Hi,
originally I inclined to AII Blue - at least it would look nice and it would be another example of VVS camouflage.
BUT then I browsed different Russian pages (mainly
http://airaces.narod.ru/all1/baran_md.htm) to get background of Baranov and his plane.
Here is overview of the key info:
- from the beginning of the war M.D. Baranov was a fighter pilot of 183rd iap,
- 183rd iap was formmed in
August 1941 and armed with
MiG-3 planes,
- 24-Dec-1942 Baranov bailed out on parachute from burning plane (most probably MiG-3) after the dogfight,
-
18-Mar-1942 - 183rd iap reformed and rearmed with
Yak-1 planes,
- Jun 1942 - Baranov has already 20 air victories plus 6 on the ground,
- 13-Jul-1942 - 183rd iap started fighting on Stalingrad front as part of 265 iad and from the end of the month as part of 169 iad,
-
6-Aug-1942 - Baranov shot down 3 planes plus fourth plane hit by taran and again
bailed out on parachute from damaged plane (most probably Yak-1),
- 12-Aug-1942 - Baranov awarded by Hero Of the Soviet Union,
-
13-Aug-1942 - article in "Pravda" newspaper about Baranov and his 24-stars plane.So, original Baranov's plane (not necessarily "personal", but may be preferred) with max. 20 victory stars (if any painted on it) was destroyed on 6-Aug-1942 during his the most famous fight. He is awarded HSU and journalists from Pravda etc. came to 183rd iap to make photos for article.
IMHO, some existing plane from 183rd iap is taken and 24 victory stars and slogans are painted on it for photosession purpose - see following photos:
,
partially glossy (=polished?) Matt AMT-4 fuselage around freshly painted decorations,
- red star is partially repainted/corrected,
- partially missing black paint on the propeller blades,
- scratches and spots on fuselage,
- chafed color on the wing root,
- wing look quite weathered and scratched,
- Under wings (blue) color is not so bright here,
- note glossy (polished) AMT4 and AMT-6 on the front fuselage.
No antenna mast and no antena wire visible on the photos.
from Massimo's
http://www.mig3.sovietwarplanes.com/colors/1941-43/1941-43.html:
While AMT-4 and 6 were codified in July 1941, AMT-7 was codified in August 1941, and is not mentioned on earlier manuals; earlier AII light blue remained in use in parallel with the darker AMT-7 in the first years of war.Although the Baranov's Yak-1 plane used during the photosession seems not to be the new, most probably it was not made long before 18-Mar-1942 (date when 183rd iap was armed with Yaks). When considered "turnaround" or life span of the planes that time I would guess (having no other exact info) that "photosession plane" was built sometimes between March and August 1942, e.g. some 7 -12 months (average cca 10 months) after the blue AMT-7 was codified.
If I take that average 10 months, it points at cca June 1942 as production date of the "photosession plane".
It gives some time to plane to get some scratches, dirty/dust and may by some weathering. And within info and thoughts above
IMHO the new AMT-7 is a bit more probable than AII Blue from the old stocks.
66misos
