Hi Misos,
your chronology is extremely interesting. You made an huge work in reordering images and known facts.
I would understand better some points:
On may 1944 Kozhedub having already 38 victories received La-5F from kolochoznik V.V. Konev.
This photo of La-5FN is probably from winter 1943/44:
If he already had a La-5FN, a La-5F as a gift hadn't to be very welcome. At this point, I wonder if it was still in 240 iap (in this case, the triangle was an individual mark) or to 176 giap (those unit's mark was the triangle). I wonder when the triangle started to be the mark of the unit.
Sides of the triangle seems to be curved to the same direction (upwards), so IMHO it caused by shape of the cowling.
The lower side is concave; should it be straight, it should appear convex, as the trasversal fasteners. The upper side is not well visible, it looks chipped.
Kozhedub with already 2 HSU gold medals in front of older La-5FN probably already in 176 giap - note 3 vent openings on the metal plate and wide exhaust stains:
This looks a La-7, look at the flap over the exhaust pipes. Some La-7 had 3 slots as La-5FN. It's not the same plane of following images, anyway.
176 giap received new La-7s on August 1944.
"Sometime during preparation of the 'Carpathian-Visla' Operation (Nov-Dec 1944) the 176 GIAP received new La-7 fighter planes...."
Seems discordant.
However, here is red spinner and red triangle already with white outline. White line seems to be curved only by shape of the cowling from this view:
The concavity seems real, at least in the brief part that we see. Should it be an effect of the curvature of the cowling, it should be on the other side as the fasteners.
It's unclear if the direction of the white outline continue to change outside the view, if it was intentional or a banal error in masking.
So these photos were taken when Kozhedub returned to the 176 giap (after WWII ended). He had two HSU Gold medals and closed number of victories, therefore layout of the victory stars is in regullar symetrical pattern. So technically this is already after-the-War decoration made in the field conditions.
Very likely . I suppose it still had a red spinner. I wonder about the guards emblem reported by Stankov.
And finally, this photo of exhibited La-7 was taken shortly after the was (in Moscov). Aircraft has a full set of decoration, red triangle with straight white outline and white spinner.
Comparing the triangle with a ruler, the first part follows the curvature of the cowling so it was probably straight, but the last part seems to have a slight curvature downwards.
What are the awards? Guards, Red banner, Kutuzov and Nevskiy I think.
Regards
Massimo