At what point did they use these colors and how to determine and differentiate which blue to use for specific aircraft? VVS colors are a bear [no pun intended]! Thanks.

Hi Gene

According to Erik Pilawskii's book "Soviet Air Force Fighter Colours 1941-1945", the change began in the winter of 1941, with the first AMT colours beginning to be used in the spring of 1942. So, it's pretty safe to say that any aircraft up until the autumn of 1941 used the old AII paints.

From 1942, however, the situation is indeed a real "bear", as you say. The AMT paints began to be delivered to Zavodi 21, 153 and 292 for the LaGG and Yak fighter programmes, but Eric warns that the old laquers continued to be produced and applied at some factories right up until the end of the war, and researchers have even found manufacturing records for AII paints from 1946-47! Erik mentions that the Pe-2, Il-2 and Il-10 continued to use the old AII paints as well as the AMT "replacements".

I find Eric's book, published by Classic Colours, is immensely useful and a fascinating read, because it not only details the changing colours for individual fighter types, but also the myriad of camouflage patterns used at different times at different factories.

You can still find some of Eric's research articles online, along with a lot of other useful material, in the remaining archives of the sadly missed Modelling the VVS website.

All the best

Rowan

Thanks Rowan!