Sheet #

 Aeromaster 48-458 Spanish Civil War pt 1

Price:

$7.80

Units:

J.88 'Condor Legion'

Review By:

Scott Van Aken

Notes:

 

Aeromaster has combined with Classic Publications to do decals based on their book series "Luftwaffe Colors: Jagdwaffe". So far there have been four sheets produced; two from each book thus far released. This sheet is from the second book in the series on the Spanish Civil War. For a review of that series, see the Book Reviews section.

Typical of the previous sheets, the aircraft covered are He-51s and Bf-109s. Probably because there are not kits in 1/48 for the other early Luftwaffe aircraft like the Ar-68. It is hoped that in the future, someone like Classic Airframes will produce a model of this and other early aircraft.

Anyway, back to the decal sheet. As with the other sheets in the series, there are five subjects, two He-51 and three Bf-109s. There are sufficient markings in the sheet to do all five subjects. All aircraft have a base camouflage of RLM 63 light grey with all but the second He-51 having a RLM 65 light blue underside.

The first aircraft is the He-51 of Dr. Heinrich Neumann, the Condor Legion's physician. In addition to the standard colors, it is painted with patches of RLM 61 dark brown and RLM 62 dark green. It also carries his personal markings of a red cross in the black insignia circle.

The other He-51 is that of Staffelcaptain Harro Harder. This aircraft has the underside in RLM 63 light grey with upper surface patches in RLM 63 dark green. It carries Harder's personal marking of a swastika in the national insignia. These He-51s were used mostly for ground attack, thus the uppersurface camouflage.

The first Bf-109 is that of Oblt. Erich Woitke. While Aeromaster isn't sure of it's exact subtype, the serial places it as a 109B-2. Just a note on the illustrations in the book, most of them are very well done, but they don't always show the correct sub-type. For instance, in this case the book shows an early 109 with wing guns and labels it a 109B-2. However, the 109B did not have wing guns, those being introduced with the 109C. Anyway, Woitke's aircraft has patches of RLM 62 dark green on the uppersurface as well as his four kill marks on the fin.

The next 109 is an E-1 of Oblt. Hans Schmoller-Haldy. This is in pretty standard colors for the 109 and includes a yellow spinner as well as having a large black exhaust area. It also includes the Mickey Mouse marking of 3./JG88 as well as a beer stein of the 'Order of Cardinal Paff'. The 109E saw little real action as by the time they entered the war, the opposition was pretty well worn down.

Final aircraft in the sheet is the 109 of Hptm. Gotthardt Handrick, winner of the decathlon in the 1936 Olympics. This aircraft is listed as a 109C but is really a 109D, as only four 109Cs were sent to Spain. This is in standard paint with the top hat marking of 2/JG88 and Handrick's initial in the national insignia

Overall a very nice sheet and one that offers several interesting markings. If you have any interest in German aircraft of this period, this is a sheet you need to get.