Eastern Front 1941 Pt.1: BA.534

[comrade harps]

Baku Aviation BA.534 Series IV

Black 306, Kamo Eskadril'ya (Kamo Squadron), Soviet TransCaucasian Army Air Force
Grozny, Liberated Chechen Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Socialist Republics of TransCaucasia (SSRT)
October, 1941




The B.534 was the ultimate expression of a line of development that dated to 1929, when Baku Aviation flew its first aircraft, the BA.1 sportsplane. This low-wing monoplane was unusual in having straight, un-tapered wings; this basic wing design was subsequently applied to a several Baku Aviation designs, being adapted for high-, mid- and low-wing applications in the interests of speedy incremental development. The BA.534 featured a high-aspect ratio wing based on the BA.530 high-wing 4 seater, giving the fighter a high wing loading.




The first BA.534 flew in 1933 and was rapidly evolved through several Series of production types, in the process going from an open to an enclosed cockpit, multiplying the armament from two wing-mounted to four fuselage-mounted 7.92mm machine guns and successive increases in horse-power from locally built versions of the Hispano-Suiza 12Y engine. 623 Series IV machines were built, making it the most produced version, some of these planes seeing action during the Soviet intervention in Spain and 82 were exported. The final Series V aircraft were ground attack machines with a cut-down rear fuselage and bubble canopy, additional armour and a 20mm Hispano cannon firing through the propeller hub. 



When Stalin joined the Axis invasion of the Socialist Union on 24 June, 1941, the BA.534 had been withdrawn from professional frontline units, but was still in service with several militia squadrons of the Soviet TransCaucasian Army Air Force, including the Kamo Eskadril'ya (named after the Armenian-Georgian Bolshevik Simon Arshaki "Kamo" Ter-Petrosian). After providing air defence from their base at Vaziani near Tiblisi, Kamo moved forward to Grozny in early October, from where they conducted air defence, fighter escort, close air support and armed recognisance missions. They remained in Grozny until early February, when they where rotated back to Vaziani and equipped with the reverse engineered Bf 109 TASA Product 17 .




Although not officially part of the Axis, Stalin's air force adopted the Axis' yellow Eastern Front quick identification markings. Note that this plane only features the national tricolour markings of the Soviet TransCaucasian Army Air Force on the tail rudder and under the wings. This was standard until April 1942, when fuselage and upper-wing markings were also adopted (these being of a new tricolour roundel design); the upper-wing roundels would be removed again from April 1943, following the retreat from the Volga and as the Reds' established offensive air superiority.

[comrade harps]

This is the first in a series of alt. Eastern Front 1941 theme builds. 5 down and more to come, including a couple of incestuously related kit bashes. I even manage to get the biplane thing working on something. All will be revealed in coming day and weeks.

[Dizzyfugu]

That looks very interesting. Melikes a lot! 

[Captain Canada]

I like it too. I was surprised by the wing shape hadn't really noticed it in the first pic. Very cool mix of old and new. Love the camo and colours as well.

[zenrat]

 

[NARSES2]

Works for me, nice model 

[dumaniac]

nice one - I see you are on a theme