Soviet Air Force Fighter Colours 1941-45 (Classic Colours) [Hardcover]

Erik Pilawskii (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2004

This book represents probably the most detailed study published in the English language of the camouflage and markings of the fighter aircraft of the Soviet Air Force during World War II. Erik Pilawskii is a scholar of the Soviet Air Force in World War II and has undertaken several years of research to produce this ground-breaking book. With information drawn from previously inaccessible Soviet archives, the author first presents a detailed analysis of the developments, trends, patterns and irregularities of the color systems seen on Russian fighters and offers a fascinating insight into the workings of the Soviet manufacturing system responsible for this task. He then brings readers a technical study of each of the main fighter aircraft and variants, and each description is followed by coverage of camouflage and markings, factory-applied, field variations and seasonal. The text is supported by hundreds of rare and previously unpublished photographs and more than 40 commissioned full color artworks. Furthermore, hundreds of color illustrations portray the immense variety of patterns related to this fascinating subject. This book will be a must-have for all students of Soviet air power and Russian aircraft modelers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Classic Publications (January 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 190322330X
• ISBN-13: 978-1903223307
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #810,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The new Holy Grail of VVS books, February 13, 2005

By 

Kelly Jamison - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soviet Air Force Fighter Colours 1941-45 (Classic Colours) (Hardcover)

Printed as a hard cover book that measures in at 9 ¼ by 12 ¼ and is 224 pages filled with rare photographs and color profiles of all the main Soviet fighters used during this time period. Chris Banyai-Riepl expertly completes the profile and ling drawings while Eric himself did the schematics in the book. This is really three books in one. An expertly researched book on the histories of each of these aircraft, a perfect line drawing reference book, and a beautifully rendered profile paintings of the major players during this four year period of time.

Printed on very nice paper stick the photographs are reproduced very well. Take into mind that many of these photographs are very old and the negatives have long since been lost to time. There photos of museum aircraft pointing out errors or accuracies of the plane in question.

I really liked the color profiles. They are very well done and shows Chris Banyai-Riepl's work off as the master that he is. Eric Pilawskii did a wonderful job of breaking down a daunting amount of information and giving it to us in digestible portions to make it easier to understand. Grouped into aircraft type and chronological order for ease of information make sense to me.

The coverage of this informative title is presented as follows:.


A Treatise on VVS Colour Systems
An Introduction to Soviet Aircraft of the Great Patriotic War
Lavochkin LaGG-3
Lavochkin La-5, La-5FN, La-7
Mikoyan & Gurevich I-200, MiG-1, MiG-3
Polikarpov I-15, I-152, I-153
Polikarpov I-16
Yakovlev Yak-1
Yakovlev Yak-7, UTI-26
Yakovlev Yak-9
Yakovlev Yak-3
Appendix I - Notable Prototypes and Developmental Aircraft
Appendix II - NKAP Painting Template
Appendix III - VVS National Markings
Appendix IV - Pilots
Appendix V - Performance Tables (Imperial)
I would say that this book is the new holy grail of VVS aircraft colors and schemes. I would have like to see a color chit system like the famous Monogram Color Guide of Luftwaffe Aircraft or a FS color equivalent chart but that is my wish only. I highly recommend this book to all interested in this subject and for those whom build the occasional Soviet aircraft, this book would still be one of the main source books on your shelf.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking and very specific., September 1, 2004

By 

R. Silva (Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soviet Air Force Fighter Colours 1941-45 (Classic Colours) (Hardcover)

This book shows a new twist on Soviet WWII camo. It does away with Cold War misconceptions about the colors used on Polikarpovs, YaKs, MiGs, LaGGs and Las. Pilawkii has researched minute variations on things like how different factories, or different factory workers, for that matter, painted the camouflage patterns on the planes. It has color 3 views for EVERY different pattern or each plane, which will be helpful for modellers or artists.

Different series of aircraft are noted, and the evoultion of the patterns on these is explained. For example, the LaGG-3 includes info for:

LaGG-3 Zavod 23
LaGG-3 1941 early
LaGG-3 1941 mid
LaGG-3 Zavod 153
LaGG-3-37 1941
LaGG-3 1942
LaGG-3 1942 Lightened
LaGG-3 1942 Boosted
LaGG-3 1942 Boosted & Lightened
LaGG-3 1942
LaGG-3-37 Improved & Lightened
LaGG-3 Type 105

Get the picture? Like that on all main plane desigantions. Plus the author includes specifications (with speed at sea level and at altitude) for each variant!! In imperial and metric measurements. Very well thought.

Also, every plane type includes 4 to 8 nicer, detailed side view profiles, as is the standard. None of the same stuff: actual, fresh-made profiles by web artist and model kit reviewer Banyai-Riepl.

4 and not 5 stars for not inlucing P-39s, P-47s, Spitfires, and other Lend-Lease planes in the camouflage descriptions. Maybe because they weren't MADE in the USSR, but they were still "Soviet Air Force Fighters." And also because there was only a little info on tactical number styles. Although there was a page or two about the colors used, and the places where they were painted, I feel more details could have been printed, the same as for the camo patterns.

Good book, mostly recommended for more hardcore Soviet plane geeks, or Soviet plane modellers.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Two stars only for such a renown author? Could be one or none, actually..., March 22, 2011

By 

Anatolij Cimarkin (Vilnius, LT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soviet Air Force Fighter Colours 1941-45 (Classic Colours) (Hardcover)

I am sorry, but my review will be far from glorifying the "titanic" work of Mr. Pilawskii. The main reason for this is the ability to read russian literature and scale modeling forums in the language of original. There are several severe problems with this book - first, and most significant - the author provides references to institutions in USSR that never existed, or archives that were never have been accessible neither for citizens, nor especially for foreigners. Lots of misspelled russian text in aircraft profiles, mismatched names of soviet aircraft designers alone allow me to judge that author is not as brilliant historian of Soviet Air Force as he claims to be. Lots of facts are derived by the author himself out of nowhere and represent complete guesswork, which can be denied either documentally, or by people, that have access to the wreck of actual aircraft. The colour representation is again a total psychedelic guesswork, most of the colour schemes, derived from the black-and-white photos are inconsistent (such acidic green never existed!), some paint names are also complete science-fiction (I'd even not use word "science" here, rather - fantasy), like Tractor of Factory Green.
The bad thing is - the author is not willing to acknowledge his mistakes and charges his opponents in the most unpleasant ways (calling them ultranationalists, KGB agents, complete profanes, stronger expressions are welcome as well), denies the provided colour material of USSR standard colour palettes and wreckage of real aircraft, insisting on his point of view and telling that all this is propaganda, fabricated against his theory.
And now, to the rather contradictory usefulness of this book - I have to admit, that in some way it gives the Western Reader some idea about USSR aircraft (yes, besides Spitfire and Mustang there were other great allied airplanes in WWII!!) and their role in winning the war. But since the rest of the book cannot be judged seriously, it is hard to say if this is a thumb-up.