Sovietwarplanes

Chrome finish or just silver doped? Also is the star hidden or none at all on the fuselage.

(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/I-16%20Russian/0_ea6eb_38c4953_X5L_zpszi3wn8nz.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/I-16%20Russian/0_ea6eb_38c4953_X5L_zpszi3wn8nz.jpg.html)

(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/I-16%20Russian/Untitled%20vb_zps3ypjeg05.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/I-16%20Russian/Untitled%20vb_zps3ypjeg05.jpg.html)




https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsoviet-aces-1936-53.ru%2Fabc%2Fsh%2Fshishkin_vi.htm&edit-text=

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fairaces.narod.ru%2Fall9%2Fshishkin.htm&edit-text=


https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fru.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%25D0%25A8%25D0%25B8%25D1%2588%25D0%25BA%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BD%2C_%25D0%2592%25D0%25B0%25D1%2581%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BB%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B9_%25D0%2598%25D0%25B2%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BD%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B2%25D0%25B8%25D1%2587_%28%25D0%25BB%25D1%2591%25D1%2582%25D1%2587%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BA%29&edit-text=


This one is captured no other information on it.

(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/I-16%20Russian/0_e8d3b_fe5e7c9e_X5L_zpsq5vsuhfn.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/I-16%20Russian/0_e8d3b_fe5e7c9e_X5L_zpsq5vsuhfn.jpg.html)


https://fotki.yandex.ru/next/users/viktor3951/album/165950/view/953659

Hi,
great photo.
The first one gives the idea of a winter finish made with silver paint. Looking at the tail cone, it seems that the lower surfaces have been left blue.
The fuselage star is vaguely visible, hidden in the shadow. Only a brace seems neatly contoured. Perhaps the photo was restored with Photoshop and the detail wasn't recognized as a star.

The second one is a prewar finish in silver-grey. On other planes, as I-153, this was a factory finish. In the case of I-16, being so rare, I don't know, perhaps this was made at the unit. The number could be yellow with red shadowing.

Regards
Massimo

A friend pointed out to me that it looks like a white band on the wing.

Perhaps. I think also to see that the side panel of the cowling is painted white instead of silver.
Regards
Massimo

Two planes may look similar on b/w photos, but their painting was quite different:
First I-16 was photographed on Pruzhani airfield in summer 1941. It probably belonged to 33 iap

(http://f6.s.qip.ru/GjeazL7d.jpg)

This I-16 was most likely an aerobatic plane painted in non-standard "airshow" colours. It may have been a "personal plane" of a higher ranking officer.
Commander of 33 iap Akulin was a former  member of the "Red Stars" aerobatic team... according to memoirs, he flew in a red I-16 during the initial German attack in June 1941. Photos seem to confirm that some I-16s on Pruzhani airfield were red:

(http://f5.s.qip.ru/17hKVgaZG.jpg)

one of those 2 I-16s could be red.
There were also several silver I-16s, like No 3

(http://f6.s.qip.ru/T5tGtYbq.jpg)

(http://f2.s.qip.ru/T5tGtYbp.jpg)


The second I-16 from your post is definitively in white winter camouflage. Photo was probably taken sometime during the winter 1942/43
Below is I-16 from the same unit commanded by HSU Shishkin

(http://waralbum.ru/wp-content/uploads/yapb_cache/samolet_uti_4_1942_author_n_finikov.wug6uf70hv4s8swg04co8sgc.ejcuplo1l0oo0sk8c40s8osc4.th.jpeg)
http://waralbum.ru/306753/

HTH,
KL

Hi,
this is interesting.
I had to replace the photo with a link, because it was too wide and deformed the visualization of the page.


Because the star isn't recognizable?

Definitively? It looks a patchwork of different light colors. In my idea, a part of the surface, at least the fin and rudder, could really be aluminium painted.

Regards
Massimo

The plane is definitively in winter camouflage. Rudder, tail fin and tail fin fairing look silver, but it is again winter camouflage - silver was considered as an alternative to washable white. Silver was more effective as winter camouflage colour than glossy permanent white.

Regards,
KL

So there maybe some basis of fact for the profile in this thread?

http://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/board/index.php?topic=2258.0

IMHO, profile in the other thread is pure fiction. Here we are talking about prewar aerobatic planes (most likely 5: four silver and one red) which ended up in an PVO (Air Defense) unit. Memoirs say that on Jun 22, commander of the unit scrambled in his red plane... nothing else.  Stretching this to fall 1942 is a bad history case.

Regards,
KL