Horten Ho 229 Flying Wing- Authentic Paint Scheme??

I'll throw in my 5 cents.  The Unpowered V1 and powered V2 both appeared to have a solid green topside and light blue underside.  There are some pretty clear overhead photos of the V1, and no splinter pattern is visible.  The late war time frame would suggest RLM-82 (or was it 83 - anyway it's the darker green) with RLM-76 undersides.  No swastikas were evident on either aircraft.  But some prototypes used whatever paints were lying around, and my pet theory was that the V1 was RLM-71 on top and RLM-65 on the bottom.

I have no idea if the V3 was ever painted at the factory, as it was under construction when the Allies got it.

A question I'd like to ask regarding the V2 - did it fly on Jummo 004Bs, or the smaller BMW 003s?  I ask because photos of the V2 show flush intakes, whereas the V3 had bulged lips.  Most books state that the V2 had Jumos when Erwin Ziller had his fateful crash.  The Jumos were larger, thus the intakes had to be enlarged, plus (again my pet theroy) it caused the main gear to be displaced a bit lower down, resulting in the fairing under the aft portion of the wing.

[quote user="AUSTanker"]

Greetings!  Just wondering if anyone can tell us the ACTUAL paint scheme (colors, camo if any, markings, etc.) of the Horton Ho 229 flying wing when captured by GIs in April 1945- not an imaginary or hypothetical scheme.

Most completed models I've seen are painted in totally unauthentic, "speculative" schemes with zero factual basis. Fun to use your imagination, but I'd like to build one in the actual scheme as it appeared when captured.

There are pics of the real deal at Silver Hill, but the color is faded and hard to discern. But what I can see are light blue on the bottom and what appears to be a dark green on top.  Can't tell if there are any stripes or camp patterns, though I've seen some models with a base of medium green with some darker green random shapes over that- the box art for the Dragon 1/48 kits shows this scheme.  Anyone know if this is based in fact?

For markings, I can see in the photos of the actual thing two prominent white swastikas with white outllines towards the wing trailing edge.  I am guessing the wing swastikas were a small size, and black?

In a few photos I've seen of the real thing, on the left engine nacelle there is the number "12490" in white block numbers.  I'm guessing this was put on after the capture by the AAF, or even by Silver Hill technicians decades later- would love some clarification on that.

Don't get me wrong, I think "Luft '46" speculative scheme are fun, but it surprises me that we've never seen a model of these revolutionary aircraft done in the historically correct, authentic scene, as it appeared in April 1945. Thanks!!

The swastikas where added after it was captured and sent to the US.

If you look through all the photos of it while being tested they where not present on any of the Horton planes or gliders, even the photo of the US troops crating it up to ship to the US they are missing.

The parts they have at the Smithsonian are from 2 planes, IIRC the wings are from the one that crashed.

The standard German cross was on both wings.

Seems the video I've seen of the actual plane has it as a pretty standard splinter pattern or solid 83 topside. Difficult to tell as the plane was in pieces.. It was made of mostly wood and had a pretty stealthy profile. Late war had them rlm 76 undersides rlm 81/2 and 83 made up the rest. I'd do 82/83 for upper sides. Plenty of resources online for splinter patterns....