This is the fourth 262 sheet by CE and is referred to as 'Cross-Dressing Stormbirds'. This is because all of the subjects are aircraft that were captured after the war and put into US and British markings. For kits, you have a wide variety to choose from when it comes to single seat aircraft. Tamiya, Dragon/DML (reboxed by Italeri), and Monogram all do nice kits and if you toss in the elderly Lindberg version, that makes four. In the twin seat variety, you have but the Dragon kit and though recently reissued, is now back into the difficult to find category.

All of the aircraft shown are using some combination of RLM 81, 82, or 83 for the upper sides with RLM 76 lowers. I should point out that the instructions show RLM 23 being used for the red on a couple but the reality is that from my take on things and what I've seen in color photos, this color is much too bright for a Luftwaffe red and is more than likely US Insignia red. Feel free to argue the point with me.

First off is what was Yellow 5, but with a considerable amount of over-spraying of the old Luftwaffe markings and camouflage scheme. There is tape on several joins and over the gun ports as well.

The twin seat plane is in British markings and they have only over-painted the Luftwaffe insignia before the application of RAF insignia.

The third plane is another where the Luftwaffe markings have been over-painted prior to the addition of US markings.

Finally, Yellow 5 directly after it was captured with US markings applied directly over the existing Luftwaffe markings. A modeler could do Yellow 5 in its original scheme using this sheet should they wish.

A fine sheet of some more unusual schemes.

November 2004

Review copy courtesy of

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