Customer Reviews

Soviet Air Force Fighter Colours 1941-45 (Classic Colours)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

WOW! Superlatives come easy with this incredible 2003 offering from Ian Allan Publishing. Although titled SOVIET AIR FORCE FIGHTER COLOURS 1941-1945, Erik Pilawskii's book is far, far more than that. Pilawskii provides not only what is probably THE definitive book on VVS fighter camouflage schemes, he also presents a detailed account of the development and combat careers of all of Mother Russia's major WWII fighters AND an insightful history of the Russian aircraft industry during the Great Patriotic War. This is truly one impressive book!

After summaries of VVS color schemes and aircraft, Pilawskii takes the reader through the LaGG-3, La-5/-5N/-7, MiG-1/3, I-15/-152/-153/-16 and Yak-1/-7/-9/-3, tracing the various paint schemes created for each aircraft. Marvelous color profiles by Chris Banyai-Piepl and color schematics by Pilawskii himself bring the VVS warbirds to startling life. The camouflage specs were based on previously untapped sources, the records of the various factories producing fighters combined with Pilawskii's extensive knowledge of the subject. Western readers' assumptions about VVS schemes will certainly have to be revised after publication of this book.

Yet, as stated, Pilawskii's book is so much more than a "VVS paint scheme" book. In describing each fighter, he revises our knowledge of their development, combat performance, even their exact designation...again by using those production records. He presents fascinating insights into how those aircraft came to be built and modified, the bitter - and often underhanded - battles between the various Russian Fighter Bureaus, the important role played by TsAGI, the often bumbling influence Stalin had on fighter development, the battle between the monoplane vs. biplane camps, the developments made in fighter armament and so on. SOVIET AIR FORCE FIGHTER COLOURS won't be enjoyed just by modellers but historians as well.

Pilawskii packs an amazing amount of information and illustrations into the book's 224 pages. Along with hundreds(!) of profiles and schematics, the book features countless b&w and color photographs and aircraft side profiles and four-views.

In summary, impeccable research + gorgeous artwork = one extremely impressive and valuable book. This treasure trove is worth every penny of its $56.95 cover price and deserves six stars. Highly recommended.

another great sale from the guys in England. Part of a great series by classic colours. covers the fighters in outstanding detail. Like a conbined set of black jadgwaffe books all in one package. one on bombers and and one on the rest of the VVS and the set would be complete. This is a great start.

Information on Soviet paint schemes has, for the most part, been contradictory and sparse. Eric Pilawskii's book goes a long way toward clearing things up. Based on years of exhaustive research in previously unavailable Soviet archives, Soviet Air force Fighter Colors 1941-1945 is not only a good overview of standard specifications and practices but also a type-by-type manual on Russian camoflage, both factory and field applied. Excellent line drawings differentiate the sub-types of each fighter design, and color three views and profiles give the layout of various patterns and styles of paintwork. Additional profiles document individual aircraft. There is also a good selection of archival photography, some in color, with many of these quite new to me. I highly recommend this work to anyone with an interest in this area, it is very readable and informative, and beautifully illustrated.

This book has the best description of russian camouflage that I've already seen. Very good.