Deprecated: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is deprecated, use preg_replace_callback instead in /membri/massimotessitori/sovietwarplanes/board/Sources/Load.php(225) : runtime-created function on line 3
Ivan Nikiforovich Stepanenko's Yak-9T - 4 IAP - 1944
Sovietwarplanes
March 29, 2024, 01:39:26 AM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: This forum replaces the old sovietwarplanes.com whose domain has expired in January 2017. It has been updated with the posts of the year 2016.
The new location of the site 'Sovietwarplanes pages' is at http://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/
 
   Home   Help Search Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: Ivan Nikiforovich Stepanenko's Yak-9T - 4 IAP - 1944  (Read 2331 times)
jamoliva
Newbie
*
Posts: 17


« on: April 18, 2020, 07:30:04 PM »

Hello there! Hope all is well and you are safe and healthy. I have a question about Ivan Nikiforovich Stepanenko's Yak-9T that is in the photo below.



Most photo credits in Russian state that the photo is from late 1944 and was taken in Baltic front. Many profiles of the plane are in AMT 11/12 with tail tip and background of the Eagle is in AMT-7. The number is supposed to be red or blue 04. Now, my question is if this is an accurate depiction of the plane. I think it is but then why don't the red stars have any white outlines? Is it possible that this Yak-9 is just an earlier production (not a T model) that is in black and green (AMT-4/6)? I appreciate your help if you have any information. Thank you!

Please see below two different depictions:







Stepanenko is known for flying another Yak-9 earlier in his career that has a the AMT-4/6 camo but that was completely a different plane. See below:



Other Stepanenko Yak-9T photos but not as useful for my question:



Logged
Massimo Tessitori
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6528


« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2020, 07:39:27 PM »

Hi,
my visual impression of 04 is that it is a green-black plane; a bit of camouflage (not a shadow, it is already on the shadow of the wing) is visible under the arm of the pilot, and seems to show a dot compatible with the green-black profile.  A thing that seems wrong in the profile is the area under the stabilizer, usually it was camouflaged on green-black planes.
Early Yak-9T were delivered in late June 1943, so they were green/black. For a brief time, around late July or August, fighters were delivered with grey camouflage but stars without white-red outline, so this is not decisive.
It would be good to know when the pilot received this plane.
Another wrong thing is the color of the 04, it is clearly compatible with the star on the tail and not with the cap, that could be light blue (its central part is compatible with the darkness of the area around the eagle)
Observing the '0', one can see that it was made with a stencil and thin black outline, then it was enlarged by brush, probably with red.
In my idea, it is not the same plane of the second photo with the emblem, that looks to have a grey camouflage. Or perhaps the whole plane was repainted grey.
The third photo doesn't show the emblem or at least I can't see it. There is a vague light dot, looks a bit back if compared to the emblem of the previous image.
Is it sure that the number was 04? I know that only 4 is compatible with the space hidden by the pilot, but couldn't it be 0 only?
it would be good to make some research on him to see if the number is known by sure, or if the plane has ever been changed. 
Logged
66misos
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1598

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.


WWW
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2020, 11:35:40 AM »

Hi,
let me add some notes:
1. there is written on the drawing, that only port side view of the plane no. 04  was drawn by mechanic of the plane M.P. Borisovec. Top side view and starboard view are only speculations,
2. Stepanenko flew original Yak-9 "White 17" since June 1943 until he received new Yak-9T,
3. emblem of the Order of the Red Banner appeared on the nose after November 5, 1944, when the 4 iap received this award,
4. photo of Yak-9T no. 04 is retouched, hard to say what is original and what is result of retouch - at this photo shade of digit "0" is much closer to the red star than to light blue cap on the tail,
5. Yak-9T "04" is mentioned for period from autumn/winter 1943 until winter 1944,
6. there known examples of red star without thin red-white outline on the grey-grey Yaks and Lavochkins.
7. dark camouflage color at the first and second photo pretty well fit to official NKAP 1943 grey-grey-scheme for fighter:

8. his score painted on the starboard side behind cockpit shows 16 starlets (at least at that retouched photo). According to http://airaces.narod.ru/all1/stepanen.htm Stepanenko achieved 16 victories (included group ones) in may 1943, or pure individual victories in September 1943.
9. on that drawing is a list of victories achieved on Yak-9T "04" (not all, only examples) - it starts with the date of January 12, 1944.

So for me Stepanenko's Yak-9T looks like plane with:
- NKAP 1943 grey-grey camouflage,
- red stars without red-white outline,
- light blue cap on the tail,
- red number 04 (or dirty white like quite often seen on other planes?),
- eagle on the light blue background/sky,
- red propeller spinner, w/wo light (yellow?, white?, light blue?) ring according to your personal preferences,
- no Red Banner emblem before November 4, 1944. 
- Red Banner emblem on the nose starboard side only for plane after November 5, 1944, that time Stepanenko already had 35 individual+group victories.

Regards,
   66misos



Logged

jamoliva
Newbie
*
Posts: 17


« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2020, 11:46:09 PM »

Wonderful! Thank you both very much for your assistance.

I assume that the victory stars were also most likely to be applied only on one side. Would that be correct?

CZ
Logged
Massimo Tessitori
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6528


« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2020, 08:07:47 AM »

I suppose yes.
Please, keep us informed on your work.
Regards
Massimo
Logged
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.11 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!