I16Type24 Snr. Lt. Mikhail J. Vasiliev 4 Guards IAP 'White 28' Red Banner Baltic Fleet, Lake Ladoga, Spring 1942.

[SR603-Flowbee]

I started this skin after seeing many pics (all different interpretations) and then coming across this color plan.

 

 

This then led to the following skin.

 

 

 

 

https://mega.nz/file/ktlxnSqL#XkZNYOT3l3oGdWgHUOf8ozCiAFk1SaGCUzgfTQChByo

 

However just as I was finishing up I came across an original b/w photo and some more info on the pilot so adjusted the skin to reflect this late information.

 

 

 

 

https://mega.nz/file/s9syBJTT#t5zQftH5GQTJp5WYhy3PvJ2-f9xYJggcGPlImbHdsF8

 

You can make the case that that the number needs to move forward and the tail star needs to be much bigger. What interests me is that in the photograph the tail star looks white. I'm not sure if that is because of reflection from high gloss paint or did Soviet planes actually use white or yellow stars?

 

 

[Pict]

2 hours ago, SR603-Flowbee said:

You can make the case that that the number needs to move forward and the tail star needs to be much bigger. What interests me is that in the photograph the tail star looks white. I'm not sure if that is because of reflection from high gloss paint or did Soviet planes actually use white or yellow stars?

 

The tail star is clearly of a larger proportion so that case would be one I would certainly make.

 

The soviets used a couple of different types of black & white film back in the day and red looking white was one of the annomolies you will come across when attempting to anyalise them. A great scource of information on that topic and where I got that little snippit of information is the great book - Soviet Air Force Fighter Colours 1941-45 by Erik Pilawski

 

 

Which just happens to have your subject on the cover. The thick outlined yellow bordered star also featured on the cover was fairly uncommon unlike it's thick white bordered stablemate which was way more common than many skinners seem to reflect, but that's a whole subject of it's own that given the time I'd like to open a whole thread on.

 

If you're interested I can send you some stuff I have on this topic when I get a moment clear.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Pict

[SR603-Flowbee]

That is really interesting and thanks for adding that information. I always thought that red looked black in b/W photos as in the aircraft in the background on the book cover. Amazing to think that the type of film used could switch that around.

 

Making the star bigger could be a problem as the skin is cuts right through the star and the star has to cross a gap between tail plane and rudder. Getting the star to match back up is probably going to take hours of trial and error to look symmetrical. I’m not sure I want to commit to that but I could give it at least a trial attempt. I would like to see what the aircraft on the book cover would look like though and will have a go at that.

 

Any further information that you have would be most welcome.

[Pict]

9 hours ago, SR603-Flowbee said:

Making the star bigger could be a problem as the skin is cuts right through the star and the star has to cross a gap between tail plane and rudder.

 

Ah ha, my first go to trick in this situation is look at how others have tackled the problem   , as this can save much time an effort. So I had a quick look see and found that few people have tackled it 

 

It has been done though on one of the stock in game skins, but a small part of the rudder remains visible at the top hinge, so there could well be a little issue there, not that it's a big deal. I'm going to look into this further and use the little tool I made long ago to see if it's paintable.

 

Other than that it just looks like a line up problem, which while a nuisance is not as bad as distortion through poor model wrapping, the worst I remember was the Spitfire VB fuselage from IL2 Forgotten Battles....but I digress.

 

Yes, will send you a pm shortly with some data and have a dig into the rudder star issue in due course.

[SR603-Flowbee]

Thanks for the pointer I will have a look as there is no point reinventing the wheel. I have spent hours getting little bits of camo to match up across cuts and avoid going there if possible. I prefer spending time on some tiny bit of weathering that’s barely even noticeable. ?

[SMARTAZZ]

3 hours ago, SR603-Flowbee said:

I prefer spending time on some tiny bit of weathering that’s barely even noticeable. ?

Your weathering details is what makes your skins so great?

[SR603-Flowbee]

With the help received from Pict, I have made a historically corrected version however as I have found out this is by no means definitive but just another step towards recreating what the aircraft might have looked like back in time. The colors are faded for no other reason than the photo suggests that this might be.

 

 

 

 

https://mega.nz/file/0otDQAYJ#WUONP2QcU5fDQJGhMyOzI19EEgAzX62NObnCjIeYyUM

[Vig]

When all is said and done I often find that I like the aircraft as depicted in profiles better than the real one shown in photographs.  Thanks for giving us both!

 

[FurphyForum]

This skin is truly a little gem. 

[-=[]=-little-Guardian]

Thank you flowbee for these two (three)

 

Great addition!

 

And  +1 :   "some tiny bit of weathering that’s barely even noticeable"

That's one of the reasons your skins are so special . . .

 

Greeitngs

 

little Guardian

[SCG_Junkman]

Thank you Flowbee great skins great art work

[RFG_Hisl]

? Very Nice!!

[Danziger]

Anybody seen from Flowbee lately?

[timothy55]

Been thinking the same for the last month.

[-=[]=-little-Guardian]

 

+1