hidden La-5 n.57
By Massimo Tessitori
File updated on October 20, 2004
 go to "Eskadrilya Valeriy Chkalov"

 

These are not the photos that one can dream when researching documents for a profile; they represent details of the background of by far larger and more representative images.
However, all what we see is sufficient to try a likely description of this aircraft, that has not the "Eskadrilya Valeriy Chkalov" inscription as his more glorious brother red 22, but is interesting all the same because its nose shows a summer camouflage, while the rear fuselage, and probably the wings uppersurface, are winter camouflaged.
All parts not visible on the images were drawn as on other similar aircrafts.
The demarcation line of the white coat on the sides of red 57 is not visible on photos, but we can reasonably assume that it was similar to this other aircraft visible on the background over red 82 (see image below).


 
The aircraft nose and part of the struts look to be painted in AII green and dark green.
Small parts were left uncovered by the white paint to show the maintenance stencilling and factory codes on the base summer camouflage.
The characters of the red number 57 are probably standard of factory, as the white ones of the summer camouflaged La-5s.
 go to "Eskadrilya Valeriy Chkalov"