Hello, all.
New modeller and new to this forum. I am looking to build some dioramas of Soviet airfields during ww2.
Especially looking to model the forward fields that accounts of the Polikarpov U2 "Night Witches" groups.
But i need to find photo documentation especially the often written about dugouts the crews livied in.
Also wish to model the womens units with the PE-2s and Yak-1. Again looking for photo documentation of daily airfield activities and aux. equipments.
Any ideas where on may look for these resources?
Very much interested in modeling the war in Ukraine.
Thank you, sorry for the uninformed questions; I'm new to modeling.
matthew

Hi Mathew,
Welcome to the wonderful world of modelling and at these forums

I'm afraid that I can't help you with your queries though, but your project does sound interesting

Mal

Hi again Mathew,

I found this: Polikarpof

Mal

Thank you.
What i have so far:
"Women in Air War (The Eastern Front of World War II)"
edited and translated by; Kazimiera J. Cottam
New Military Publishing Nepean Canada ISBN 0-9682702-1-2

Polykarpov U-2/Po-2 by Martin Velek
Published by: MBI (model file series) ISBN 80-86524-02-7

Numerous online modeling sites:
http://www.aviapress.com/index.html
http://www.royfc.com/links/acft_sims.html#models
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/models_pages/modl_home.htm
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/AWA1/101-200/walk177_PO2/walk177.htm
http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A//scalemodels.ru/modules/photo/viewcat_cid_198.html&langpair=ru%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8
http://www.colorserver.net/user%5Fstories/user_story_modeling.htm
http://scalemodel.net/
http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/manatee/272/
http://vvs.hobbyvista.com/
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/
http://www.wio.ru/index.htm

Many more which I'll dig out and post.
But I'll bet that you guys already know them all.

Here is something very interesting these are goor resouces for the actual aircraft.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Polikarpov-PO-2-U2-Russian-WW-II-Biplane-manual-PDF_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50453QQihZ009QQitemZ190202628509QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Polikarpov-PO-2-U2-service-manual-1939-PDF-book_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50453QQihZ009QQitemZ190202628468QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
His other store is:
http://www.aeropoxy.netfirms.com/


Now what i still need to find are photos of airfields to add the ground support equipment and general field details.

By the way the above guy has these movies avail. for sale on dvds as a set. Which should certainly bulk up the documentation available.:
--------snip----- from e-mail--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regarding the old Soviet movies, i have it more, even including these you ask, I-15, I-16, LA-5 ...

Here is the list:

BI-1_take off.mpg 3.463.172 BI-1Ground.mpg 3.274.516 BurnFireBurn.wmv 55.166.922 Frontovie kinooperatori.avi 109.800.422 FW190 VVS Testing.avi 75.634.688 2
He-162.avi 66.107.392 i16.mpg 4.513.416 il-4.avi 92.445.482 la5.avi 159.248.680 ME262 VVS Testing.avi 101.371.904 Red stars10.avi 211.085.312 TB3.avi 65.191.936 TU-2.avi 68.041.056 Soviet aircrafts PO-2/R-5/TB-3/SB-2/UT-2/YAKs.avi 734.576.640 YAK15 Roll.mpg 1.236.350
These movies are instructional movies, with charts, animations, in flight photos, service details etc, like the IL-2 and YAKs you allready have.
German planes, FW/ME-262/HE-162 are movies taken with captured German planes, as dogfight-flight testing instriuctional movies.

And few good movies from 1940s/ B/W,

Nebesnyj.tihohod.avi 543.936.512 Polikarpov PO-2 night bomber
Nebo Moskvy.avi 728.347.088 Mig-1 unit over Moscow
V.Chkalov_1941.avi 736.913.408 Valery Chkalov bio, great movie with authentic I-15, I-16, R-5 aerial shots,
Vozdushnyj.izvozchik.mpg 741.602.344 Soviet Airliner LI-2 ( DC-3) pilot romanced story

------------------------------snip------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure you serious modellers will have found all this long ago, so please bear with a newbies silly questions.
Now to find some good books as stated above.
I am an avid Free Flight modeller of many years.
Thank you all,
matthew

Hi Matthew!
I know it probably won't give you the informations you need but check the blog of French Comic artist... Romain Hugault



Romain Hugault is a very talented aircraft Comic Artist, a real pilot and he also builds fantastic models!
Maybe you can leave him a message on his blog. I'm sure he must have some references about the "Night Witches" since it's the subject of his next comic book.

Jean-Luc

[
Thank you,
I certainly shall do as you suggest.
By the way these airfield accommodations were not unique to the Po-2 squadrons, as all the Soviet flight (forward fields) were similar. i also intend to model the PE-2 groups and Yak-1 Womens air groups.
Especially interested in Ukrainian pilots and history.
Thank you,
matthew




quote]Hi Matthew!
I know it probably won't give you the informations you need but check the blog of French Comic artist... Romain Hugault



Romain Hugault is a very talented aircraft Comic Artist, a real pilot and he also builds fantastic models!
Maybe you can leave him a message on his blog. I'm sure he must have some references about the "Night Witches" since it's the subject of his next comic book.

Jean-Luc [/quote]