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track down a suitable kit with to cut me a set of scaled masks

Modelling which I could replicate those with his Silhouette Cameo 3

the Kister colours.

My first choice was the
cutter for the number ‘6’ on the
fuselage sides.
Albatros stunning Wingnut Wings
Albatros (1/32 scale) but it had
The two figures depicting
pilot and mechanic were
EDITOR’S As a long-time long sold out. Second choice sourced from America. They
CHOICE
modeller and was the 1/48 scale Albatros by pay homage to Josef Kister and
painter, I’d been looking for the Czech company, Eduard his mechanic as depicted in
a suitable First World War Models. That too was out of one of your photographs.
project to compliment the production, but I managed to The photos attached
ever-growing array of high- track one down via eBay. hopefully speak for
quality kits now available I admit that the project themselves. Thank you for
on the market. Inspiration tested my resolve on many allowing me this opportunity
came by way of the Josef occasions - from hand-painting to share my efforts with your
Kister diary published in Iron the fuselage to replacing the readers.
Cross and the remarkable supplied lozenge pattern David Ulke (By email)
detective work to determine decals with more accurate ones
the colours of Jasta 1 aircraft. from the excellent Aviattic Editor: This truly is a stunning
Seeing the photographs in all range. I also had to call on model and far too good not
their glory prompted me to fellow modeler, Dave Crosby, to share with our readership.

The ‘Greif’ Badge of Kampfgeschwader 55

I read with interest your light is not so highly reflected. with the Giessen emblem.
feature on the griffon emblem It is also described as gold in Additionally, a KG55 stick pin
of KG55. RAF Air Intelligence reports. has the wings in black, albeit
Most references, including Also, a rare colour photograph that the ground is gold.
artwork representations, of the emblem clearly shows Adding further confusion,
show the shield behind the it as gold. However, looking reports state the fishes of the
griffon as white just as your at late war images, the shield 8th Staffel badge were blue.
artist represented it. However, may have then been white – That said, the surviving 8./
research has proven the shield perhaps because gold paint KG55 emblem in your article
was actually painted gold. That became harder to source? So, clearly shows they were yellow
said, the usual presentation white could in 1941.
of the shield as white is an be correct Interpreting colours from
understandable mistake for for the late period images can be tricky.
several reasons. war period. There were clearly wide
First, the emblem of the I would add variations and your analysis of
town of Giessen (on which the that the wings the First World War Albatros
badge was based) has a white are described colours was fascinating.
shield. Second, monochrome However, evidence for as blue by RAF Thank you for an excellent
images reflect light in a way it being gold is shown in intelligence – magazine.
that the shield appears white. period images where the again, conflicting Clint Mitchell, Kent (By email)

60 ❙ IRON CROSS