Hello,
Last saturday, Jose Falco failed. He was fighter pilot ( Night fighter) in the republican army.
He was 97 years old.
RIP and viva la republica !
A book was wroten with his memories but only in French and Spanish
Pascal and another friend of our, went just one month ago and did a one hour long interview !
If someone understand french, here it is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXHgv_epPZIAnyway, we have some important informations.
Falco was almost blind, didn't ear well but the precision of his memory was amazing...
He flew polikarpov I-15.
He clearly said that russian I-15 were dark green upside and light blue downside.
Spanish made I-15 were light olive green and silver downside...
He told us to that when russian I-15 went to revision, they were repeinted in light green / silver.
Konstantin, when I heard that,I reminded imediately your olives :
If we have a look at the date, we can see that the I-15 were taken from Russian since spring of 1936 until summer of 1937.
Later the transport was too dangerous because of the franquist naval blocus, and they decide to build the I-15 in spain. The first spanish I-15 were producted in 1938.
So, I think and I'm quite sure, that despite of what we can read in many places, Spanish colors for I-15 never existed.
Falco said the russian I-15 were dark green / light blue ; it's because since 1927 until 1938 VVS paint were dark green and light blue
Spanish I-15 were light olive green and silver because in 1938 VVS paint standart changed.
I thing they used russian paints
I could read that all the material to built the factory in Spain were bring from Russia. Ingenior change even the worker's way to pay them, applaying the soviet system.
If they bring all from Russia , I imagine they do the same for the paints...
We
Pascal to other friend of our and I are mounting I-15 .
Mine is a russian one delivered in autumn of 1936.
It's not finish but here is what it looks like :
Philippe a third friend is doing the falco first I-15, the CA-058 built in Spain.
According to that pic :
that's what he's doing :
in my point of view , it's a shame he didn't want to repaint metal parts in AE-9 color...
Pascal will do the last I-15 Falco used...
Do you agree with that only russian paints theory ?
Xan