Il-2M3 No. 4156 JRV

First Shtormoviks came to Yugoslavia in September of 1944 during the liberation of Belgrade. Altogether more than 200 Il-2 and U-Il-2s were delivered in 1945/47.
Many regiments were equiped with Ils - 421st, 422nd and 423rd. During the WWII only the ones from 421st regiment wore Yu markings and were used in one op in Bosnia in 1945. First school regiment for Yu pilots was formed in Grozny USSR in 1945. The regiments were replaced lots of times from one airfield to another in all Yu republics.

source:http://www.mycity-military.com

In peace time most Ils came from Bulgaria - which had to cut its Air Force size in result of Paris peace agreement on 10th of February 1947. Shturmoviks came along with Pe-3 and Bf109Gs.
Some were used in 3rd school regiment in Kovin airfield.
In 1946 during the tensions on border with Italy 422nd and 423rd regiment was moved to Cerklje airbase in southern Slovenia. Those units were on high alert because of the constant airspace violations on western Yugoslav borders.
After 1948 most Shturmoviks had their wooden fuselages replaced with metal ones .

source:http://www.mycity-military.com

Il-2 of 96th regiment in  fall of '53 during the Trieste crisis. Although at the end-use and technologically outdated they were in first line of defense. Personnel of 96th and 138th regiment has enabled most of the planes, and even a number of written-off shturmoviks. Many planes were scribed with slogans of that times. The slogan on this plane was "Ne damo Trst i svoj narod" - "We don't give in Trieste and our people"

The model presented carries slogan TITO PARTIJA during informbiro period in a well known dispuite between Soviet leader Stalin and Yugoslav leader Tito.

The kit is the new Tamiya in 1/48, which is an excellent one in all segments. I added the BIGED photoetched that includel interior and exterior details and the landing flaps. The slogans were done by paintbrush, the roundels on the fuselage were airbrushed and the ones on lower side of the wings were customly printed. The flag was on the tail is from the Balkan Models decals - YU roundels & flags. For more on the build you can check on makete.si Il-2 build

 

part II

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