This is a repaint for the excellent FlyingIron Simulations Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6. The repaint depicts Bf 109G-4 'White 24' (W-Nr. 19607) of the Romanian Royal Air Force (Forțele Aeriene Regale Române—FARR) as flown by Capt. Av. Constantin ‘Bâzu’ Cantacuzino of the 58th Squadron (Escadrila 58) of the 7th Fighter Group (Grupul 7 Vânătoare) during the summer of 1943. With this aircraft, on Aug. 16, 1943, ‘Bâzu’ scored three victories during three combat sorties (LaGG-3, IL-2, La-5, and a probable La-5) near Kramatorskaya.
Capt. Av. Constantin ‘Bâzu’ Cantacuzino (born November 11, 1905), was the top Romanian ace of WW2 with 69 victories. In August 1944, following the armistice of 23rd August 1944, Cantacuzino was given a special mission: to transport (in a Bf 109G-6) Lt. Col. James Gunn III, the highest ranking American prisoner-of-war in Romania, to the airbase at Foggia to organize the return of approximately 1,274 American prisoners of war that were in Romania before the Red Army would arrive.
After the war Cantacuzino succeeded in fleeing Romania which was under the new Communist regime and settled in Spain where he continued flying. He passed away on May 26, 1958 due to longtime illness developed during the war.
Details of Repaint:
- Colors matching to the original wartime Romanian colors (based on Luftwaffe colors): RLM 04 (St. Michael cross and markings), RLM 21 (numbering), RLM 70 (propeller), RLM 74 (camouflage), RLM 75 (camouflage), RLM 76 (overall base color and underbelly).
- Based on the excellent paint kit kindly provided by FlyingIron Simulations.
References:
- Teodor Liviu Morosanu, Dan Alexandru Melinte “Romanian Fighter Colours 1941 – 1945”, MMP Books, 2010.