Historical Accuracy vs. Modern Sensibilities

[rwanttaja]

We had one discussion kind of sidetracked over historical sensitivity; my thought would be to set up a separate thread to discuss it.

Here's our situations: How acceptable is the depiction of a swastika in these cases:

Case 1: An original or exact replica of an actual German airplane from WWII, such as a Messerschmidt BF-109 or JU-52.
Case 2: An original or exact replica of a license-built German WWII airplane, such as a Hispano HA-1109
Case 3: A nearly-full scale replica of a German airplane from WWII. For example, a Titan T-51 painted up like a captured P-51 or as a "German" fighter from the movie, "Fighter Squadron."
Case 4: A plane with a vague semblance of a German WWII aircraft but not anything near accurate. Think WAR FW-190, or a Bowers Namu.
Case 5: A plane with no relationship to Germany in WWII, but painted like it was.
Case 6: A plane from OUTSIDE the WWII period, including a swastika that is NOT the Nazi hakenkreuz.

Where do YOU think the line should be drawn? Be complete. Show your work.

Some water-muddying:

Case 1 is surprisingly gray. Martin Caiden restored a JU-52 in original colors, but replaced the tail swastika with an angled iron cross. Also, not all the new-production ME-262s got swastikas. But at least one went to Germany, where they aren't allowed to be shown.

Case 5 stems from a plane I saw over 30 years ago. Beautiful WWII German camouflage, including the swastika. On a Cessna 140.

Case 6, of course, is from that age-old edge condition: The insignia of the Lafayette Escardrille included a swastika on the indian's headdress. Other pilots in the Great War had non-Nazi swastikas as personal symbols. Some people are GONNA freak...how do you handle it?

Ron "Time to stir the pot" Wanttaja