La-5F Galchenko camo?

[66misos]

Hi,
I bought today La-5F kit in 1/72 from AMD Decals that includes also camouflage scheme and decals for Galchenko:



I browsed internet but I cannot find a photo of this particular plane. Could you help me, please, with info whether this is only artificial artwork or it is something real.
This plane has AMT-11/AMT-12 upper surface, but this profile as well as instruction sheet shows nonstandard grey-grey patterns.
Thank you in advance.

      66misos

[KL]

from  http://airaces.narod.ru/all2/galchenk.htm

Profile you posted is obviously made after the AML profile.  Profile artist (French?) doesn't know much about the subject:

- Gal Chenko    

cheers,
KL

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi,
the profile is reported on Osprey- Lagg and Lavockin aces- but without any photo. Says that the diagonal bands were probably an unit emblem, and that victories into a white rectangle were typical of the 7th Air Army on the Karelian front.
There are not photos of this on the Squadron, MBI, Airwar, Profile, Red Star monographs.
Regards
Massimo 

[KL]

It looks that original source for decorated plane (diagonal band, victory markings, HSU red star award) is following profile made by M. Bikov:



note says that the plane was prepared for June 1945 Victory Parade.  During the war it probably looked like the plane on the photo:

[Massimo Tessitori]

I've written to the author, I hope that he'll give us some more informations.
Regards
Massimo

[66misos]

Hi,
thank you very much for your excellent info
The original b&w photo shows moreless standard grey/grey pattern, at least on left fuselage, left horizontal stabilizer and root of left wing:







So there are basically two choices:
1.) relatively "boring" war time marking, only red stars and black cat, no numbers, nothing else,
2.) eye catching, but after war marking with all that stripes, victory marks etc.
It reminds me situation with Kozhedub's L-7 "white 27"

     66misos

[Saivila]

Looks like the previous numbers are overpainted on back fuselage.
Actually i have a quite fair photo shown this but i couldn't find it.

Saivila

[66misos]

Hi Saivila,
I think so too.




I made demarcation lines between (what I think) original, old painting AMT-11 and AMT-12 and new repaintings. Especially difference between old and new AMT-11 is apparent. That older, darker (due to dirty?) AMT-11 is made as AMT-12 on that artistic profiles.

    66misos

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Saivila and Misos,
I think that some repainting was done on trhe wing too to delete the star where not covered by the cat. Besides the photo seems to show a small amt-11 band at the tip of the rudder.
I see dishomogeneous color on the fuselage star too. It looks confused, I wonder if it was a repair only or has something to do with a kremlin star or what else.
Regards
Massimo

[66misos]

Hi,

this I found at WINGS PALETTE:


and this is from AML Decals:




So AML Decals offers 1/72 kit with correctly two versions of decals for Galchenko - war time version and after war "parade" version.

     66misos

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Misos,
that is good.
I wonder if they had our same sources, or found anything more.
The black green pattern of n.18 reported on the sheet is strange, all La-5 should have the same one that is symmetrical on the fuselage sides.
Regards
Massimo

[Massimo Tessitori]

Just received from Tapani:

This was not taken on any parade or exhibition but on a base near Murmansk. Anyway the war between Finland and USSR
was over in October 44 when this image is reported  to have been taken.

Regards
Massimo

[66misos]

Hi Massimo,
thank you and Tapani for interesting photo.

Quote
This was not taken on any parade or exhibition but on a base near Murmansk. Anyway the war between Finland and USSR
was over in October 44 when this image is reported  to have been taken.

So technically plane with this colorfull decoration could fly during WWII, but did Galchenko use it also in combats?
- he was awarded HSU on June 6, 1942, but he did not paint Gold medal neither on LaGG-3 nor new La-5F,
- he apparently flew (at least at beginning) La-5F with only standard red stars and black cat,
- his last victory is from October 22, 1944 http://www.airaces.narod.ru/all2/galchenk.htm
- profiles show 24 victory stars on this La-5F - final official score. So picture most probably is not from period before October 22, 1944,
- at the end of the war he was deputy of 324 IAD commander, e.g. moreless "grounded" function.

What is the wheather in Murmansk at end of october or in november? Looking at Galchenko's uniform it does not look cold.
What is on the fuselage bellow stripe with victore marks, near to Galchenko right hand? It looks like hole in the fuselage
There is something like presure bomb for painting spray gun in fron of Galchenko, like on this picture:


regards,
     66misos

[Saivila]

All i can say that the temperature could be very varied in this time of year juts in October.
Forexample today 22 10 in Finnish Lappland, near Murmansk, weather is about +11 degrees
in the daytime.  I don't see any contradiction if we are talkin' about weather but im not
try say that Murmansk or October  is absolutely truth.  I can see the compressed air
container close on the plane. For engine start.  Plane is perhaps not retired yet.

Regards tt

[66misos]

Hi Saivila,
thanks for respond.
Anyhow, on this photo Galchenko looks like just returned or going to flight:


while here he looks like standing in front of his plane only for photo session purpose:


Regards,
    66misos