WHITE-40
MIKOYAN & GUREVICH, MIG-3
631 IAP PVO of 141 IAD PVO. circa Kuybyshev (modern day Samara), Russia, June, 1943.
This plane featured in Mosfilm's 1944 movie “Sky of Moscow” (“Небо Москвы” in Russian)
IN REAL LIFE
White-40 is one of a number of airplanes of the 631st IAP which we know about only through the footage in the 1944 movie called “Sky of Moscow”. The movie was filmed in Kuybyshev in June 1943 [1]. At that time the closest fighter regiment in that area was the 631st IAP PVO of 141 IAD PVO, which might have operated from the Sizran airfield (As was determined in a forum on scalemodels.ru). It is highly likely that the footage featuring the movie’s MiG-3 airplanes was filmed on the airfield of 631st IAP PVO and most of the planes in the film, including White-40 are real, operational airplanes of this PVO unit.
Throughout 1943, 141st Division was tasked with defending the government agencies which were evacuated from Moscow (Kuybyshev was to be Russia's alternative capital should Moscow be captured by the Germans). It was also tasked with defending the industrial centres in the cities of Kuybyshev, Penza, Ulianovsk and Chapaevsk, as well as some of the railway bridges across the Volga and Samarka rivers[2].
Based on the available information about 631 IAP it is known that this regiment received its MiGs in October1942 [3]. It is also known that the only air victory that is recorded by the 631 IAP occurred in June 1944 (a year after the the start of the filming of ‘Sky of Moscow’) when junior lieutenant G.P. Lebedev heroically rammed a German Junkers Ju-88 bomber during an air battle in the Gorodishe region[4]. Based on this information one can only presume that the MiGs of 631 IAP PVO, including White-40, didn't see a lot of battle action in the summer of 1943 while guarding the city of Kuybyshev, which might explain why they were able to be used in the filming of the movie 'Sky of Moscow' while in service with the PVO.
IN THE MOVIE
In the fictional movie 'Sky of Moscow', 'White-40’ is one of the 7 hero planes defending the Russian capital from waves of the German night bombing raids. It is not known who flew it in real life or in the movie.
Noteworthy Visual Characteristics
Noteworthy Visual Characteristics
1. On Patreon
2. Note the deep dent that appears on the port-side of the fuselage.
3. This plane is fitted with the inert gas pipe.
4. On Patreon
5. On Patreon
6. The tip of the tail is probably painted white, because it seems to be the same lightness as the digits of the tactical number, which are assumed to be white.
7. Fixed tailwheel, didn't retract in flight. Reference for this can be seen at 36:18 where 'White-40' is the plane in flying in the background
https://youtu.be/MeJ8heAU4TI?t=2178
8. On Patreon
Here are a few closeup images to help illustrate the points above. Full set of closeup images is On Patreon
FOOTNOTES
[1] This information is based on this video which talks about the movie ‘Sky of Moscow’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5c3C1qvaE8
[3] This information is taken from here: http://ava.org.ru/iap/631.htm . Also, do scroll down when you go to this link to see a bunch of photo reference for the MiGs of 631 IAP PVO.
[4] This information is taken from the Russian Wikipedia entry https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/631-%D0%B9_%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BA_%D0%9F%D0%92%D0%9E
Links To the reference images and videos
Reference for the camouflage of the left side and wings can be found at 7:24-7:26
https://youtu.be/MeJ8heAU4TI?t=443
but mainly at 13:05 -13:14
https://youtu.be/MeJ8heAU4TI?t=785
There isn't any obvious reference for the right side of the plane, possibly the plane in the background of the frame at 8:20 is the 'White40' but it's hard to tell.
https://youtu.be/MeJ8heAU4TI?t=500
Some still here:
https://i.postimg.cc/7YBr3Lvk/PDVD-000.jpg
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