This aircraft is of 6th IAP of 7 IAD of the Pacific Fleet, photographed
on Uglovoye airfield ( not too far from Vladivostock) on August 18, 1943.
The closer man is leytenant F. I. Gretchin, the political officer of
the unit.
The striking painting scheme is well different than the factory one,
but it looks to be common to other aircrafts of the same unit.
The aircraft on the background looks to have white undersurfaces instead
than light blue ones; all that probably results from repainting of new
summer schemes over winter finished aircrafts.
Photo from Mikyan's Piston-Engined Fighters, by Yefim
Gordon and Keith Dexter
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Its characteristics look to be:
-
late model, probably with slats;
-
without radio;
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camouflaged green and sand (or light grey?) with black stripes and
light blue undersurfaces; the green rear surface looks mottled with darker
colour;
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white 54 on the fuselage;
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probably red stars with white outline on the tail (at least, on the background
an aircraft with such a star looks visible, and this sounds reasonable
in mid 1943);
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probably plain red stars on wing undersurfaces (a white outline, if present,
should be visible even in the shadowed undersurface, but I don't see it);
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spinner apparently painted white (or light blue) and red, with starter
tooth; white paint is roughly brushed, and extends on the nose too;
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apparently white or unpainted propeller blades.
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