Tackling this particular aspect of WW I warbirds can be both challenging and rewarding. It’s really not di cult to do, once you understand the system and have relatively good organizational skills and a healthy dose of patience. Let’s start with some history. Before the advent of camouflage, all German aircraft were finished using clear dope over linen, resulting in a buff or off white color.
Camouflage was introduced during 1916, and these early schemes had large organic blotches of either green or reddish brown, or mauve and olive (Albatros D IIs are a good example). Undersurfaces were usually a pale sky blue, however, natural doped linen was also used. To save on weight due to multiple coats of dope and paint, pre-printed camouflage fabric was introduced. The patterns were polygons of slightly different sizes in many different colors — what has come to be known as “lozenge camouflage.”
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