I-153 Soviet n.12- Finnish IT-19 |
Updated on January 26, 2016
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Plane n.12, flown by pilot Biatkowsky, made a force landing on Kerimäki on 25.6.41. The pilot, wounded, was captured by Finns.
An unusual characteristic of this plane is that it is fully painted with a solid aluminium livery on metallic parts too, instead of the usual aluminium-grey.
The aluminium paint looks extended to the inner face of doors and to the outer side of main gear legs.
A stange thing is an halo with different brightness visible on the left side of the rudder, covering part of the number too. This is well visible on all photos.
The number 12 is described as red in bibliography, but it looks darker than the red star, so it should be painted with a darker color, possibly black.
The captured plane reciived quickly Finnish national markings on both sides
of the fuselage only. Besides, it receivedv yellow upper wingtips and a yellow
band
around the fuselage.
In a first time, the swastika looks without the usual white circle.
On another photo, the swastika lies inside a white circle, and the cowling seems repainted yellow. The 12 on the rudder was preserved, and so the strange halo on its left side.
These paintings were used for the transmission flight only; the plane was never used on missions until fully repainted into Finnish livery
Photos from SIH 7 "Venäläiset hävittäjät" of Kalevi Keskinen, Kari Stenman.
The plane was repainted with the standard Finnish camouflage.
On 31.7.41 the plane was assigned to 3/LLv 6 as VH-19.
From 10.9.42 its code changed into IT-19 .