Late Bf-109 with red landing gear struts

[Netz]

Can anyone point me to some good reference to these Late 109's that had the red painted main gear.

I know it was to Id the A/C for higher octane fuel, I just can't find which ones (G-10,G-14,K), or what mod it was.

Curt

[Netz]

found a bit of information, mainly about the color, but not specific a/c types.

http://www.swannysmodels.com/Painting.html

Curt

[GGoheen]

There are some photo's in the book(s) Jagdgeschwader 300 by Jean-Yves Lorant & Richard Goyat. As mentioned in your first post, indeed, the painting of red on the otherwise RLM02 struts was to give the ground crew members a quick visual for planes requiring higher octane. This was almost exclusive to G-10's and K-4's, namely as those were built almost simultaneously...although, as is the nature with Luftwaffe aircraft...this is not a hard rule either. :) Anyway, if you have something in mind perhaps I can scan a picture or two for you. PM me if interested, as I have other books that reference these rather unique birds with their red struts. (Note, one of the reasons I built Willi Ruhl's G-10 was because the struts were indeed painted red but in a far different way than most with this visual indicator....namely as only the lower half of the strut was painted red, whereas it was much more common to have the entire strut painted). Anyway, let me know.

Best,

Greg

[Chuck1945]

As you mentioned, the red gear legs was a visual indicator that the aircraft required higher octane fuel. In general, these red gear legs would be found on 109s with the AS designation - Bf 109G-6/AS and G-14/AS. While the G-10 and K series used the same engine, I haven't seen much mention of red gear legs on these, just the earlier AS series that co-mingled with 'normal' G-6s and G-14s.

I have a color photo saved on my computer that clearly shows a crashed G-6/AS with the port gear red (both leg and wheel), can't see the starboard leg. Another of a line of G-6s shows a G-6/AS with red starboard leg lined up with normal G-6s without the red legs.

[Stona]

The use of The higher octane C3 fuel was linked to the installation of the MW50 boost system. The DB 605 AS engine could use this and was designated DB 605 ASM it first appeared in around June/July '44 (from memory). This would explain some red legged G-6s. MW50 was standard on the G-14AS.

By december '44/January'45 newer engines (whose designations I can't put my hands on here at work) appeared and could be set to run on either C3 or the lower octane B4 fuel. It seems that due to the desperate fuel supply situation at this time almost all aircraft were running on B4.

The red legs were fairly short lived,say from the introduction of the MW50 system in May '44 until the end of that year.

Cheers

Steve

[Netz]

Thanks all, I sure will keep an eye out for photos, I don't think I've seen any that I was aware of.

The engine call out will help also.

Now where's that G-10 I had....

Curt

[Chuck1945]

Netz,

Send me a pm with your email address and I will send you copies of the two photos I mentioned.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Chuck1945

[Cpt_Farrel]

As have already been said, the red legs were only used for a short time when these aircraft were mixed up with aircraft that required low-octane fuel. Keep in mind that as RLM66 was used for landinggears during late 1944 and early 1945 a dark gear in a black and white photo is by no means proof that the landinggear was red.