Hi,
This is from Massimo's Mig3 page
http://www.mig3.sovietwarplanes.com/i16/i16painting/I16painting.htmIn 1937, the standards of painting the Soviet military planes were modified by the gradual introduction of new paints:
- Top & side surfaces: AII Z gloss camouflage green
- Bottom surfaces: AE-9 gloss light grey for metal and AII light grey or AII aluminium for wood/fabric
Planes from Chalking Gol on the following photos seems to be painted in line with that:
note metallic shining on the bottom outer half of the wing (e.g. AII aluminium over wood/fabric?), different from centerplane (AE-9 light grey over metalic?)
note again significantly different color on the bottom outer half of the wing in comparison with the centerplane.
However, text accompanying this photo:
5-1 looks a type 17; this was the plane of 2nd leutnant Katalov of 22th IAP crashed during the fights against Japaneses in Nomonhan, Manchuria, in 1939.
The
planes were delivered to the unit in a light grey livery, but this resembled the colors of Japanese Ki-27, leading to dangerous misunderstandings. So the
uppersurfaces were repainted green, leaving only a light grey band around the fuselage.
IMHO, at least on this photo the band on the fuselage of 5-1 seems not to be the same color as bottom fuselage (AII ligh grey?). It is a bit darker, somewhere translucent (darker blotches) and it does not continue over light grey bottom fuselage - demarcation line is clearly visible.
Moreover, profiles on the internet usually/always show "AII?) blue bottom surfaces:
My questions:
1.) Where is origin of the info that planes were delivered to the unit in a light grey livery and latter the uppersurfaces were repainted green?
2.) In case of the overall grey did they use combination of AE-9 gloss light grey for metal and AII light grey or AII aluminium for wood/fabric?
Regards,
66misos