bbi 1/18 WWII Luftwaffe Bf-109 preview

[Jnewboy]

I have an Me-109 question: Why was the area on the fuselage, just below the engine and forward of the wing root almost always painted some shade of yellow?

Yellow usually stood for the eastern front, White for north afrika/mediteranian, red bands and green bands were usually for home defense markings.

[Mad Sam]

The yellow nose was a tactical fighter marking seen on all fronts. So the first issue BBI Bf109 in JG53 desert scheme is an example of the yellow lower cowl applied together with the white fuselage band.

This is because as already stated, the white fuselage band was the standard theatre marking for all aircraft types in the North Africa and early Italian campaigns, and the yellow fuselage band was the standard theatre marking for all aircraft types employed on the Eastern front.

Late in the war, to help rapid identification of 'friendly' aircraft, fuselage bands of one, two or three colours were allocated to Luftwaffe fighter units employed on Defence of the Reich service, but given the declining situation, not all units were able to apply them.

[Jnewboy]

The yellow nose was a tactical fighter marking seen on all fronts.

Right, its on most 109's until the last 6mo's or so of the war when it seems that camo took full priority on most.