Red 35
By Massimo Tessitori
File updated on May 2, 2014
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This image shows Senior Lieutnant Georgii Dimitrievich Kostylev of 3 Guards IAP of Red Banner Baltic fleet.
He was a veteran of the Winter War against Finland.  On 23 October 1942 he was made Hero of the Soviet Union.
He later became commander officer of the Regiment.
His total score was of 14 individual plus 32 shared victories; he remained in the Navy until 1953, and died in 1960.

The plane red 35 (or, less likely, red 75) was not his personal plane, that is known to be 'white 64' from http://airaces.narod.ru/all1/kostylv1.htm

Very few is visible of this winter camouflaged LaGG-3, but the red number 35 (or, less likely, 75) seems to have the same font, size and position of those seen on the planes of 44 IAP, including the lack of the fuselage star. It could be a plane belonged to 44 IAP after having been repainted for the winter and delivered to another unit from a maintenance facility; both units were in Leningrad area. The resemblance could also be a mere coincidence.
Anyway this plane seems not the same 35 of of 44 IAP appearing on another photo: its radio mast looks shorter.
This aircraft could be of series 1/3 whose characteristics are:
 
  • sharp prop spinner;
  • tubular exhaust stacks;
  • 1 UB 12,7 mm mm firing through the propeller shaft;
  • 1 12,7 UB machine gun guns on the left side of the engine cowling, and relative holes on the left side of the cowling;
  • 2  7,62 mm ShKAS machine guns on the engine cowling;
  • engine cowling with dzus locks

  • pointed side plates behind the exhaust stacks;
  • wide flat inlets on engine cowling sides;
  • three slots on left nose panel;
  • recessed outlet on right panel;
  • early oval (?) supercharger intakes;
  • short radio mast;
  • straight rudder with two balance masses;
  • water cooler outlet on the fuselage with small step and short (?) flap;
  • fixed tail wheel;
  • no slats, pitot on the right leading edge.
Besides, 35 could have part of the main gear doors removed, as many similar aircraft.
 
go to strange numbers - 44 IAP LaGG-3s
 go to white distemper - 3GvIAP LaGG-3s