Hi Xan,
You surely have not the answer, but do you imagine this plane was in a training school since the begining?
We surely have the answer for plane No 1: It was photographed at the
Pruzhani airfield in Belaruss and it belonged to
33 IAP (33rd Fighter Regiment). Experts on this subject have figured that this was actually regiment
commander's plane!
You got it right, between 1937 and 1940 only 3 colours were in use: green, gray and silver.
But,
those two I-16 were more likely overall gray!!! More precisely AE-9 gray for metal parts and AII Gray for fabric/plywood. Reasons/sources:
1. I-16 Type 10 manual from 1939, scans available on the net, specifies gray nitro paint for lower surfaces.
2. Maslov in his last I-16 book explaines that
undersurfaces were painted in gray and then coated with transparent nitro varnish.So my guess for fancy No 1 is:
gray for metal parts and varnished gray for fabric covered parts!!! The transparent varnish makes the difference between the two.
I wonder what did Pilawskii say for this I-16???
Cheers,
KL
One of my books has a little information on this plane.
Also could you tell me the book for the 33 IAP identification of this I-16 I think I would like to get that one.