Step 2: Research

Now that we have our plate, the next step is to do some further research. For me, it's always a matter of respect to find out as much as possible about the aircraft, it's pilot, the unit, the base, important missions it took part in, etc. You can learn a lot by doing this and it makes the skin more interesting, for sure.
Sometimes you may have all the information you need on the page or in the book where you found the aircraft. But sometimes it's very hard to find any information at all. When this happens I usually ask those more experienced than me, and between us we find the answers.

For "our" aircraft, we see that it is a Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/R6, the green heart is the best hint for a plane from JG 54 "Grünherz". As we can see from the blue fuselage-band, the plane was used in the Defense of the Reich, during 1944-1945. Finally, the black codes show that it belonged with a high probability to the 8. Staffel of the 3. Gruppe.

"Where did he take all this information from!?", you may ask. Well, if you need information about Luftwaffe-markings, have a look at Luftwaffe Markings and 12 'o clock high!, where you can find almost everything you need to know about Luftwaffe codes.

The next problem is that I only have this picture of the aircraft. So, what about the the structure of the upper wing camouflage? Well, in fact, there are two basic schemes for Bf 109s, one is with sharp edged camouflage and the other has smoother edges. The smooth type was regularly used on the Bf 109G-6 , and I know from a photograph of a similar aircraft from JG 54 that the pattern was in fact an early type. But we will come to that later, when we draw the wings.

But that is not enough, at least not for me. I know from the caption of the picture that the pilot was called by the family name Sahl, so I carried out more research , including asked in the EAW-forum for some more information, which usually gets results.

"Black 8" was a G-6 of 8./JG 54, W.Nr 26048, lost on April 9, 1944 over northern Germany, near Rastorf-Holstein. Uffz. Sahl was killed during this mission. It's the only loss the lists from JG 54 shows for this day. The aircraft was lost after an encounter with Allied aircraft.
The early months of 1944 were very difficult for the squadron, because after years in Russia, it started to encounter for the first time 4-engine bombers and escort fighters - heavy losses were the result. Uffz. Sahl seems to be one of the young but unlucky pilots that was killed during this difficult period.

Let's keep in mind that a fate is behind the aircraft we are about to skin...