Luftwaffe / Regia Aeronautica / JAAF / USAAF / RAF / PSP / VVS - 1933/46

Gerhard Barkhorn's Bf 109, commander of II./JG52, at Anapa on the Black Sea, Autumn 1943

Image - Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-649-5355-02
Colour by RJM

Hütter Hü 136

Hütter Hü 136
http://www.luft46.com/misc/hu136.html

1945 05 Mountain Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian

Set in a spectacular mountain scene, Nicolas Trudgian’s print records the last days of air combat as World War II drew to a close. The most feared of the Luftwaffe’s remaining units were those equipped with the remarkable Me262 fighter jet, but they were vulnerable to attack during take-off and landing. Commanding JV-44, General Galland countered the threat by employing Fw190 ‘Dora’ 9s to fly top cover. Nicolas Trudgian’s painting depicts the colourful Fw190 of Hptm Waldermar Wubke of JV-44 as he prepared to scramble 'Red Three’ at Ainring airfield in may 1945

Focke Wulf Fw 190 D-11 by Claes Sundin 2022

Red 2, W.Nr. 220013, possibly flown by Leutnant Karl-Heinz Hofmann, JV 44, Bad Aibling/Germany, late April 1945

Me 262s were most vulnerable during take-off and landing and allied fighter pilots soon learned of this weakness and so constantly patrolled the known jet airfields. The procedure was for the piston fighters to take-off before the Me 262s, and clear the airspace around the airfield. Once the Me 262s had formed up and left the local airspace, the covering fighters were to land.

In April 1945, JV 44 was subjected to similar pressure from USAAF fighters prowling about the München-Riem area. With American ground forces closing in on München, JV 44, now commanded by Oberstleutnant Heinz Bär, was forced to evacuate München-Riem on 28-29 April relocating its headquarters to Salzburg-Maxglan. Aircraft that could be flown ended up there as well as Innsbruck-Hötting and Innsbruck-Reichenau, with a few individual aircraft found at places like Ainring and Bad Aibling. JV 44 was ordered to move to Prague on 3 May, but Obslt. Bär chose to stay at Maxglan, where the unit finally capitulated on 7 May 1945. Over the short duration of its existence, the jets of JV 44 were credited with a total of around sixty abschüsse.

This machine, an Fw 190 D-11 coded "Red 2", is one of the five Fw 190 Doras used by the Platzschutzschwarm (airfield protection flight) of JV 44 from about 16 April onwards. The Staffel was also given a number of informal designations such as the Sachsenbergschwarm, Würgerstaffel and Papagei Staffel. The Doras were distinguished by their red undersides accentuated with narrow longitudinal stripes, no doubt applied for recognition purposes considering German Flak crews were trigger happy and had poor aircraft recognition skills. The bright colorations continued with the front half of the spinners painted yellow. Below the canopy of the port side was applied the unit's crest that very closely resembled the Prussian Flyer Observer Badge from the Great War.

All pilots in the Staffel chose their own numerals for their crates and applied a hand-painted, often outrageous inscription in white after the crest such as: "The next guy, the same girl" ('Red 4'), "Sell my clothes I´m going to Heaven" ("Red 1"), "He must get in even if they both cry" ("Red 13"), and "In service of the State Railway" ("Red 3"). The relevance of those expressions will be left to the reader's private reflection. "Red 2" is the least known of this unit's Doras. It was discovered by US troops at Bad Aibling, about 25 km southeast of München-Reim.

With a new photo emerging this year of this Fw 190 D-11 "Rote 2", photos taken at Bad Abling by Daniel Veit an US Army soldier of the left hand side we could set aside the speculations regarding the inscription under its cockpit. Some narrative sources suggest it could have read "In with Sack and Flute" or "Elephants work the landing zone", however in fact there is no inscription to be found. Its pilot is unknown, but possibly was Lt. Karl-Heinz Hofmann.

Focke Wulf Fw 190D-9, by Shigeo Koike

He 343A-1, which was to be the bomber version. Depending on the engines used, the bomb load ranged between 2000 kg to 3000 kg, with 2000 kg to be carried internally, and 1000 kg to be carried externally. Trials were to be held with the Fritz X radio controlled bomb, which would have also added a third view member. Defensive armament consisted of two fixed rear firing MG 151 20 mm cannon with 200 rounds each, which were mounted in the rear fuselage.

He 343A-2, the reconnaissance version, was to be similar to the A-1, except instead of a bomb load, two Rb 75/30 cameras were to be carried in the bomb bay, along with an additional fuel tank that held 2400 kg of fuel to extend the range. Two fixed rear firing MG 151 20 mm cannon with 200 rounds each, as in the A-1, were mounted in the rear fuselage for defensive fire purposes.

He 343A-3 was the first Zerstörer (Destroyer) version. The standard armament was to be four forward firing MK 103 30mm cannon with 400 rounds each, which were mounted in the bomb bay, or two forward firing MK 103 30mm cannon with 100 rounds each and two forward firing MG 151 20mm cannon with 200 rounds each. Weapons with calibers of up to 50 mm could be used, although all the forward firing guns had to be placed to fire from the starboard side under the fuselage nose, due to the nose wheel which retracted to the rear and was on the port side. Again, like the A-1 and A-2 variants, defensive armament consisted of two fixed rear firing MG 151 20 mm cannon with 200 rounds each, which were mounted in the rear fuselage.

He 343B-1, which was also to be a Zerstörer (Destroyer), the main difference was that instead of the two fixed rear firing guns in the fuselage rear, a FHL 151Z remote controlled turret was installed in the extreme rear fuselage. This necessitated a tail redesign to a twin fin and rudder set up. A rear facing periscope in the cockpit was used to aim the FHL 151Z turret, which was armed with two MG 151 20mm cannon. The twin tail would have made for extended flight testing, plus would have added additional weight and drag. (Luft46.com)

What is Aviation Art?

Aviation Art is one of the multiples division of the art, but focused in flying objects such as aircraft, spaceship, dirigible, rockets,…and no matter what medium is used to elaborate the art.

It is more than that. It is a real specific division of the art that is appreciate by ...

http://duhraviationart.com/index.php/what-is-aviation-art/

Dornier Do 335 - The last piston pinnacle
Work done for Aviation History Magazine

The Dornier Do 335 Pfeil ("Arrow") was a German World War II heavy fighter built by the Dornier company. The two-seater trainer version was called Ameisenbär ("anteater"). The Pfeil's performance was much better than other twin-engine designs due to its unique push-pull configuration and the lower aerodynamic drag of the in-line alignment of the two engines. It was the German's fastest piston-engine aircraft of World War II.

This is the photo (Dan sharp) from my new release. The book Secret Projects of the Luftwaffe.

"...The text has been updated throughout to take account of the latest research (for example, the findings of my new Me 262 book) and Daniel has updated a number of the artworks. In addition, each piece of art is now presented at A4 landscape width (the pages are 297mm wide x 210mm high), whereas when they have appeared previously many of them were jumbled together and run across the gutter."(Dan sharp)

I hope you enjoy it!

https://www.mortonsbooks.co.uk/product/view/productCode/15065/book-secret-projects-of-the-luftwaffe-in-profile

Heinkel He-111Z "Zwilling"
By Anthony Cowland

... by Herbert Ringlstetter