Winter 6 of Zavod 30

a white camouflaged plane with partially disruptive camo

File updated on January 6, 2014
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Here are three images of the same Il-2 belly landed on the snow.

For what one can understand on the images, the white winter finish follows roughly the black bands of the typical camo scheme of Z.30; the horizontal tail surfaces seem all white (the first image seems to show them free from snow) while the last photo from the right shows clearly the wing leading edges with disruptive white camo as the rear fuselage.

The nose looks to have a fresh black repainting with a strange division line between blue and black, and a clean white band behind the spinner.

The wings are wooden, coherently with the hypothized origin of Z.30. The fuselage star is in low position, a thing already seen on the planes of this factory, while the red star on the tail is slightly shifted forward, not centered on the rudder hinges line as usual.

Having z.30 started the production of Il-2s in the spring 1942, the photo can be dated in the winter 1942/43.

The plane has the dust filter on the intake, as sometimes seen on late singleseaters.

Below: this looks the same wreck in a more advanced state of degrade.

Note that the white paint is well preserved, so probably it's some nitro paint, not the washable MK-7 that is usual for winter camouflaging.

Thanks to Istvan Vadasz and Aleksandr Ruchkovsky for the photos.