Is this true?

[Vonrd]

 

[Klaiber]

It's a gross oversimplification.

The location of unit emblems on Bf 109s can kinda-sorta-maybe help you identify what unit you're looking at.  But, the details would heavily depend on the unit, the year, the model of Bf 109, and whether or not the ground crew applied the markings "correctly" to what we (looking back) would consider "the norm."  Additionally, while there were 100% established rules from the RLM regarding how aircraft should be marked, which changed and updated year to year, or theatre to theatre, unit markings were placed by units when the aircraft arrived.  And thus unit emblem locations on aircraft were not universal rules but more general guidelines that they kinda-sorta-maybe followed.

For example, here is Yellow 5 from 3./JG 53.  It's a Bf 109G-6 from 1945.  It generally matches the location as outlined on the above graphic (number 2):

And here's Yellow 7 from 3./JG 53.  It's a Bf 109G-4 Trop from 1943.  It doesn't match.  It's further forward (and more like number 3):

The difference is because Yellow 7 is from a different year and a different theatre, with a different ground crew, and most importantly a different aircraft variant with a different nose cowling.

Here's another variation, this time of a 1945-era Bf 109G-14 from 3./JG 53.  This time, the emblem is larger (and even more like number 3): 

 

 

There is a lot of anachronisms with that original graphic too, which can be misleading without context.  I don't want to go into each emblem in detail, but let's take 2./JG 3 as an example.

That wire outline is a nose of a Bf 109G-6.  2./JG 3 never flew the Bf 109G-6 with the tatzelwurm (red or green).  The Bf 109G-6 was produced between 1943 February and 1943 August/October(ish).  And the tatzelwurm emblem had switched over to the newly created 5./JG 1 by January 1942 when 2./JG 3 was redesignated 5./JG 1.  And 5./JG 1 didn't fly the Bf 109G-6 either (outside of the oddball recon/high alt variants), because they had transitioned from the Bf 109F to the Fw 190A in the Summer of 1942.

Even if you make that wire graphic a Bf 109F to accommodate for 2./JG 3 and 5./JG 1, I can find examples where the tatzelwurm is sitting on number 2 and number 3.

The real answer is that unit markings were placed in three locations:

1. On the cowling.
2. Under the canopy
3. On the tail.

And you just have to know the unit, aircraft, and time period to figure out what you're looking at.

Not sure if that helped or was just pedantic wankery.

 

 

 

[Vonrd]

Always helpful!

This is why I try to find aircraft with at least several photos from different views. Of course the ones with lots of photos are the first ones skinned / modeled making it difficult to go for the lesser known (and often more interesting) ones.

The thing that I struggle most with is color rendering due to the wild variation in published photos. I keep posting in the skinners threads to try and get the Devs and everyone to agree on which #hex code to use for specific colors. That way at least the appearance in game would be homogeneous from one skin to the next. Not getting much traction though.

[Klaiber]

3 hours ago, Vonrd said:

This is why I try to find aircraft with at least several photos from different views.

Yeah, exactly.  That's key.  Historical photos should always be viewed as primary sources.  And from as many angles as you can find.

It's just tough, as the stuff on the internet is often hard to find.

And books can be expensive to collect when you just need the details on one aircraft.

The other issue is different versions of the same emblem.  If you go back to JG 53, you can easily find about 3 or 4 slightly altered version of the black ace.  All to most are historically correct.  But correct for different aircraft at different times.

3 hours ago, Vonrd said:

The thing that I struggle most with is color rendering due to the wild variation in published photos. I keep posting in the skinners threads to try and get the Devs and everyone to agree on which #hex code to use for specific colors. That way at least the appearance in game would be homogeneous from one skin to the next. Not getting much traction though.

Yeah, color will always be the primary bugaboo of any skinning attempt.

Even with color photographs, you can't trust them due to the aging of the print or negative.