I-153s with winter camouflages

Updated on April 1, 2016

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The usual factory grey/aluminium finish of I-153s was often mistakenly considered a winter camouflage by some authors.

Photos of I-153 with real winter camouflage are very rare, also because the type itself became rare after the losses of the first months of war.

 

Drawing by Tapani Tuomanen

This image seems to show ski-equipped planes on which the silver-finished fabric surfaces were repainted with washable white paint MK-7, probably excluding the undersurfaces, while the metallic parts preserved their original light grey AE-9 finish.

The red stars preserve the original black outline and circle, but it's likely that the stars on the upper wing surfaces were painted off with white paint.

A red or black factory number seems visible both on the fin and the rudder.

The engine cowling is not visible; the drawing represents it hypothetically as an M-62.

Drawing by Tapani Tuomanen

 

This photo of 2 december 1941 seems to be the only available that shows an I-153 painted with a real winter scheme made with MK-7 washable white distemper. Note the different color of the undersurface of the fuselage.

The engine cowling is not visible; the profile represents it hypothetically as an M-63.

Another interesting image of what seems a winter camouflaged plane, but it leaves many doubts. The plane seems a prewar silver-grey plane with a red star added on its rudder and soft green blotches oversprayed, ski-equipped and with M-62 engine. If so, the photo could be dated in winter 1941-42.

The photo looks strangely blurried on some positions; this is suspicious, maybe it could be some sort of photo elaboration.