A-20 Boston, winter front engine 'shutter' modification?

[Troy Smith]

HI all

a query, which does not seem to have been raised

in this photo

Captain I S Petrosyan reconnanssance crew near white camouflaged A-20B Petrosyan is second from the left Ventral navigator's hatch is open, we can see steps on its interior side

there is a metal shutter plate over the front of the engine, not unlike the one seen on the I-16

Never seen a mention of this, it's is also seen in other photos of the same unit [winter camouflaged A-20B's], in Red Stars 4, p.110, and the Red Stars 1/2/3 combined book on p.112, I'd scan them but it's a lot of work to do right now.

I'm presuming it's some cold weather modification, probably done at unit or PARM level?

Any thoughts or clarifications anyone?

The photo caption is from this book
http://www.aviapress.com/viewonekit.htm?MCS-009


anyone here have this book?  Does it mention this?

[Graham Boak]

The little bomb rack under the wing is also interesting.

[Dark Green Man]

The little bomb rack under the wing is also interesting.

I also noticed the FAB-100 hanging on the DER-19 bomb-rack .

[KL]

The photo caption is from this book
http://www.aviapress.com/viewonekit.htm?MCS-009


anyone here have this book?  Does it mention this?

Hi Troy,
you may download book here http://www.fileswat.com/file/SD581J9W4J1W1IDKQIRTHWHCPxE/
click under the red dial....

text and some photos are available at http://www.bellabs.ru/51/BostonUSSR/BostonUSSR.html

HTH,
KL

[Troy Smith]

Hi Konstantin

Thank you, very helpful.

Some more images and comments DGM, thanks for info on bombs.
Graham, it seems that the bomb racks were a U.S. fitting?
 as a this shot at Abadan shows.
the already applied red star underwing and the dark circle [fresh olive drab?]  round fuselage stars is of note.



there is also this drawing





this shot mentions the winter cowl, and shows it to be a kind of shutter,  the top photo shows it closed if you look carefully.



this is another shot, also in Red Stars showing 606/II with double racks,


 there is another shot of this plane from the other side.  A few more shots from this photo session exist it appears.

Worth posting up, or a separate thread?