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7
Bf 109 Late Versions - Camouflage & Markings
CanopyIn the second half of 1943 a new single-piece canopy was introduced for the Bf 109G, with the
aim of improving the potentially fatally poor view rearwards. The new canopy, named after the firm which developed it, was the 'Erla-Haube' (or 'Vollsichtkanzel'1), bent from a single sheet of organic glass and stiffened with two frames joined by a crossbar above the pilot’s head. Such canopies, manu-factured in small numbers, were retrofitted to Bf 109G-6s, with the antenna mast being mounted on the fuselage spine just behind the cockpit.
The next, more important canopy type (see drawing below) was without the crossbar and installed on Bf 109G-6/U2s, G-6/MW50s, G-5/ASs and G-6/ASs. The bulk of the aircraft with this canopy had their antenna mast mounted on the fuselage spine; the only exception was a batch of Bf 109G-6/ASs built from scratch by Mtt Reg., which had the mast mounted on the canopy frame.
The last canopy version was fitted with a modified lock and arched rear lower frame It was installed on all late Bf 109s: G-14, G-14/AS, G-10 and K-4. The antenna mast (if any) was mounted on the canopy frame.
Erla-type canopies were usually fitted with head armour for the pilot, consisting of organic glass plate in the upper section and steel plate below, in the so-called Galland-Panzer installation.
1 Fullviewcanopy
TheinstrumentpanelofthereconstructedBf109G-10/U4W.Nr610824,MuseumoftheUSAirForce.(NationalMuseumofUSAF)
ManufacturersIn spring 1944, new Bf 109s were being manufactured in three plants: the parent factory, Mess-
erschmittAG in Regensburg (here referred to as Mtt Reg.); ErlaMaschinenwerkGmbH in Leipzig (Erla); and WienerNeustadtFlugzeugwerkeGmbH in Wiener Neustadt (WNF). In December 1944, G-10 production also began at the Diana works in Tišnov. Subassemblies and components were manufactured in numerous small plants all over Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia.
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16
Bf 109 Late Versions - Camouflage & MarkingsBf
109
G-6
/AS/
U2/
U4,
Sta
bI./
JG3
,Güt
ersl
oh,J
uly
1944
.RLM
76
over
all,
uppe
rsur
face
sof
win
gs,h
oriz
onta
ltai
land
fu
sela
gec
over
edw
ithfi
eld-
appl
ied
cam
oufla
geo
fRLM
74.
Irre
gula
rstr
eaks
oft
hes
ame
colo
uro
nfu
sela
ges
ides
.Fus
e-la
gec
ross
esfi
lled
inb
lack
,spi
nner
RLM
70
with
whi
tes
pira
l.M
etal
fin
and
rudd
er(T
1),c
ockp
itca
nopy
ofe
arlie
rtyp
e.C
amou
flage
sch
eme
depi
cted
on
finis
spe
cula
tive.
Bf1
09G
-6/A
S/U
2W
.Nr1
84??
,SK
Z(S
tam
mke
nnze
iche
n)T
O+S
?,9
./JG
1,L
aFé
re,J
uly
1944
.St
anda
rdc
amou
flage
74/
75/7
6,w
iths
mal
lblo
tche
sof
74
and
75o
nfu
sela
ges
ides
.Fus
elag
ecr
osse
sfil
led
inR
LM7
0,s
pinn
era
lso
RLM
70,
with
whi
tes
pira
l.RV
ban
dre
d23
as
assi
gned
to
JG1
.Met
alfi
nan
dr u
dder
(T1)
,coc
kpit
cano
pyo
fear
liert
ype .
SAMPLE
19
Bf 109 Late Versions - Camouflage & Markings
(G-6/MW50) 463100–463150 – Erla464000–465500 – Erla510800–510999 – WNF (G-14/U4)511800–511999 – WNF (G-14/U4)512300–512500 – WNF (G-14/U4)760000–760600 – MWG Györ (also G-6)780300–781300 – Mtt Reg. (also G-14/AS)782190–782430 – Mtt Reg. (also G-6/AS and G-14/AS)Single G-14s were also manufactured in later Regensburg production blocks, ie. 782750 to 788499.
Camouflage & markingsMesserschmitt RegensburgRegensburg-built Bf 109G-14s from blocks 165xxx–166xxx wore standard camouflage consist-
ing of RLM 74/75/76, identical to Bf 109G-6s built in the same production block. Aircraft from blocks 780xxx–782xxx wore similar camouflage, but on later machines RLM 74 was often replaced by RLM 82 Dunkelgrün. The uppersurfaces of the wings and tailplane, as well as the fuselage spine were painted RLM 74 (or 82) and 75; fuselage sides and underside RLM 76. The lower edge of the fuselage camouflage formed a wavy, more or less blurred line, generally parallel to the upper fuselage outline. One or both camouflage colours were applied to the fuselage sides and fin in irregular, rather large blotches. The spinner was black or RLM 70 Schwarzgrün. The lower surfaces of the wings and tailplane were painted in RLM 76.
Below:ThisBf109G-14,of3./JG53,wasfoundattheHenschelfactoryinAtten-baum,nearKassel.(USAF)
ThisBf109G-14isbeingtowedbyatankette(possiblyaPolishTKS).(Carlsen)
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22
Bf 109 Late Versions - Camouflage & Markings
The crosses on the upper wing surfaces took the form of white outlines, 90 x 90 cm in size, but located further from the aircraft's longitu-dinal axis.
The crosses on the wing undersurfaces were in black outline at 100 x 100 cm.
WNFWNF-built Bf 109G-14s had camouflage and markings almost identical to those of early G-14s
built by Erla, with the rudder and lower part of the engine cowling in yellow. The difference lay in the quantity and shape of the blotches on the fuselage and vertical tail. Some aircraft had the rear fuselage and fin painted almost entirely in one of the camouflage colours, others had only a few small blotches on the fuselage and quite a 'clean' fin. Swastikas were usually black without outline, sometimes painted in a thicker line (a thickness equal to the thickness of the swastika plus its outline).
The crosses on the upper wing surfaces took the form of white outlines, 100 x 100 cm in size. The crosses on the wing undersurfaces were in black with a white outline at 100 x 100 cm.SAM
PLE
46
Bf 109 Late Versions - Camouflage & Markings
Bf1
09G
-14/
AS
W.N
r784
993
(Mtt
Reg
.),fl
own
byU
ffz.H
erbe
rtM
axis
,13.
/JG
53,
N
ellin
gen,
Dec
embe
r194
5.
SAMPLE
73
Bf 109 Late Versions - Camouflage & Markings
Bf1
09G
-10
W.N
r151
567
(Erla
),pr
obab
ly1
0./J
G3
00,J
üter
bog-
Wal
dlag
er,A
pril
1945
.Fus
elag
eup
pers
urfa
ces
cam
oufla
ged
in
RLM
81/
82;s
ides
and
und
ersu
rfac
eso
feng
ine
cow
ling
inR
LM7
6;s
ides
and
und
ersu
rfac
eso
ffus
elag
e,a
sw
ella
sve
rtic
alta
il,R
LM
84w
itha
few
blo
tche
sR
LM8
2.W
ing
uppe
rsur
face
sR
LM8
1/82
;spi
nner
RLM
70
(or8
2),o
neth
irdin
whi
te.R
earf
usel
age
blue
-w
hite
-blu
eRV
ban
das
sign
edto
JG3
00fr
omth
ebe
ginn
ing
of1
945.
Rud
dero
fT5
type
with
two
trim
tabs
.Met
alp
anel
son
win
gun
ders
urfa
ces
bare
met
al;w
ingt
ips,
aile
rons
and
flap
sR
LM7
6;u
nder
win
gcr
osse
sin
form
ofb
lack
out
lines
.Th
isa
ircra
ftw
asfo
und
byth
eA
llies
on
Wun
stor
fairf
ield
on
19A
pril
1945
.
Bf1
09G
-10
W.N
r152
016
(pos
sibl
yEr
la),
prob
ably
III./
JG6
,Pra
gue-
Ruz
yne,
May
194
5.E
ngin
eco
wlin
gpr
obab
lyta
ken
from
ano
ther
airc
raft
and
pai
nted
RLM
76
with
RLM
82
mot
tling
,upp
ersu
rfac
esin
RLM
82
/75.
Ent
ir efu
sela
g ea
ndv
ertic
alta
ilpa
inte
dR
LM8
2.F
ront
ofe
ngin
eco
wlin
gan
dsp
inne
rpr o
babl
ypa
inte
dR
LM7
0.R
earf
usel
age
r ed-
whi
te-r
edR
Vb
and
assi
gned
toJG
6.R
udde
rofT
5ty
pew
ithtw
otr
imta
bs.
Sten
cilli
ngw
hite
with
r ed
bac k
grou
nd.M
etal
pan
els
onw
ing
unde
rsur
f ace
sba
r em
etal
;win
gtip
s ,ai
ler o
nsa
ndfl
a ps
RLM
76;
und
erw
ing
cros
ses
info
rmo
fbla
cko
utlin
es.T
his
airc
raft
was
foun
din
May
194
5on
Pra
gue-
Kbe
lya
irfie
ld.A
gain
,ith
asb
een
the
sour
ceo
fdis
cuss
ion
form
any
year
s.It
was
ass
igne
dto
JG3
00
orJG
51,
but
no
elem
ents
ofJ
G3
00w
ere
ever
sta
tione
d in
the
vici
nity
ofP
ragu
e. O
nth
eot
herh
and,
the
airc
raft
bel
ongi
ngto
JG5
1an
dop
erat
ing
inth
isa
rea
(onl
yII
./JG
51
can
bec
onsi
dere
d)
had
noR
Vb
ands
,but
the
mar
king
sof
Luf
tflo
tte
6in
the
form
ofy
ello
wb
ands
on
the
engi
nec
owlin
gan
dre
arfu
sela
ge,a
sw
ella
sye
llow
rudd
ers.
Infa
ct,t
hem
achi
ne's
allo
catio
nto
III./
JG6
isa
na
tura
lsol
utio
nto
the
riddl
e,s
ince
this
uni
twas
sta
tione
din
Pra
gue
until
the
end
ofth
ew
ar.'
Stre
tchi
ng't
heru
dder
inP
hoto
shop
®a
llow
son
eto
dec
iphe
rpar
toft
heW
erkn
umm
era
sxx
xx16
,w
hich
sug
gest
sW
.Nr1
5201
6,1
5221
6or
152
316
(the
152
xxx
bloc
ken
ded
with
152
395)
;num
bers
beg
inni
ngw
ith1
50xx
xca
nbe
exc
lude
dow
ing
toth
eird
iffer
ence
sin
cam
oufla
ge.
SAMPLE
86
Bf 109 Late Versions - Camouflage & Markings
Bf1
09G
-10/
U4
(Avi
aS.
99),
seria
l8,O
K-B
YH,a
irar
mo
fCSS
RP
olic
e.G
rey
(pos
sibl
yR
LM7
7)o
vera
ll;re
don
forw
ard
and
low
erfu
sela
ge;w
ing
and
horiz
onta
ltai
lund
ersi
des;
and
w
ing
and
horiz
onta
ltai
llea
ding
edg
es,b
oth
uppe
rand
low
ers
urfa
ces.
Rud
derT
5.T
his
airc
raft
w
asm
anuf
actu
red
inC
zech
oslo
vaki
afr
ome
xist
ing
suba
ssem
blie
saf
tert
hew
ar.
SAMPLE
102
Bf 109 Late Versions - Camouflage & Markings
Bf1
09K
-4,p
ossi
bly
of2
./KG
(J)6
,Pra
gue-
Ruz
yne,
May
194
5.V
ery
unco
mm
onc
amou
flage
con
sist
sof
RLM
75
and
77o
verR
LM7
6;fu
sela
gec
ross
esfi
lled
with
RLM
75.
Fin
isR
LM7
7w
ithre
ar
uppe
rsec
tion
in7
5;r u
dder
T3.
Spi
nner
inR
LM8
2w
ithw
hite
spi
r al.
Smal
lbla
ckn
umbe
rs‘1
2’o
nea
chw
ing
lead
ing
edge
just
infr
onto
fwhe
elc
o ver
bul
g es.
Met
alp
anel
son
win
gun
ders
urf a
ces
left
un
pain
ted;
win
gtip
s ,ai
ler o
nsa
ndfl
a ps
RLM
76;
and
und
erw
ing
cros
ses
are
b lac
kw
ithou
tout
lines
.
Bf1
09K
-4W
.Nr3
3252
9,p
ossi
bly
ofI.
/JG
52,
Deu
tsc h
Br o
d,A
pril
1945
.Thi
sca
mou
flag e
isu
nusu
al,c
onsi
stin
gof
RLM
82
o ver
RLM
84
,with
fuse
lag e
cr o
sses
fille
dw
ithR
LM8
2.T
hefi
nis
RLM
81
with
sha
rp-e
d ged
blo
tche
sof
82,
slig
htly
ove
rpai
nted
with
ali
ght
colo
urto
war
dsth
eto
p;r u
dder
ofT
3ty
pew
ithtw
otr
imta
bs,p
aint
edR
LM7
6w
ithb
lotc
hes
of8
2.S
pinn
eris
r ed
RLM
23,
as
isth
ese
v en-
peta
l,w
hite
out
lined
‘tul
ip’o
nth
eno
se.M
etal
pan
els
onw
ing
unde
rsur
f ace
sle
ftu
npai
nted
;win
gtip
s ,ai
ler o
nsa
ndfl
a ps
RLM
76;
an
dun
derw
ing
cros
ses
are
b lac
kw
ithou
tout
lines
.The
r ew
ere
f our
nar
r ow
whi
tes
trip
eso
nb o
thta
ilpla
nes.
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