P-39Qs for Tali-Ihantala

[lyric1]

Looks like 191 IAP is out as an alternative to 19 GIAP.

I found this decal sheet with a nice looking profile.

(Image removed from quote.)

But according to my preferred source on VVS units, 191 IAP never used P-39's. The transitioned from P-40's to LA-5's.

http://allaces.ru/sssr/struct/p/iap191.php

I can at least verify this one.

[Devil 505]

I can at least verify this one.

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

Except that plane is also on the 196 IAP page I linked earlier, along with more planes in a similar scheme.

Looks like that profile was based on schemes typical of 196 IAP.

http://ava.org.ru/iap/196.htm

196 IAP did indeed participate in the battle of Tali-Ihantala.

I think I'll skin "Whitte 53"

[whiteman]

I get a headache just trying to imagine verifying Russian and Japanese units.

[Devil 505]

I get a headache just trying to imagine verifying Russian and Japanese units.

Yeah, this is not the first time I've seen 191 and 196 IAP's mixed up. Same thing happened with one of my P-40's.

[lyric1]

#53 is a better scheme. 

[lyric1]

Gotta believe that his plane has a photo somewhere that the commonly held decals and profiles are based upon.


Cheers

There is no shortage of photos of this pilot on Russian sites. Plenty of images with him standing next to many P-39's nothing with a number 10 though.

Best picture I found of him standing next to a P-39 nose in 1943 the stencil behind him is in English. Doubt they would paint a nose red then put a stencil back in English. Even his famous commander had a unique paint scheme per the profiles. Not a photo to be found any place. Odly enough in one Russian book #10 has a profile with text saying it belonged to a different pilot.

  So confusing!

[Devil 505]

Interesting document detailing all the P-39Q production blocks.

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p39_15.html

[Fencer51]

There is no shortage of photos of this pilot on Russian sites. Plenty of images with him standing next to many P-39's nothing with a number 10 though.

Best picture I found of him standing next to a P-39 nose in 1943 the stencil behind him is in English. Doubt they would paint a nose red then put a stencil back in English. Even his famous commander had a unique paint scheme per the profiles. Not a photo to be found any place. Odly enough in one Russian book #10 has a profile with text saying it belonged to a different pilot.

  So confusing!

(Image removed from quote.)

Kill markings do not match his tally either.  Might be that it is a different 'White 10', different unit or different time frame.. they used the bloody things up until the end.

Just found my submittal package with the references for the skin...  wanna gofor a third pilot?

Plane Notes:
Pilot:   Captain Pavel Stepanovich
Aircraft Type:  P-39Q
Serial No: unknown
Plane Code:  White 10
Country: Soviet Union / Russia
Fighter Squadron: 19th GIAP

Online References:
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,266750.0.html

Profile in Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #36
"P-39 Airacobra Aces of World War 2"

[Fencer51]

Got a good photo for this one!

Plane Notes:
Pilot:   Unknown
Aircraft Type:  P-39Q-15
Serial No: . 44-2567
Plane Code:  White 67
Country: Russia
Fighter Group: 5 GIAD
Squadron:  68 Giap

[Devil 505]

She's a looker for sure, Fencer.

But just to keep this thread on topic, I wast to limit discussion to P-39's that could have been used at the battle of Tali-Ihantala.

So far I have only found 3 units:

196 IAP
19 GIAP
20 GIAP

[oboe]

What about 103 GIAP?   Is it possible this group was present and took part in the battle?    The date and location of the crash landing of Tikkakoski Museum's restored P-39Q places it SE Finland, one week before the battle:

P-39Q Airacobra from Tikkakoski museum, Finland
17 June 1944 three Bell P-39Q Airacobras (“20” USAAF 44-2092; “25”, USAAF 44-3255, and “26” USAAF 44-2664) force-landed in South-Eastern Finland, obviously after getting lost and running out of fuel. Airacobras “20” and “25” belonged to 102 GIAP and “26” correspondingly to 103 GIAP, 2GIAK of Leningrad PVO. After years of meticulous restoration the Airacobra “white 26” (with fuselage of original “26” while the wings originate from Airacobra “25”) was put on display 6 March 2000 at the Aviation Museum of Central Finland in Tikkakoski, and is since then one of the gems of the marvelous collection of aircraft of this museum.

[Devil 505]

Good find.

Like the blurb says, both the 102 and 103 GIAP's was part of the Leningrad PVO (Air Defense Corps) It was not unheard of for PVO units to undertake offensive sorties in their operational area. So it's at least possible they participated in some capacity over Finland.

[Devil 505]

Work in progress pic.



Still need to do some more weathering.

Also the Normal and Spec maps need to be made also.

[lyric1]

 

[whiteman]

That’s a P-39!