PR-5 in military service

Updated on November 12, 2013

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Drawing by Tapani Tuomanen

PR-5 was an airliner version with rounded section plywood fuselage accommodating an heated vane for four passengers and an enclosed pilot cockpit.

220 PR-5 were built in Z.241 in 1936-39 and over 40 P-5 were converted to PR-5 in 1940.

These photos taken by German soldiers in 1941 show a damaged old plane in military markings.

The plane was already old at the date of its capture, and shows extensive silver brush repaintings, particularly on the back of the fuselage and around the door, probably intended to protect the wood against exposure to elements.

Being a military plane, the most likely color for its background is AII light grey or similar paint.

On some photos, an inscription can be seen aside the cockpit, close to the Venturi tube; it was made by German occupants after the capture.