Paint Policy
Fighter Aircraft Overview
Because JG 1 is a historically inspired cyber-squadron, our official paint schemes are pseudo-historical. We of course strive to follow authentic German examples of colors and camouflage, looking to the historical Jagdgeschwader 1 “Oesau” and I. Gruppe Jagdgeschwader 3 “Udet” for inspiration. However, liberties have been taken for both stylistic and functional reasons.
The JG 1 Paint Policy is as follows:
Basic Standards
1. All official JG 1 paint schemes, be they for Axis or Allied aircraft, must be approved by the Geschwaderstab before being included in an official JG 1 Paint Pack.
2. All JG 1 pilots, who are full and active members of the squadron, are entitled to have at least one personal paint scheme added to a paint pack for every German aircraft flown by the Unit.
3. All JG 1 paint schemes for IL-2: 1946 must be saved as a BMP image for Windows, with 8-bit depth and a size of 1024 x 1024 pixels per inch.
4. All JG 1 paint schemes for IL-2: Cliffs of Dover or IL-2 Great Battles must be saved as a DDS file, with a size of 2048×2048 pixels per inch. All DDS files must include an Alpha layer, which allows for realistic reflections on aircraft surfaces.
Camouflage Schemes & Colors
1. Historical camouflage patterns are to be used as much as possible. There are four basic fighter camouflage patterns from which JG 1 gains inspiration: a “1940 Bf 109” pattern, a “1942 Bf 109” pattern, a “1943 Fw 190” pattern, and a “1941 Bf 110” pattern. All fighter aircraft not mentioned do not have an official camouflage pattern. For training and multi-engine aircraft rules, see Addendum No. 1.
2. Historical RLM color shades should be used as much as possible when choosing paint colors for an official JG 1 paint scheme. Hue and monitor variation, as well as simulated weathering and simulated wear-and-tear, should all be taken into account, however. If real RLM colors shades do not look right within either IL-2: 1946, IL-2: Cliffs of Dover, or IL-2 Great Battles, other non-historical colors may be used so long as they closely resemble the historical colors. A color reference chart for specific time periods is available here.
General Markings
1. All JG 1 aircraft are to display the Balkenkreuz (girder cross) in its historically appropriate places. JG 1 uses three styles of Balkenkreuze: an Early-war and Mid-war design (circa 1940-1941 and 1942-1943 respectively) and a Late-war design (circa 1944-1945).
2. The Hakenkreuz (hook cross or swastika) is not to be used on any JG 1 aircraft attached to the official JG 1 Paint Pack. The use of the Hakenkreuz violates Dictum #3 of JG 1’s Dicta Jagdgeschwader (code of conduct document).
3. As a mid-to-late war daylight fighter unit serving in Northern Europe, the historical JG 1 did not wear the theatre markings or colors common in other Gruppen (e.g. the white North African trim; the yellow Eastern Front trim). Aircraft stationed to Northern Europe did not have the need. As a result, no JG 1 fighter aircraft within the cyber-squadron is to display any type of theatre markings on their aircraft unless given permission by the Geschwaderstab.
4. JG 1 fighter aircraft introduced between the Summer of 1940 and the Summer of 1941 may have highly visible yellow recognition markings applied to their cowlings and noses. This is to recreate the “Yellow Nosed Bastards-look” made popular during the Battle of Britain.
5. JG 1 fighter aircraft introduced between the Summer of 1941 and 1944 should limit yellow markings to the under-cowling panels. White and red are possible alternative colors for this, although they were historically rare. Under-cowling markings were for identification and were painted on at the factory level. Often, however, these were lessened or over-painted while in the field.
6. JG 1 fighter aircraft introduced between 1944 and 1945 may remove all under-cowling markings.
7. All Staffel aircraft, regardless of type, must display block form Arabic numerals before the rear-third Balkenkreuz on the fuselage but aft of the cockpit. The font is called Blockschrift für Flugzeuge and must be displayed as follows: 1., 4., and 7. Staffel in white, 2., 5., and 8. Staffel in red and 3., 6., and 9. Staffel in yellow.
8. In place of Arabic numerals, the aircraft of the Geschwaderstab and Gruppenstab may choose to carry their position appropriate chevron markings.
9. All I. Gruppe aircraft must display no Gruppe symbol aft of the rear-third Balkenkreuz.
10. All II. Gruppe aircraft must display a horizontal bar aft of the rear-third Balkenkreuz in the appropriate Staffel color and border. This horizontal bar is the symbol of the II. Gruppe within a Geschwader. Within IL-2: Cliffs of Dover, this marking is not necessary, as II./JG 1 will use the paint schemes and markings of its progenitor, I./JG 3.
11. All III. Gruppe aircraft must display a vertical bar aft of the rear-third Balkenkreuz in the appropriate Staffel color and border. This vertical bar is the symbol of the III. Gruppe within a Geschwader.
Unit Markings
1. All JG 1 aircraft, circa 1940-1943, must display their appropriate Gruppe and/or staffel markings on the foremost section of the engine cowling. These staffel markings are on display within the JG 1 roster.
2. All JG 1 aircraft, circa 1943-1945 must display the JG 1 “Oesau” winged ‘1’ emblem on the foremost section of the engine cowling. This emblem is to replace all previous Staffel markings.
3. All JG 1 aircraft, circa 1944-1945, should wear the Reichsluftverteidigung (Air Defense of the Reich) rear fuselage bands of JG1. This marking is bright red, and is placed directly behind the Balkenkreuz.
Personal Markings
1. All active JG 1 personnel are allowed to choose a personal marking, which can be placed on their aircraft. Traditionally, these markings take the form of an emblem which is placed underneath the port and / or starboard side of the cockpit. Historically, markings such as this were common in the beginning of the war when pilots had the luxury of having aircraft marked for their individual use.
2. A pilot’s personal marking can take many different forms. They can be name tags, cartoon figures, emblems, color patterns or civic flags. It is of course preferred that these personal markings fall into the style of historical examples. Further, all personal markings must be pre-approved by the Geschwaderstab and conform with the Dicta Jagdgeschwader. As a result, no Nazi or NSDAP heraldry may be used, as this would violate Dictum #3.
3. JG 1 personnel are not allowed to display personal victory markings, known as Abschussbalken (kill bars), on the rudder and / or tailfin of their aircraft. The Knights Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and higher awards, as well as “victory wreaths” emblazoned with a kill number, are also restricted. This restriction is in place to prevent the constant updating of skins as well as stolen valor incidents.
4. Command personnel and 50-Kill Experten may further mark their aircraft with additional personal markings which break with any default markings outlined above. These extra markings can include –but are not limited to- additional personal markings or emblems, elaborate rudder, tailfin and/or victory markings, a specialized propellor boss (spinner), and personalized recognition bands.
5. Gaudy non-historical markings are discouraged- where possible, historical examples are to be used. For example: Erich Hartmann’s and Hermann Graf’s Bf 109G-6s, both of which sport a distinctive “tulip nose”, Wilhelm Lemke’s and Elias Kuhlein’s Bf 109G-6s, which sport “eyes” on the cowling engine bulges, or the traditional I./JG 1’s Fw 190A-5s, which all have checkered or striped cowlings.
Conclusions
1. JG I’s paint policy for fighter aircraft is firmly rooted in historical inspiration. However, in-game requirements and the need for artistic expression are taken into account.
2. A nutshell summary of the above:
a. All official JG 1 paint schemes should have markings befitting a daylight fighter unit serving in Northern Europe. Exceptions are of course made for aircraft of foreign origin.
b. Paint schemes should avoid gaudy non-historical markings. While subjective to personal taste, no JG 1 paint scheme should look like a “clown car.”
c. No JG 1 paint scheme can violate JG 1’s code of conduct document. All hate symbols are banned. No Nazi or NSDAP heraldry may be used, as this would violate Dictum #3.
d. Paint schemes should attempt to match the aesthetics of the other JG 1 paint schemes already approved for use in the official JG 1 Paint Pack.
3. All questions regarding the above rules should be directed to the Geschwaderstab.
Addendum No. 1
Training & Multi-Engine Aircraft Overview
1. While JG 1 is a virtual representation of a mid-to-late war daylight fighter unit, JG 1 pilots will often fly training or multi-engine aircraft in a variety of operational tasks.
2. When flying these training or multi-engine aircraft, full and active members of the squadron are still entitled to have at least one personal paint scheme per aircraft. The Bf 110 can have personal emblems and markings as normal, as it is considered a fighter aircraft first and foremost. However, all attack and bomber aircraft (such as the Ju 87, Ju 88, He 111, Hs 129, and others) are currently barred from having personal emblems.
3. Because the historical JG 1 never flew these types of aircraft, an addendum is needed to the Paint Pack in order to cover twin-engine fighters and non-fighter aircraft.
Squadron-Recognition Codes
1. Verbandskennzeichen (VbKzb. – unit insignia / squadron-recognition) codes are to be used on all paint schemes made for training and multi-engine aircraft. For ease of use, Verbandskennzeichen will be referred to as “squadron-recognition codes” throughout the rest of this document.
2. Squadron-recognition codes utilized a four character code, two characters in front of the fuselage cross and two behind, along with certain colors to identify the Geschwader, Gruppe, Staffel and individual aircraft.
a. Since squadron-recognition codes were not typically used on daylight fighter aircraft, JG 1 personnel will require special dispensation from the GeschwaderStab in order to implement them on single-engined fighters.
b. Command personnel and 50-Kill Experten, however, can use squadron-recognition codes at any time in place of their tactical numbers.
3. Historical norms are not in place with regards to squadron-recognition codes within virtual JG 1. Rather, while the squadron takes a strong inspiration from the system put in place by the Luftwaffe early in 1939, the structure created is wholly fictitious.
4. As with the tactical numbers found on fighter aircraft, all squadron-recognition codes should use the Blockschrift für Flugzeuge font.
5. Squadron-recognition codes should not be confused with an aircraft’s Werknummer (W.nr. – serial number) given by the manufacturer. They should also not be confused with Luftfahrzeugkennzeichen (civilian aircraft registration) markings used by military training, communication, ambulance, and transport aircraft prior to 1939. These were typified by the D- (Deutschland) codes. Nor should they be confused with the post-1939 WL- Wehrmacht Luft (military service) markings, which replaced D- codes for all support aircraft.
6. Finally, squadron-recognition codes should not be confused with Stammkennzeichen (Stkz. – factory radio codes), which were assigned to all aircraft during construction and to some training and other units. Stammkennzeichen contained all letters which identified the manufacturer and sometimes the training or school unit. These codes were often left on second-line aircraft such as trainers, communication, and some Air Service aircraft, as well as others not engaged in operational use.
Squadron-Recognition Code Markings
1. Squadron-recognition codes within virtual JG 1 use the following formula: XX + YZ
a. XX represents the fictional identification symbols of Jagdgeschwader 1. These are: J1
b. + represents the placement of the balkenkreuz (girder cross) on the side of the fuselage.
c. Y historically represented the Aircraft Identification Letter. For virtual JG 1, this place will always be the first letter of the pilot’s nickname or online handle.
d. Z historically represented the Staffel-specific letter given to sub-units within a Geschwader. For virtual JG 1, this place will always be the last letter of a pilot’s nickname – OR – the second letter of a pilot’s nickname.
2. Duplicate code markings between two or more pilots are discouraged and can only be accepted if the two pilots have different Staffel assignments.
3. The Stab will always have final approval for all code markings. This is to ensure that no code markings produce unflattering or unintended abbreviations.
4. Here are some examples of virtual JG 1’s squadron-recognition codes in practice:
a. If a virtual JG 1 pilot was named Anton, their code would be: J1 + AN
b. If a virtual JG 1 pilot was named Berta, their code would be: J1 + BA
c. If a virtual JG 1 pilot was named Cäsar, their code would be: J1 + CR
d. If a virtual JG 1 pilot was named Dora, their code would be: J1 + DA
e. If a virtual JG 1 pilot was named Emil, their code would be: J1 + EL
f. If a virtual JG 1 pilot was named Engel, and was assigned to the same Staffel as Emil, their code would be: J1 + EN.
Squadron-Recognition Code Colors
1. Within the XX + YZ formula, the XX and Z places should always be colored in either black or white lettering. This will depend on the type of camouflage used on the aircraft.
2. The Y place should be shown in a pilot’s Staffel-specific color, with the following caveats:
GeschwaderStab (Stab/JG 1) – black, outlined in blue.
I. GruppenStab (Stab I./JG 1) – green, outlined in black.
1. Staffel (1./JG 1) – white, outlined in black.
2. Staffel (2./JG 1) – red, outlined in black.
3. Staffel (3./JG 1) – yellow, outlined in black.
II. GruppenStab (Stab II./JG 1) – black, outlined in green.
4. Staffel (4./JG 1) – black, outlined in white.
5. Staffel (5./JG 1) – black, outlined in red.
6. Staffel (6./JG 1) – black, outlined in yellow.
III. GruppenStab (Stab III./JG 1) – green, with no outline.
7. Staffel (7./JG 1) – white, with no outline.
8. Staffel (8./JG 1) – red, with no outline.
9. Staffel (9./JG 1) – yellow, with no outline.
4. When Staffel-specific colors are not possible (or not preferred), black is an appropriate alternative.
Addendum No. 2
Allied Aircraft Overview
1. While JG 1 is a German-focused geschwader, there are times when the unit flies Allied aircraft. This is especially true during tournaments.
2. Please refer to the following addendum when looking to create Allied personal skins.
Basic Standards:
1. Historical camouflage patterns appropriate to the aircraft and the period of the aircraft are to be used as much as possible.
2. Historically appropriate roundels are to be used at all times. These must be from the Allied combatant nations. Allied combatants include the “Big Three” (the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States) and China, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Free France, and others.
3. Historical Royal Air Force (RAF), United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), and Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii (VVS – Russian Air Force) color shades should be used as much as possible when choosing paint colors for an Allied paint scheme. However, hue and monitor variation, simulated weathering, and simulated wear-and-tear should be considered. If accurate colors shades do not look correct, other non-historical colors may closely resemble historic colors. A color reference chart for specific periods is available below:
b. United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)
c. Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii (VVS – Russian Air Force)
4. All Allied fighter aircraft should show appropriate squadron colors (blue, green, white, red, or yellow) somewhere on the aircraft (e.g., the engine cowling, the engine nacelle, the propeller boss, the vertical stabilizer, the tail rudder, etc.). Look to historical examples for how these markings should be applied.
5. All Allied attack or bomber aircraft should show appropriate squadron colors (blue, green, white, red, or yellow) on a band across the tail. Look to historical examples for how these markings should be applied.
6. There is no Allied unit emblem in use by JG 1. As a result, no unit emblem is allowed, regardless of historical accuracy.
7. Regarding squadron recognition codes, all Allied aircraft should use the XX<>YZ formula. This pattern is the same formula as used on German aircraft.
a. XX is the squadron’s identification marking. It will always be: J1
b. <> represents the placement of the national roundel. The roundel must be from an Allied combatant nation.
c. Y will always be the first letter of the pilot’s nickname or online handle.
d. Z will always be the last letter of a pilot’s nickname – OR – the second letter of a pilot’s nickname.
8. Personal markings should be restrained and appropriate to the aircraft and period. Gaudy markings that are non-historical should be avoided. No aircraft should look like a “clown car.”
9. No paint scheme can violate JG 1’s code of conduct document. All hate symbols are banned. No swastikas may be used, even if there is an attempt to replicate the pre-WW2 “luck symbols.” Any violation of this is a violation of Dictum #3.
10. JG 1 personnel cannot display any form of victory markings on their aircraft. This restriction is in place to prevent the constant updating of skins and stolen valor incidents.