Cave painting of the US Air Force. Rock art of the American Air Force How to draw planes about the second world war

The art of drawing on aircraft fuselages - nose art - appeared during the First World War.

Californian art historian and antiquary Bruce Herman argues that the designs on the planes are a continuation of the European chivalric tradition of heraldry.

“The pilots of the First World War most often themselves belonged to ancient noble families and, perhaps, seriously perceived themselves as new knights. They even had their own special knightly “honor code”. During the Middle Ages, knights painted their shields - they painted family names on them. coat of arms. It is here that one should look for the origins of the tradition of painting military aircraft, "says Herman.

It is worth noting that the painting of aircraft during the First World War is highly professional and is of real artistic value.

"Most pilots from the beginning of the century before the war received a professional artistic education," Herman explains.

During the First World War, the pilots did not directly paint the aircraft themselves. Coats of arms, pictures and mottos were drawn on canvas, which was then attached to the wing or tail of the combat vehicle. At auctions, the price for such works of art can reach several hundred thousand dollars.

The Second World War

With the outbreak of World War II, the art of painting combat aircraft has undergone dramatic changes. Classical plots and classical art disappeared forever from the sides of fighters and bombers. His place was taken by popular cartoon characters.

The fashion for the "war paint" of aircraft quickly won the hearts of pilots during the Second World War.

"Americans were the most uninventive, but the most active artists," says Herman.

Few people know that the founder of animation - Walt Disney - was also the "godfather" of nose art. After the outbreak of the war, the leadership of the US Air Force hired artists from the Disney studio solely to paint combat aircraft.

During the war, the Disney studio created free sketches of drawings for coloring planes, tanks, and even patches on uniforms. drawing not only for the US military, the sketches were requested by military units from the UK, Poland, China, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and France. For the duration of the war, Disney provided five artists for the needs of the army. During World War II, 1,200 drawings for the military were drawn at the Disney studio. The most popular hero was Donald Duck. The only cartoon character who has never been drawn on military equipment was Bambi.

Disney himself, who went through the First World War as a soldier, amused himself in combat by drawing on the helmets of his comrades. However, admirers of Disney's work did not live only in the United States.

"Disney was furious when he learned that several dozen Luftwaffe fighters had his Mikiy Mouse painted on the fuselage," says Herman.

In addition to animation, the main source of inspiration for war artists was Esquire magazine. Most often, the pictures of Esquire artist Alberto Vargas were reproduced on the fuselages of bombers and fighters.

Nose art 1945-2003

After the end of the Second World War, nose art gained wide popularity. Now about the pictures that decorate combat aircraft, they know not only in the sky, but also on the ground.

In the West, extensive catalogs of symbols and drawings made on aircraft during various military conflicts are published.

The plot of the picture most often depends on the nature of the conflict.

It is worth noting that there are practically no unpainted aircraft, for example, in the US Air Force. There are even pictures on top-secret B-2 and F-117 bombers. But in order to avoid misunderstandings, their pilots draw exclusively on the inside of the bomb bay doors or other surfaces that are invisible to the authorities.

Officially, the only air force unit allowed to paint aircraft is the 23rd Fighting Group "Flying Tigers".

They began to decorate aircraft with images almost immediately after combat aviation appeared. The ancestors of this type of painting were Italian and German pilots. It is believed that the first drawing applied to the fuselage of an aircraft was the image of a sea monster on the nose of an Italian flying boat in 1913. Later, drawing a picture on an airplane was called nose art.
Initially, the images on the planes resembled heraldic symbols, similar to those applied to the shields of the ancient knights. It is worth remembering the rearing stallion (cavallino rampante) of the Italian ace Francesco Baracchi. This coat of arms was later used by Ferrari.

Later, the drawings on the aircraft became more diverse. For example, storks flaunted on the fuselages of French aircraft from Escadrille les Cigognes. The most popular nose art became in the US Air Force during World War II. The initiators of the coloring of the aircraft were often not the pilots, but the personnel serving it. Pin-up had a great influence on the development of nose art in the USA. So, the image of a naked pin-up star of that era, Betty Grable, was emblazoned on many military aircraft. In the USSR, such liberties, of course, were not allowed, but the drawings on Soviet aircraft of that time were also distinguished by beauty and sophistication. Many Soviet viewers were able to get acquainted with the drawings on airplanes thanks to the film “Only “old men” go into battle”. On the fuselage of the plane of the squadron commander Alexei Titarenko, played by Leonid Bykov, a musical staff was depicted. The image of notes is not accidental. Such a picture, for example, was on the plane of the Soviet attack pilot Vasily Emelianenko, who had a musical education. It also recalls the plane that the Utyosov Ensemble presented to Soviet pilots during the war. Cases when aircraft were built at the expense of citizens were not uncommon. Such fighters usually had an inscription indicating on whose money the machine was created. Sometimes there was a small image next to the inscription.

Photo: Kostylev's La-5 aircraft on display at the Leningrad Defense Museum.

Photo: Captain Alexander Lobanov (left) and Major Alexander Pavlov next to the La-5FN, April 10, 1945

Photo: Lieutenant Zabiyaka G.I. against the background of the nominal Pe-2 of the 205th series. The inscription "Zabiyaka" is white, the lightning is yellow

Photo: Lieutenant Gennady Tsokolaev. On board - the emblem "Guard"

Photo: Captain Alexander Nikolaevich Kilaberidze of the 65th GIAP in the cockpit of the Yak-9, Belarus

Photo: “Lionheart”, LaGG-3 Lieutenant Yuri Shchipov, 9th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Air Force

Photo: Squadron commander of the 566th ShAP Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Mykhlik

Photo: The IL-2 "Avenger" was built at the expense of the chairman of the collective farm Grigor Tevosyan, whose two brothers died in the war. The plane was flown by Nelson Stepanyan.

Photo: Georgy Baevsky (right) and mechanic Sobakin in front of the Yak-9U. 5 GvIAP. Spratau airfield, Germany. April 1945

Photo: On the tail of LAGG-3 Leonid Galchenko, instead of a red star, a black cat is depicted playing with a mouse. 1942 The cat was originally white

Photo: Malyutina Elena Mironovna and her swallow

Photo: Commander of the 180th Guards Fighter Stalingrad Red Banner Aviation Regiment of the Guard Senior Lieutenant Viktor Lukoshkov against the backdrop of La-5FN

Photo: Major General Georgy Zakharov in the cockpit of the Yak-3. On the plane - George the Victorious, piercing a snake with the head of Goebbels. Spring 1945

Photo: Pilot of the 958th Assault Aviation Regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Meylus.

Photo: Aerocobra Vyacheslav Sirotin

Photo: Orel Mikhail Avdeev

Photo: Nikolai Proshenkov and his Airacobra

Photo: Vasily Emelianenko's plane

Photo: Yak-9B aircraft of the commander of the 168th IAP, Lieutenant Colonel Grigory Kogrushev.

Photo: Captain Aleksey Zakalyuk, 104th GvIAP

Photo: Alexey Alelyukhin's plane

Photo: Captain Georgy Urvachev (left)

Photo: Fighter pilot Vladimir Dmitriev

Photo: Aircraft of Senior Lieutenant Vasily Aleksukhin

Photo: Fedor Dobysh and Alexander Pomazunov in front of a Pe-2 with a crocodile

Photo: Abrek Barsht's plane

Photo: Nikolai Didenko's plane

Drawing drawings on combat aircraft during the Great Patriotic War was not welcome, although they turned a blind eye to this. Drawings on the fuselage began to be applied more often after the Battle of Kursk in 1943, when the initiative passed to the Red Army. Often, next to the image on the plane, stars were seen according to the number of enemy aircraft shot down (for the first time, Spanish pilots began to do this). On Soviet aircraft, victories could be indicated by asterisks of several colors. A personal victory was marked in one color, aircraft shot down in a group - in another.
There were cases when the fuselage was decorated with the image of the "Golden Star", received for a victory. Old traditions have also been preserved: the nose of a fighter sometimes resembled the mouth of a mythical monster. In general, drawings and emblems that frighten the enemy were often applied. For example, a dragon was depicted on the Yak-9 fighter Gugridze, a toothy mouth was on the plane of Georgy Kostylev.
There were no special rules for applying emblems. Each squadron had its own customs. Some pilots had their own emblem, others - a common one for everyone. Often the planes were decorated with cards or a certain suit. As a rule, it was an ace. It was usually applied by distinguished pilots. So, the aces were drawn on the La-5 aircraft by Alexander Pavlov, on the LaGG-3 by Yuri Shilov.
Those who managed to knock out the German aircraft of the famous squadron placed on the fighter an emblem of this squadron pierced by an arrow or entwined with a snake or another similar symbol. For example, the planes of the squadron of the 9th Guards Regiment, commanded by Alexei Alelyukhin, carried on the sides an emblem invented by the pilot Evgeny Dranishchev with a leopard tearing his heart. This indicated that the pilots had defeated the aces of 9 Staffel JG 52 (the heart under the cockpit was their distinguishing mark). Animals were often depicted on Soviet military aircraft. Drawings of birds were also common. So, similar images were on the planes of such famous pilots as Mikhail Avdeev, Vladimir Pokrovsky, Vyacheslav Sirotin. Symbolic images, such as arrows and lightning bolts, were especially popular.

The tradition of putting pictures on combat vehicles dates back to the First World War, the Germans were its ancestors, but the Americans supported this tradition and deeply developed it. This "rock" painting is called Nose Art

The heyday of Nose Art was the Second World War - almost all American aircraft had their own names, and, apparently, about half of the aircraft wore drawings on the nose. The plots were very different, but most often they were cartoon characters or girls drawn in pin-up style. Nose Art was approved by the Air Force command as raising morale and providing some psychological support to the crew. American psychologists who studied the phenomenon of Aircraft Nose Art believe that in this way the aircraft was humanized, reminded the pilot of home and peaceful life, and served as a kind of psychological protection from war. Nowadays, pilots flying historic aircraft also apply Nose Art to their aircraft, either in classic form or creating original images.

Aviation Nose Art originated along with military aviation. Here is the airplane of the Italian ace of World War I Francesco Baracca

The heyday of Nose Art was World War II.
Almost all American aircraft had their own names. There are no exact statistics, but, apparently, about half of the aircraft wore Nose Art.

The most convenient place to place Nose Art is naturally the noses of bombers. There are many places, there is where to turn around. Boeing B-17G N9323Z

Boeing B-17G N900RW.

Boeing B-17G N3193G and girls again.

Liberator has even more space for pictures! Consolidated B-24A (LB-30) Liberator N24927

True, this aircraft was later repainted in a protective color and such graphics appeared on it.

And this is "Strawberry Bitch" from the Air Force Museum in Dayton. Consolidated B-24D Liberator 42-72843.

"Betty's Dream" (?) B-25J N5672V

Sad Angela, TB-25N N345BG.

Apache Princess, B-25J N1943J.

Nose Art was approved by the Air Force command as raising morale and providing some psychological support to the crew.
There were also restrictions. Drawings, as a rule, were worn only by combat aircraft, and in naval aviation, Nose Art was banned altogether.

Zodiac signs. Scales

Eagle with a bomb. B-25C N3774.

Corporal Ruby Newell - the most beautiful girl in the unit - at her portrait:

The crews painted the planes exclusively at their own expense. This was done by both amateurs and pros who served in parts - former artists, cartoonists.

Russian Get Ya! B-25J N747AF.

Pin-up girls were much more common than real wives and girlfriends. Often these works were copies of magazine drawings.

As noted, in the Pacific theater of operations, the girls for some reason were much lighter dressed than in Europe.

Night mission

Douglas B-26 N7705C

The most common pattern Aircraft Nose Art - shark mouth - invented during the First World War.

The huge nose air intake on the P-40 aircraft made it possible to draw such impressive shark mouths. Curtiss P-40N Warhawk NL40PN.

On the Mustangs, the nose was narrower, and their Nose Art often crawled under the cockpit. Although shark mouths also met. P-51D Mustang NL68JR.

Kid with tommigan. P-51D Mustang NL151HR.

Late Creation, Machine Gun Big Boss on a racing Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat NX805MB.

On Thunderbolts, it was convenient to draw Nose Art on massive engine hoods. Pink Dumbo on P-47D 45-49167, Air Force Museum.

Neanderthal, Republic P-47D Thunderbolt NX47DA.

The Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton has a large collection of Nose Art graphics in the form of fuselage skin sheets taken from scrapped B-52 bombers of various modifications. As a reminder of long gone, but turbulent times.

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon N7670C.

Transport aircraft. Despite the rather large size, the nose of the famous DC-3 is relatively small and it is rather difficult to draw a grandiose Nose Art on it. DC-3 N47HL.

Cards, dice, four-leaf clover are symbols of good luck.

"Delivery of Generals". DC-3 N7772 at the EAA Museum.

Smaller transporters, S-45s, also did not lag behind their larger counterparts in Nose Art. Beech C-45G N7694C.

Beech C-45H N167ZA.

Redhead. Beech C-45H N9550Z.

"Difficult child"

After the Vietnam War, Nose Art practically disappears and gradually returns only in the 1980s. It was considered that this restores the continuity of glorious martial traditions.

Modern original art. Dee Howard 500N500HP.

The cat is aiming a rocket at the MiG-29

In 2007, the British Ministry of Defense banned the use of images of girls as potentially offensive to female personnel. Now the procedure is complicated: first, the crew submits the Nose Art sketch to their commander, and he must coordinate the drawing with the wing command.

Once on the site, we held an Air Parade contest dedicated to the anniversary of the Victory, where readers were asked to guess the names of some of the most famous aircraft of World War II by their silhouettes. The competition has been completed, and now we are publishing photos of these combat vehicles. We offer to remember what the winners and the vanquished fought in the sky.

Edition PM

Germany

Messerschmitt Bf.109

In fact, a whole family of German combat vehicles, the total number of which (33,984 pieces) makes the 109th one of the most massive aircraft of World War II. It was used as a fighter, fighter-bomber, fighter-interceptor, reconnaissance aircraft. It was as a fighter that the Messer earned notoriety from Soviet pilots - at the initial stage of the war, Soviet fighters, such as the I-16 and LaGG, were clearly inferior in technical terms to the Bf.109 and suffered heavy losses. Only the appearance of more advanced aircraft, such as the Yak-9, allowed our pilots to fight with the "Messers" almost on an equal footing. The most massive modification of the machine was the Bf.109G ("Gustav").

Messerschmitt Bf.109

Messerschmitt Me.262

The aircraft was remembered not for its special role in the Second World War, but for the fact that it turned out to be the first-born jet aviation on the battlefield. Me.262 began to design even before the war, but Hitler's real interest in the project awakened only in 1943, when the Luftwaffe had already lost its combat power. The Me.262 possessed speed (about 850 km/h), altitude and rate of climb that were unique for its time, and therefore had serious advantages over any fighter of that time. In reality, for 150 Allied aircraft shot down, 100 Me.262s were lost. The low effectiveness of combat use was due to the "dampness" of the design, little experience in the use of jet aircraft and insufficient training of pilots.

Messerschmitt Me.262

Heinkel-111

Heinkel-111

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

The Ju 87 dive bomber, which was produced in several modifications, became a kind of forerunner of modern precision weapons, since it threw bombs not from a great height, but from a steep dive, which made it possible to more accurately aim the ammunition. It was very effective in the fight against tanks. Due to the specifics of the application in conditions of high overloads, the car was equipped with automatic air brakes to exit the peak in the event of a loss of consciousness by the pilot. To enhance the psychological effect, the pilot, during the attack, turned on the "Jericho Trumpet" - a device that emitted a terrible howl. One of the most famous aces pilots who flew the Stuka was Hans-Ulrich Rudel, who left rather boastful memories of the war on the Eastern Front.

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu

The tactical reconnaissance aircraft Fw 189 Uhu is interesting primarily for its unusual two-beam design, for which the Soviet soldiers nicknamed it "Rama". And it was on the Eastern Front that this reconnaissance spotter turned out to be the most useful to the Nazis. Our fighters knew well that after the "Rama" bombers would fly in and strike at reconnoitered targets. But to shoot down this slow-moving aircraft was not so easy because of its high maneuverability and excellent survivability. When approaching Soviet fighters, he could, for example, begin to describe circles of a small radius, into which high-speed cars simply could not fit.

Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu

Probably the most recognizable Luftwaffe bomber was developed in the early 1930s under the guise of a civilian transport aircraft (the creation of the German Air Force was prohibited by the Treaty of Versailles). At the beginning of World War II, the Heinkel-111 was the most massive Luftwaffe bomber. He became one of the main characters in the Battle of England - it was the result of Hitler's attempt to break the will to resist the British through massive bombing raids on the cities of Foggy Albion (1940). Even then it became clear that this medium bomber was obsolete, it lacked speed, maneuverability and security. Nevertheless, the aircraft continued to be used and produced until 1944.

Allies

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The American "flying fortress" during the war constantly increased its security. In addition to excellent survivability (in the form, for example, of the ability to return to base with one of four engines intact), the heavy bomber received thirteen 12.7-mm machine guns in the B-17G modification. A tactic was developed in which "flying fortresses" walked over enemy territory in a checkerboard pattern, protecting each other with crossfire. The aircraft was equipped with a high-tech Norden bombsight for that time, built on the basis of an analog computer. If the British bombed the Third Reich mainly at night, then the "flying fortresses" were not afraid to appear over Germany during daylight hours.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Avro 683 Lancaster

One of the main participants in the Allied bomber raids on Germany, a British heavy bomber of World War II. The Avro 683 Lancaster accounted for ¾ of the entire bomb load thrown by the British on the Third Reich. The carrying capacity allowed the four-engine aircraft to take on board "blockbusters" - super-heavy concrete-piercing bombs Tallboy and Grand Slam. Low security suggested the use of Lancasters as night bombers, but night bombing was not very accurate. During the day, these aircraft suffered significant losses. Lancasters took an active part in the most devastating bomb raids of World War II - on Hamburg (1943) and Dresden (1945).

Avro 683 Lancaster

North American P-51 Mustang

One of the most iconic fighters of the Second World War, which played an exceptional role in the events on the Western Front. No matter how the Allied heavy bombers defended themselves when raiding Germany, these large, low-maneuverable and relatively slow-moving aircraft suffered heavy losses from German fighter aircraft. North American, commissioned by the British government, urgently created a fighter that could not only successfully fight the Messers and Fokkers, but also have sufficient range (due to external tanks) to accompany bomber raids on the continent. When the Mustangs began to be used in this capacity in 1944, it became clear that the Germans had finally lost the air war in the West.

North American P-51 Mustang

Supermarine Spitfire

The main and most massive fighter of the British Air Force during the war, one of the best fighters of the Second World War. Its high-altitude and speed characteristics made it an equal rival to the German Messerschmitt Bf.109, and the skill of the pilots played a big role in the head-to-head battle of these two machines. Spitfires proved to be excellent, covering the evacuation of the British from Dunkirk after the success of the Nazi blitzkrieg, and then during the Battle of Britain (July-October 1940), when British fighters had to fight like German bombers He-111, Do-17, Ju 87, as well as with Bf. 109 and Bf.110.

Supermarine Spitfire

Japan

Mitsubishi A6M Raisen

At the beginning of World War II, the Japanese carrier-based fighter A6M Raisen was the best in the world in its class, even though its name contained the Japanese word "Rei-sen", that is, "zero fighter". Thanks to the external tanks, the fighter had a high flight range (3105 km), which made it indispensable for participating in raids on the ocean theater. Among the aircraft involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor were 420 A6Ms. The Americans learned lessons from dealing with the nimble, quick-climbing Japanese, and by 1943 their fighter aircraft had surpassed their once dangerous enemy.

Mitsubishi A6M Raisen

The most massive dive bomber of the USSR began to be produced even before the war, in 1940, and remained in service until the Victory. The low-wing aircraft with two engines and double fins was a very progressive machine for its time. In particular, it provided for a pressurized cabin and electric remote control (which, due to its novelty, became the source of many problems). In reality, the Pe-2 was not so often, unlike the Ju 87, used precisely as a dive bomber. Most often, he bombed areas from level flight or from a gentle, rather than deep dive.

Pe-2

The most massive combat aircraft in history (36,000 of these "silts" were produced in total) is considered a true legend of the battlefields. One of its features is a load-bearing armored hull, which replaced the frame and skin in most of the fuselage. The attack aircraft worked at heights of several hundred meters above the ground, becoming not the most difficult target for ground-based anti-aircraft weapons and an object of hunting by German fighters. The first versions of the Il-2 were built single-seat, without a side gunner, which led to rather high combat losses among aircraft of this type. And yet, the IL-2 played its role in all theaters where our army fought, becoming a powerful means of supporting ground forces in the fight against enemy armored vehicles.

IL-2

The Yak-3 was a development of the well-proven Yak-1M fighter. In the process of refinement, the wing was shortened and other design changes were made to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics. This light wooden aircraft showed an impressive speed of 650 km / h and had excellent low-altitude flight characteristics. Tests of the Yak-3 started at the beginning of 1943, and already during the battle on the Kursk Bulge, he entered the battle, where, with the help of a 20-mm ShVAK cannon and two 12.7-mm Berezin machine guns, he successfully opposed the Messerschmites and Fokkers.

Yak-3

One of the best Soviet La-7 fighters, which entered service a year before the end of the war, was a development of the LaGG-3 that met the war. All the advantages of the "ancestor" were reduced to two factors - high survivability and the maximum use of wood in the construction instead of scarce metal. However, the weak engine and heavy weight turned the LaGG-3 into an unimportant opponent of the all-metal Messerschmitt Bf.109. From LaGG-3 to OKB-21 Lavochkin they made La-5, installing a new ASh-82 engine and finalizing the aerodynamics. The modified La-5FN with a boosted engine was already an excellent combat vehicle, surpassing the Bf.109 in a number of parameters. In La-7, the weight was again reduced, and the armament was also strengthened. The plane has become very good, even remaining wooden.

La-7

U-2, or Po-2, created in 1928, by the beginning of the war was certainly a model of obsolete equipment and was not designed at all as a combat aircraft (a combat training version appeared only in 1932). However, in order to win, this classic biplane had to work as a night bomber. Its undoubted advantages are ease of operation, the ability to land outside airfields and take off from small areas, and low noise.

U-2

At low gas in the dark, the U-2 approached the enemy object, remaining unnoticed almost until the moment of bombing. Since the bombing was carried out from low altitudes, its accuracy was very high, and the "corn" inflicted serious damage on the enemy.

The article "Aerial parade of winners and losers" was published in the journal Popular Mechanics (

They began to decorate aircraft with images almost immediately after combat aviation appeared. It is believed that the first drawing applied to the fuselage of an aircraft was the image of a sea monster on the nose of an Italian flying boat in 1913.
Later, drawing a picture on an airplane was called nose art. Initially, the images on the planes resembled heraldic symbols, similar to those applied to the shields of the ancient knights. It is worth remembering the rearing stallion (cavallino rampante) of the Italian ace Francesco Baracchi. This coat of arms was later used by Ferrari.

Later, the drawings on the aircraft became more diverse. For example, storks flaunted on the fuselages of French aircraft from Escadrille les Cigognes. The most popular nose art became in the US Air Force during World War II. The initiators of the coloring of the aircraft were often not the pilots, but the personnel serving it. Pin-up had a great influence on the development of nose art in the USA. So, the image of a naked pin-up star of that era, Betty Grable, was emblazoned on many military aircraft. In the USSR, such liberties, of course, were not allowed, but the drawings on Soviet aircraft of that time were also distinguished by beauty and sophistication. Many Soviet viewers were able to get acquainted with the drawings on airplanes thanks to the film “Only “old men” go into battle”. On the fuselage of the plane of the squadron commander Alexei Titarenko, played by Leonid Bykov, a musical staff was depicted. The image of notes is not accidental. Such a picture, for example, was on the plane of the Soviet attack pilot Vasily Emelianenko, who had a musical education. It also recalls the plane that the Utyosov Ensemble presented to Soviet pilots during the war. Cases when aircraft were built at the expense of citizens were not uncommon. Such fighters usually had an inscription indicating on whose money the machine was created. Sometimes there was a small image next to the inscription.

Aircraft La-5 Kostylev in the exposition of the Museum of Defense of Leningrad.

Captain Alexander Lobanov (left) and Major Alexander Pavlov next to the La-5FN, April 10, 1945

Lieutenant Zabiyaka G.I. against the background of the nominal Pe-2 of the 205th series. The inscription "Zabiyaka" is white, the lightning is yellow

Lieutenant Gennady Tsokolaev. On board - the emblem "Guard"

Captain Alexander Nikolaevich Kilaberidze of the 65th GIAP in the cockpit of the Yak-9, Belarus

“Lionheart”, LaGG-3 Lieutenant Yuri Shchipov, 9th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Air Force

Squadron commander of the 566th ShAP Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Mykhlik

The Il-2 "Avenger" was built at the expense of the chairman of the collective farm Grigor Tevosyan, whose two brothers died in the war. The plane was flown by Nelson Stepanyan.

Georgy Baevsky (right) and mechanic Sobakin against the backdrop of the Yak-9U. 5 GvIAP. Spratau airfield, Germany. April 1945

On the tail of LAGG-3 Leonid Galchenko, instead of a red star, a black cat is depicted playing with a mouse. 1942 The cat was originally white

Malyutina Elena Mironovna and her swallow

Commander of the 180th Guards Fighter Stalingrad Red Banner Aviation Regiment of the Guard Senior Lieutenant Viktor Lukoshkov against the backdrop of La-5FN, July 19

Major General Georgy Zakharov in the cockpit of the Yak-3. On the plane - George the Victorious, piercing a snake with the head of Goebbels. Spring 1945

Pilot of the 958th Assault Aviation Regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Meylus.

Aerocobra Vyacheslav Sirotin

Eagle of Mikhail Avdeev

The plane of Vasily Emelianenko

Nikolai Proshenkov and his Airacobra

The Yak-9B aircraft of the commander of the 168th IAP, Lieutenant Colonel Grigory Kogrushev.

Captain Aleksey Zakalyuk, 104th GvIAP

Aleksey Alelyukhin's plane

Captain Georgy Urvachev (left)

Fighter pilot Vladimir Dmitriev

Aircraft of Senior Lieutenant Vasily Aleksukhin

Fedor Dobysh and Alexander Pomazunov in front of a Pe-2 with a crocodile

Abrek Barsht's plane

The plane of Nikolai Didenko

Plane of Vladimir Pokrovsky
Drawing drawings on combat aircraft during the Great Patriotic War was not welcome, although they turned a blind eye to this. Drawings on the fuselage began to be applied more often after the Battle of Kursk in 1943, when the initiative passed to the Red Army. Often, next to the image on the plane, stars were seen according to the number of enemy aircraft shot down (for the first time, Spanish pilots began to do this). On Soviet aircraft, victories could be indicated by asterisks of several colors. Personal victory was celebrated in one color, aircraft shot down in a group - in another.
There were cases when the fuselage was decorated with the image of the "Golden Star", received for a victory. Old traditions have also been preserved: the nose of a fighter sometimes resembled the mouth of a mythical monster. In general, drawings and emblems that frighten the enemy were often applied. For example, a dragon was depicted on the Yak-9 fighter Gugridze, a toothy mouth was on the plane of Georgy Kostylev.
There were no special rules for applying emblems. Each squadron had its own customs. Some pilots had their own emblem, others had a common one for everyone. Often the planes were decorated with cards or a certain suit. As a rule, it was an ace. It was usually applied by distinguished pilots. So, the aces were drawn on the La-5 aircraft by Alexander Pavlov, on the LaGG-3 by Yuri Shilov.
Those who managed to knock out the German aircraft of the famous squadron placed on the fighter an emblem of this squadron pierced by an arrow or entwined with a snake or another similar symbol. For example, the planes of the squadron of the 9th Guards Regiment, commanded by Alexei Alelyukhin, carried on the sides an emblem invented by the pilot Evgeny Dranishchev with a leopard tearing his heart. This indicated that the pilots had defeated the aces of 9 Staffel JG 52 (the heart under the cockpit was their distinguishing mark). Animals were often depicted on Soviet military aircraft. Drawings of birds were also common. So, similar images were on the planes of such famous pilots as Mikhail Avdeev, Vladimir Pokrovsky, Vyacheslav Sirotin. Symbolic images, such as arrows and lightning bolts, were especially popular.