"Komsomol" Yak-7 Markings

[John Thompson]

With the release of the Valom 1/72 Yak-7B, it seemed like a good time to ask some questions about the so-called ?Komsomol? Yak-7 aircraft. These Yak-7s were donated to the VVS with funds raised by members of the Communist Youth International, or KIM. Three of these aircraft have been detailed in various sources, but I believe there were more ? one book refers to ?a whole squadron?, and this is demonstrated in at least one photo. The aircraft had beautifully-painted inscriptions on their fuselage sides, and also unusual fuselage stars which carried the emblem of the KIM inside it. Some references suggest they were assigned to 12 GIAP, but this does not seem to be confirmed. Below are details of the extent to which I?ve been able to research these aircraft, using sources available in English, including several books and also a couple of 1/72 decal sheets:

(1) Decal sheet, included with the Red Sky 1/72 Yak-7A kit. Three aircraft:
   - ?Komsomol Kuzbassa?, white 7 on fin
   - ?Komsomol Kolymy?, white 5 on fin
   - ?Novosibirskiy Komsomol?, no tail number, red arrow on exhaust stacks
This source describes the aircraft as Yak-7As, flown in the Khabarovsk area, Summer, 1942.

(2) Decal sheet, Travers 72-013, ?Yak Fighters?. Includes ?Novosibirskiy Komsomol? but here with a white 9 tail number, as well as the red arrow on the exhaust area.

(3) Book, Erik Pilawskii, ?Soviet Air Force Fighter Colours 1941-1945?.
   - Profile, pg 145 - ?Novosibirskiy Komsomol?, with ?03? in red on lower rear fuselage side. Red arrow, also red fin tip. Described as Yak-7, Khabarovsk, Autumn 1942.
   - Photo, pg 162, ?Komsomol Kuzbassa?, from port side, captioned as a Yak-7B, 1943.

(4) Book, Hans-Heiri Stapfer, ?Yak Fighters in Action?.
- Photo, pg 26. Shows a lineup of several aircraft; this photo is widely published and seems to be the primary resource for reference to the three aircraft mentioned in (1) above. The caption describes these as early Yak-7Bs, lacking the gun-cocking mechanism fairings of later Yak-7Bs, and having non-standard wing root carburetor air intakes and short aerial masts.

(5) Book, C.-F. Geust, ?Red Stars 3?. This book also contains the photo described in (4) above.

(6) Book, Yefim Gordon, Dmitriy Khazanov, ?Yakovlev?s Piston-Engined Fighters? (Red Star Volume 5).
   - Profile, pg 139, ?Komsomol Kuzbassa?, Yak-7B
   - Photo, pg 45; again, the lineup photo as in (4) above
   - Photo, pg 45; shows ?Komsomol Kuzbassa? from starboard side of nose, plus the rest of the lineup, from a different angle.

(7) Book, Robert Bock, ?Yak-7 Yak-9? (AJ Press Aircraft Monograph No.14)
   - Photo, pg 38. Shows ?Komsomol Kuzbassa? from the starboard front, but closer and from a different angle compared to the photo in (6) above, with some pilots in the foreground. This photo shows the black paint on the prop blades to be very weathered, but also an interesting detail of the prop blade tips ? they appear to be painted (red?), with a curved, not straight, edge to the paint. Captioned as a Yak-7B, possibly of 12 GIAP, Summer, 1942.

(8) Book, George Mellinger, ?Yakovlev Aces of World War 2? (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No.64)
   - Profile, pg 41 (profile 17), ?Komsomol Kuzbassa?, described as Yak-7A of 12 GIAP, Moscow PVO zone, June 1942.
   - Photo, pg 35. This is the ?lineup? photo mentioned several times above, but reproduced with extremely good clarity, and slightly larger than the other references. In it, we see a number of interesting details. The lineup contains at least 8 aircraft. In addition to the three already mentioned, we can also see aircraft with tail numbers 4 and 8 (6?) farther down the line. It is also possible to see the presence or absence of the cartridge ejection chutes in the upper cowling panels on several aircraft, a detail useful for modeling purposes in distinguishing between early and late Yak-7Bs (or the Yak-7A).
   (There is also a good photo on pg 36 of another donated Yak-7 (a Yak-7A or early Yak-7B), this one inscribed ?Novosibirskiy Pioner?, and apparently donated by the Young Pioneers organization. Here the fuselage star contains the Young Pioneers badge, instead of the Komsomol badge.)

I have not drawn a lot of conclusions from this. There is much variation in the description of the type of Yak-7 donated to the squadron; my own judgement is that they were a mixed batch of Yak-7Bs, some of them early versions (having the shell ejection chute, like a Yak-7A, in the cowling upper panel) and others being late versions (with the cowling panel bulges over the gun mechanisms, but this feature is not easily visible. I made the early/late judgement based only on whether or not the shell ejection chute was visible).

My question is, is there another reference (or references), either in print or on the Internet, which gives a more complete investigation and representation of these fascinating aircraft? These Yak-7s are just as interesting and worthy of specific treatment as (for example) the Valeriy Chkalov La-5 series of aircraft. Can anyone add more details or different interpretations to my summary above?

I hope no one will object to me, once again, cross-posting this message, in order to ask my question to as many enthusiasts as possible!

John Thompson

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi John,
your bibliography on this item is impressive.
There exist an image where, on the background of a MiG-3U (I-230) and a bubbletop Yak white 27 there is a Yak-7  white 03 with the slogan. I looked at it very superficially. Is it the same plane of your list?
If yes, the image is almost surely of 12 GIAP, because all I-230s were utilized by this unit.
Please,have a look at my I-230 file on the MiG-3 page and let me know if it's the same plane.
Massimo

[John Thompson]

Hi Massimo! Thanks for pointing that out - the image you mentioned is very interesting! It shows a Yak-7 (early -7B?) with the "Novosibirskiy Komsomol" inscription. Is it the same aircraft as I referred to in my original post? It's hard to say. There are some variations in markings - if the "Komsomol" emblem is present on the fuselage star, it's very hard to see; likewise, if the red arrow on the exhaust area is there, it is very faint in this photo. Also, that light-coloured circle (an unpainted access panel) just ahead of the cockpit can't be seen in the photo of "Novosibirskiy Komsomol" I referred to. Your photo also shows what appears to be a white tip on the spinner. There appears to be a different shape to the wing root air intakes between one photo and the other as well. Considering that the MiG-3U photo was taken about a year later, perhaps "Novosibirskiy Komsomol" underwent some changes in its markings during that time, or else it's another aircraft altogether, with the same inscription. Maybe it's my imagination, but it appears that the inscription text on the aircraft in your MiG-3U photo is farther forward on the fuselage side by about the width of one letter, which (together with the intake shape difference) suggests it's a different aircraft with the same inscription.

This game is fun, isn't it?! 

John

[John Thompson]

I posted the same message on the Air Warfare forum, and got a very informative reply from one of the regulars there. Turns out that my theories about early and late Yak-7Bs were misinformed (in other words, just plain *wrong*) - see:
http://www.airwarfareforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=37821#37821

John Thompson

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi John,
your research is very inyeresting. Should I collect documents for a page on Yaks, I'll ask you for suggestions. But it's a very far future, also because the argument is very wide.
Massimo