Kostylev's red 35
By Massimo Tessitori
File updated on September 23, 2004
go to strange numbers - 44 IAP LaGG-3s
 go to white distemper - 3GvIAP LaGG-3s

 
This image shows Senior Lieutnant Georgii Dimitrievich Kostylev of 3 Guards IAP of Red Banner Baltic fleet.
He was a veteran of the Winter War against Finland.  On 23 October 1942 he was made Hero of the Soviet Union.
He later became commander officer of the Regiment.
His total score was of 14 individual plus 32 shared victories; he remained in the Navy until 1953, and died in 1960.

Very few is visible of his winter camouflaged LaGG-3, but the red number 35 has the same style of those seen on 44 IAP aircrafts, and this allow to consider it as a winter variant of those aircrafts, and to extrapolate a likely camo scheme.
It's possible that this aircraft was the same white 35 of 44 IAP appearing on another photo, after having been delivered to another unit; the profile is based on this hypothesis.
This aircraft could be of series 1/3 whose characteristics are:
 
  • sharp prop spinner;
  • tubular exhaust stacks;
  • 1 UB 12,7 mm mm firing through the propeller shaft;
  • 1 12,7 UB machine gun guns on the left side of the engine cowling, and relative holes on the left side of the cowling;
  • 2  7,62 mm ShKAS machine guns on the engine cowling;
  • engine cowling with dzus locks

  • pointed side plates behind the exhaust stacks;
  • wide flat inlets on engine cowling sides;
  • three slots on left nose panel;
  • recessed outlet on right panel;
  • early oval (?) supercharger intakes;
  • long (?) radio mast;
  • straight rudder with two balance masses;
  • water cooler outlet on the fuselage with small step and short (?) flap;
  • fixed tail wheel;
  • no slats, pitot on the right leading edge.
Besides, 35 could have part of the main gear doors removed, as the most of similar aircrafts.
 
go to strange numbers - 44 IAP LaGG-3s
 go to white distemper - 3GvIAP LaGG-3s