Yak-1 from a lake

[66misos]

Hi Massimo and Learstang,
thanks for reply. According to the russian text that plane performed forced landing on the lake on 28 august 1943.
it looks like standard black-green camo, at least for me (and may be I am wrong):







Regards,

     66misos

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi,
here is a link with higher resolution photos, thanks to AR.
https://plus.google.com/photos/103768437430570250925/albums/5782308735994577265?banner=pwa
I see green and black, but I would understand better what all the other colors are, if sediments, primers or what else.
Regards
Massimo

[learstang]

Hi,
here is a link with higher resolution photos, thanks to AR.
https://plus.google.com/photos/103768437430570250925/albums/5782308735994577265?banner=pwa
I see green and black, but I would understand better what all the other colors are, if sediments, primers or what else.
Regards
Massimo

Massimo, I think it's easy enough.  The yellow definitely looks like the yellow nitroputty used on fabric/wooden surfaces.  The green on the wings (AMT-4, probably?) is different from the green on the fuselage metal panels.  I believe the metal panels are in ALG-1.  Those panels directly around the cockpit have the yellow colour because those panels are wooden (this yellow is the yellow nitroputty), somewhat like the wooden "doghouse" that surrounded the cockpt on the Hawker Hurricane.  That's interesting as I always thought those panels were metal; here we see that they're weren't (at least on this particular Yak-1).

Regards,

Jason

[KL]

I think that we have to look on Russian forums for any comment to the stratification of colors. The general look is brown-black-I suppose this is due to the sedimentation on the surface, that the green is a remain of the original AMT and yellow the original primer....

The plane is green+black there is no doubt about that.  This was confirmed on a Russian forum (unfortunately, can't find which one   ) - a person who was there when plane was raised, wrote that it was camouflaged in green+black.

Everything is standard, no surprises:
- undersides are blue
- instrument panel is black
- dur-aluminium parts are primed with yellow zinc-chromate
- fabric is glued to wood with yellow nitro putty
- brown is mostly mud.  It looks some putty is also brown (stained by mud/rust???).  It definitely isn't AII Brown...  



from http://an-84.livejournal.com/138441.html

more photos at:

http://bloger51.com/2012/06/32543
http://vk.com/album8819034_158985149





Regards,
KL

[learstang]

Thank you for the confirmation and the photographs, Konstantin!  On the first photograph you can even see a coolant pipe at the back of the engine, painted in the rather bright green colour (Tractor Green? ) prescribed for the coolant system.  That instrument panel's in pretty good condition, considering how long the aeroplane was under water.

Regards,

Jason

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Konstantin, really good photos, thank you. The wooden parts are surprisingly well preserved.
Regards
Massimo

[learstang]

Hi Konstantin, really good photos, thank you. The wooden parts are surprisingly well preserved.
Regards
Massimo

That is surprising; of course, I wish they'd find an Il-2 with the wooden parts preserved as well!

Regards,

Jason

[John Thompson]

Hi Konstantin, really good photos, thank you. The wooden parts are surprisingly well preserved.
Regards
Massimo

In addition to the surface treatment these aircraft received during construction, remember that the structure itself consisted of phenolic-impregnated wood laminate, which would resist decay much better than ordinary untreated wood. In general, a lot also depends on the type of wood and the oxygen content of the water. There are people who make a living recovering sunken logs and selling them to sawmills; even after many decades of submergence, these still yield valuable lumber after only a slight cut off the surface to clean them up. I'm surprised (and frustrated) when canoeing to see (and sometimes run into) submerged tree stumps and brush which I know have been under water for 100+ years, still showing very little sign of decay. Anyway, great photos and links - thank you, Massimo, 66misos, and KL!

John