenge

4 Colour Lozenge.jpg
Four colour lozenge

5 Colour Lozenge.jpg
Five colour lozenge

[Wustenfuchs]

Fantastic stuff Nick!!

[Wustenfuchs]

Quote Geek44:
"As was rightly pointed out at one site I checked out, these schemes were often compromised by the gaudy personal markings sported by these aircraft. "

I think Ernst Udet's blazing red tail with Du doch nicht!! is a perfect example of this!

[Geek44]

Indeed Bill. I can feel a 'Flying Circus' thread coming on.
Peace.

[Wustenfuchs]

Here's something different: