Chicago Stuka - colo(u)rs

Steve T · **Posted:** Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:00 pm

Hi James--

Email me, I'll send you a mid-40s shot of the Stuka taken (apparently) here in Canada. (I'd simply post it, but the file size of the scan is too large). Found the pic in an antique market in Cambridge, Ontario, about four or five years ago. Comparing it to pix I've taken of the Chicago Ju87R, the similarities are so striking that I can't believe the paint is anything but original 1942 Luftwaffe camo. (I'm also informed that the Spitfire Ia at Chicago wears circa-1944 paintwork applied when it was last overhauled in the UK).

The Stuka was rather bashed-about by the time it came to North America; the prop blades, for example, had all been "bobbed", and all the canopy glazing was missing, in the photo I have. Since then the wheels were replaced with Texan units. The spats were already absent by '45, and could indeed have been removed in service as Stuka spats sometimes were.

It'd be nice to see the Stuka (and the almost-equally-rare Spit Ia) parked rather than dangling from a ceiling; but my hat's off to the Chicago museum fathers of the late 40s for their foresight in taking on such airframes at a time few others would do so!

S.

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:23 am

Credit where due.

Just in from the Museum of Chicago.

Quote:

Thank you for your request to the Museum of Science and Industry concerning the Junkers JU87B. In answer to your question the paint is not original, but it has been as faithfully recreated as possible. This plane was captured in Libya and was painted in desert camouflage. The current display is in the same colors as specified by the Luftwaffe for this theater.
Thank you again for your interest in the Museum. If we can be of further help, please contact us again.
Sincerely,
Ron Ritzler, Volunteer
Think Tank

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:40 am

Hmmmm.....not sure if I buy that. As I said, I've studied the aircraft close-up, and the paintwork looks pretty darned original to me. I can't imagine them deliberately making it that beat-up looking. If it has been repainted, it must have been done some time ago, and considerably mistreated since then.

SN

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:06 am

Steve Nelson wrote:

Hmmmm.....not sure if I buy that. As I said, I've studied the aircraft close-up, and the paintwork looks pretty darned original to me. I can't imagine them deliberately making it that beat-up looking. If it has been repainted, it must have been done some time ago, and considerably mistreated since then.

Hi Steve,
I wouldn't argue with you on it. If there was a complete repaint, it would probably have occurred after the accidental drop and during the refurbishment by(?) the EAA at Hales Corners. Generally, such restorations / refurbishments then weren't as documented as they are today, nor did they follow original random schemes as accurately as this case implies.

Even today, the NASAM's recreation of the He 219 fuselage scribble isn't the same as the areas of original paint on that machine.

BTW, a big thanks to DaveM2 and Steve T for pointing out and providing the period shot of this machine, and the pic bdk linked at Airliners.nety was also very useful.

The Stuka book will be out soon!

http://mmpbooks.biz/books/forthcoming.html

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:17 am

Arghhhh.

And Steve wins his warm feeling / pony of the day.

Quote:

Dear 'JDK',
Thank you for your answer to my message to you concerning the Stuka. I was misled and consequently erred when I said the plane was repainted. It was only touched up when the plane was in Oshkosh, WI for rehab by the Experimental Aircraft Association. The paint is original and was only touched up where they repaired damage to the skin.
Sincerely,
Ron Ritzler, Volunteer
Think Tank

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Thu Feb 07, 2008 2:43 am

YESS! I am the undisputed Chicago Stuka trivia master! :supz:

OK, not really...but allow me to bask in a small moment of geeky glory... :roll:

I don't know where I'd put a pony, but it would probably get around easier than my car in all this %&$%! snow! It took me 15 minutes to clear my car off just so I could drive five minutes to work. AND I'll have to shovel the sidewalk when I get home in the morning. Man, I am SO looking forward to spring!

SN

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Feb 07, 2008 5:11 am

Steve Nelson wrote:

YESS! I am the undisputed Chicago Stuka trivia master!

You have the palm!

Steve Nelson wrote:

I don't know where I'd put a pony, but it would probably get around easier than my car in all this %&$%! snow! It took me 15 minutes to clear my car off just so I could drive five minutes to work. AND I'll have to shovel the sidewalk when I get home in the morning. Man, I am SO looking forward to spring!

Take the warm feeling, then.

Dave Smith · **Posted:** Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:57 pm

Finally managed to figure out how to post images so I can help with this old thread! This is the Chicago Stuka in N Africa before being shipped out.[img][img]http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh2/AtchamTower/ChicagoJu87.jpg[/img][/img]

Old SAR pilot · **Posted:** Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:04 pm

Excellent, Dave! Thanks for the post!

bax101 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:52 pm

this is amazing i had no idea about the history of this aircraft and its capture!!!

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:21 am

Thanks for that Dave, another (big) piece of the jigsaw. Notice the nose insignia is partly hacked off...

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Chicago Stuka - colo(u)rs

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