The top and side surface show that there was "NO" Fokker camouflage streaking under the red paint. the red as been identified as:
Methuen 10F8 DIAMINE BROWN (Dan-San) with carbon black added
Methuen 4F4/5 olive-brown that Paul Leaman identified in the seventies from the IWM fabric sample.
Methuen 9/10 C8 and 9/10 E8 CLARET BROWN/MADDER BROWN (Alan D. Toelle)
Methuen 9 (C-D) 8(Batter, Wally)
You will see that there are some slight differences in the color from the fabric samples. I think they are All correct. I think as the months go by and with all the cross changes and touch ups the red varied in color, some sections lighter then other sections that had been re-painted (or touched up) over again making it darker. I think this counts for the varying color of the known samples. I don't think it was a pretty one tone color like like you would find on a red Lamborghini but because of the fount line service it most have shown some aging and weathering of the paint.
The problem we have today is there are two reds of DR.I 425/17, a larger majority of responders, see only one red, the red on the crossfield, it is the red that Alan has coded as Methuen 9 C-D 8. Today the red on the crossfield has bled into the white underneath. The red adjacaent to the crossfiels is dark, and Alan refers to it as probably being the overall color. In studying the photos taken at the time of DR.I 477/17, (to my knowledge there are no photos of DR.I 425/17 before those taken after his crash in DR.I 425/17).
Dr.I 477/17 we can only assume was painted the same way, this is the machine that there are many photos of, none of the many photos show any difference in the grey shade of the overpainted white crossfields and the adjacent color on the fuselage. I have concluded that the red overpaint on the cross fields has bled in to the white paint and has altered the red color of the fabric samples in the museums. The fabric sample I had when examined under a 100 power microscope, looked like chunks of coal on a vermillion red field. There were carbon black particulate mixed in with the vermillion red paint. The carbon black particulates were not in solution of the vermillion red paint, but were in suspension and could be felt on the painted surface of the fabric. The observed color was dark red, near a deep ruby red, Metheun code 10E-F8. When you observe the adajcent red next to the red cross fields you will see this dark red.
I think the overall color of Fok.DR.I 425/17 was dark red 10E-F8.
Bookmarks