Colors of the Falcons Book Review

By John Tate

Review

As an aircraft modeler, you know everything about WWII Soviet camouflage schemes, right? Green, or gray, uppers with light blue undersides. Simple – end of story. Wrong! It turns out that WWII Soviet aircraft camouflage schemes were every bit as complex and variegated as Luftwaffe, RAF or USAAF schemes. But until recently, accurate research into Soviet camouflage was not available to Western modelers.

Thanks to “Colors of the Falcons,” a fascinating, state-of the-art reference, this is no longer the case. Details of WWII Soviet aircraft camouflage now can be applied accurately to workbench modeling projects.

Hornat and Migliardi’s book covers the full story of WWII Soviet aircraft camouflage from its pre-war inception to the end of WWII and beyond. And it’s a story full of surprises, like black-green I-16s and Southern Front finishes of sand and tobacco. As with other wartime powers, the Soviets constantly adapted to changing tactical demands and battle conditions in pursuit of effective camouflage schemes.

This book follows each paint formula and pattern change; especially valuable are the schematics and color keys reproduced from Directive No. 389/0133, a 1943 technical manual. Now, Comrade, you have no excuse but to paint that model plane according to the regulations of the People’s Committee of the Aviation Industry of the USSR.

At 56 pages, this soft cover book is packed with period photos, paint-type designation tables and four full pages of beautiful computer-aided illustrations. This book is an essential, affordable starting point for any WWII Soviet aircraft modeling project.

Highly recommended.