Nazi Plane Tailfin

[pilot error]

I was going through a closet and came upon this piece of Tailfin section my uncle gave me as a child that he brought back from the war. Does anyone know what it's worth?

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[pilot error]

Or where I could find out? Thanks in advance.

 

[Edward]

Speacialist dealer? Provenance is everything, so anything documenting your uncle's war service and his story about how he came by this will help value.

 

[pilot error]

My uncle was air corps as were both of his brothers...I know he was in North Africa and then Europe. Here's the back side. As you can see its stamped in several places 3116.5 A quick google search tells us an aluminum alloy used for the skins of Luftwaffe aircraft. Notably. Me 109, Me 262, FW 190. As well as others. There's the provenance .

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[Edward]

That certainly should help establish it (any repro items I've seen have been for display, and don't tend to have the markings on the back).

 

[p51]

Man, those holes are really odd looking. They're not from cutting out rivets or such and they're for sure not bullet holes...
From the backing, I'd say it's probably original but it'll be an uphill fight trying to sell it. Most people forget that reproduction German stuff seems to have started being made about 10 minutes after Adolf capped himself.

 

[1930artdeco]

They look like spike holes to me. Almost like someone wanted to make sure the plane never flew again.

Mike

 

[Stanley Doble]

Or fake bullet holes to make a better story.

 

[pilot error]

That's an insult.......Stanley

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Sorry,
nothing is German nor WW2, rivets markings of aluminium, brushed paint etc...no offence but a full not even well made repro.

 

[p51]

Sorry,
nothing is German nor WW2, rivets markings of aluminium, brushed paint etc...no offence but a full not even well made repro.

I'll take you word on the metal markings. I have no clue what they should look like, other than to say these markings sure don't look like anything US made.
But in all fairness to the paint comment, I have seen hand-brushed markings on well-documented vet bring-back German airplane skin sections before. I'd agree it probably wasn't very common, but I have seen it.

 

[pilot error]

Ok......let me clarify. I'm not trying to authenticate the piece, I know its real because of the way I received it 50 years ago. I'm also not trying to sell it here. I was just curious to see if anyone knew it's value.

 

[p51]

Ok......let me clarify. I'm not trying to authenticate the piece, I know its real because of the way I received it 50 years ago. I'm also not trying to sell it here. I was just curious to see if anyone knew it's value.

Well, authentication would surely go along with determining a value, in that it clearly wouldn't be worth as much if it were a replica, would it?
As for the age, people were making stuff like this to sell to rear-echelon types while WW2 was still going on. Not saying that's what you have here, but age in itself is no guarantee that it's the real deal.

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Its worth its weight of aluminium, less the cleaning effort, since the scrap dealer will need it pure and not painted..

Sorry no offence.

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Another point... trying to scratch or brush off the swastika or the main paint purpose of this kind of trophy..
is showing that someone wants it looking " vintage or old"
Originals look totally different and surely nobody tries to scratch away the main purpose of having this trophy... the seastika..
Sorry no offence but a real joke...
The markings of the Alu sheets are American by the way...
Cheers...

 

[MissMittens]

3116.5 means it is an aluminium alloy (Al-Cu-Mg) produced in sheets up to 3mm thickness - for the aircraft industry.
ENZ is the code of the producer - Enzesfelder Metallwerk A.G., Werk Enzesfeld/N.D - the mark isn't quite right.....the ENZ stamp should be more diamond shaped and dead center between the lines. Sorry, it's repro with poorly done "bullet" holes

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Lookalikes and repros or old looking trophies were already made in 1945 on May 9th.
All to sell or trade against food or other vital survival items.
Your " trophy" is not a real WW2 tail part of a German aircraft... sorry
Rgds

 

[Edward]

TBH, if it turns out it's not actually part of a plane but was a replica souvenir item produced during the war, for me that gives it an interesting history all of its own. A different kind of item, but it surely tells us something about social history and the instant market for war souvenirs...

Somewhere, I've got bits of the Berlin wall. Or so the toturist tat shop claimed, anyhow.... I'm told by Berlin natives that since 1989 they've sold enough bits to build several walls. Everybody wants a bit of history, though.

 

[pawineguy]

Another point... trying to scratch or brush off the swastika or the main paint purpose of this kind of trophy..
is showing that someone wants it looking " vintage or old"
Originals look totally different and surely nobody tries to scratch away the main purpose of having this trophy... the seastika..
Sorry no offence but a real joke...
The markings of the Alu sheets are American by the way...
Cheers...

The marking are clearly NOT American, they ARE German. Let's try to give actual help instead of incorrect guesses.

 

[scotrace]

It's still interesting, and of some value, even if not what it appears to be.