What if the Luftwaffe put a 4 year old in charge of camouflage?

[MikeD]

Early 1942, Northern France.

The Stabschwarm (Staff Flight) of Jagdgeschwader 26 had a new NCO posted in - Oberfeldwebel Patrick von Richthofen. He was assigned to command the ground crew of Hauptmann Wilhem Gath, one of JG.26's elite Fw.190 pilots.

Looking at the brooding green and black shapes of the fighters dispersed around the airfield in the French drizzle, OFw von Richthofen couldn't help but think back to the times of his distant uncle nearly thirty years earlier and he sighed wistfully when he thought about how much more attractive the aircraft had been then. The Focke-Wulf may have been the best fighter in the air (or so the Luftwaffe had told him) but Gott they were boring to look at.

That evening, after a couple of pints of Poor Man's Champagne in the NCO's Mess, he found himself peering round the paint store with a smile on his face.







(You can't see it very clearly in the photos but the bottom of the aircraft is bright pink)

(I'm also well aware that the photos are terrible)

The model's an old Tamiya 1/48 FW-190A3 that I had lying round in the garage. It started out as a way of keeping a bored four year old quiet on a rainy Saturday a few weeks back but he got into it so much there was no way of forgetting about it - the week waiting for the new canopy (the old one was broken in the box) was hell on earth! The model only comes in an 'undercarriage down' configuration but he wanted it flying so I've bodged it to look wheels up. Some of the painting is terrible (I'm going to have to invest in some new brushes and some bits like the pilot were very much rushed through to make it look vaguely like a real person) but the main paint job was all his work - he was allowed to choose the colours from the Airfix website and I ordered them for him. The only bits I painted were the prop, the armour ring on the front of the engine and a few little bits like the pilot.

The thing he's happiest about is that the pilot (Wilhelm Gath was real and actually flew this plane, according to the pictures on the side of the box) has the same name as his baby brother.

Only one photo of Oberfeldwebel von Richthofen with his illicitly painted plane is known to exist, taken shortly before his arrest for bringing the Luftwaffe into disrepute

[Allan]

a manly pat on the back and an encouraging "Well done, mate!" wing their way to him from Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KiwiZac]

I love it! The look on his face is absolutely priceless. I've got a grin a mile wide.

And the 190 doesn't look awful in yellow! Hmm...

[Jesse220]

That is a good looking paint job

[Glenn Gilbertson]

The important thing is that a four year old had fun modelling!

[nighthunter]

Agreed! Makes me think of doing a few FW-190's & Bf-109's as a Flying Circus squadron.

[kerick]

That smile is what its all about!

[The Rat]

He looks as pleased as any boy should, and could. Well done! 

[Rick Lowe]

Another 'Well Done' from the Antipodes - it's all about having fun and staying interested (or getting them interested at an early age).

Now you'd best keep a close watch on your stash... or better yet, start one for him! 

Cheers

[MikeD]

He loved it. He's got his eye on an old King Tiger that he found in the garage so Oberfeldwebel von R might find himself with a punishment posting to LSSAH...

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice, talent to be supported! 

Reminds me of a Me 410 I built when I was a child... the Revell/FROG kit, with a livery in Humbrol 2 (Emerald Green Gloss) and 48(Mediterranean Blue Gloss) from above and flat grey from below, for use over tropic islands... Garish, but looked cool, somehow... 

[dumaniac]

and the artist looks as pleased as punch

[zenrat]

Excellent.
Well done young man.

[Tophe]

Great camouflage: impossible to see this model among other bright toys!

[Dizzyfugu]

...or when flying between active vulcanoes?