P-39N flown by Grigoriy Andreevich Rechkalov, a 56 victory ace. His first three kills were achieved flying I-153 biplanes in 1941, including one Ju 88. Rechkalov often clashed with his division commander, Aleksandr Pokryshkin, who believed Rechkalov to be undisciplined to the point of recklessness. This tension came to a head on May 29th 1944, when Rechkalov allegedly botched a mission against axis troops in Jassy, Romania, resulting in the loss of five P-39's. Pokryshkin removed Rechkalov from the command of 16 GIAP, who held the post for less than the month. But Rechkalov would once again assume command of the regiment in July, replacing the severely injured Boris Glinka. He remained in command until Februaty 1945, when he was posted to a training unit. His rivalry/animosity with Pokryshkin along with inconsistent records on both of their official victory claims have led some to believe that Pokryshkin had padded his own score by claiming some of Rechkalov's kills as his own. Depending on source, either Pokryshkin or Rechkalov is the highest scoring Soviet ace of WW2, and the top pilot in American fighters across all users.
This P-39N, Serial No. 42-8747 was delivered to 16 GIAP in May 1943, but this skin represents how it looked in June 1944 when Rechkalov had 48 kills painted on his nose. By that time, a replacement tail taken from P-39Q S/N 44-2547 had been fitted and fuselage repairs have been painted over with green Soviet paint. Soviet red stars were painted directly over the original U.S. insignias. Red regiment markings are painted on the prop spinner and fin cap. Instead of the usual side number, had his initials "R.G.A" painted instead.
