Po-2 Night Witch - 1944

[Ugo Crisponi]

maybe these pictuire are very helpful to repaint your propeller. Your has a too stright reflection, looks like a stright piece of wood rtather than a typical prop shape, do you agree? Aprt from that, looks great!

[Wlad-FR]

Here is an other view, with propeller repainted. Nice too, but I like WWI propeller....
Wlad

[Wlad-FR]

Thank to Maciej's pictures , I saw that there was a problem with exhaust pipe position. and smock was not possible on the fuselage and shadow was necessary.
Wlad

[Wlad-FR]

And now, the final Po-2 profile, with its stuff (weapons, ammunitions, etc..) under each wing, for Armia Krajowa, fighting in Warsaw streets during the famous rising in august, september 1944. Soviet airlift start in mid september, when the Polish capital was near all in the hand of German forces...But without any political point of view, I must said that soviet Po-2 pilots were really brave to fly over Warsaw by night, with Flak and Luftwaffe fighters.
All the best
Wlad

[Maciej N]

And now, the final Po-2 profile, with its stuff (weapons, ammunitions, etc..) under each wing, for Armia Krajowa, fighting in Warsaw streets during the famous rising in august, september 1944. Soviet airlift start in mid september, when the Polish capital was near all in the hand of German forces...But without any political point of view, I must said that soviet Po-2 pilots were really brave to fly over Warsaw by night, with Flak and Luftwaffe fighters.
All the best
Wlad

... and many of pilots of these Po-2's were woman! That's why this aircraft calls "Night Witch"

[Wlad-FR]

Hi Maciej, you are right, women who pilot Po-2 were called "Night Witches" by german, but it was in 1942 : "In 1942 the Soviet Union formed three regiments of women combat pilots. The 586th Fighter (IAP) Regiment (Yak-1s and later Yak-7Bs), the 587th Day Bomber Regiment (Petylakov PE-2s) and the 588th Night Bomber Regiment (Polikarpov Po-2s). The 'Night Witches' were the women of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment. All of the mechanics and ordnance loaders of this regiment, as in the 586th Fighter (IAP) and the 587th Day Bomber Regiment, were also women."
But in september 1944, over Warsaw, it was men who pilot Po-2, from the 23e and 45e GvNBAP (9e GvNBAD). I didn’t read somewhere that it was women pilots…Do you have more information about it (confirmation ? or names ?)



Wlad