Very nicely done.
2 details:
1) The Georgian insignia must be corrected - on the few airplanes used by the Georgian republic in 1919-1921, two variants of the St Nino cross crosses were used : one (the most frequent) was Black with a thin Red outline on a white circle, the other had colours inverted: Dark Red St Nino cross with a thin Black outline on a white circle (the colors of the Georgian flag of the period) - neither all black as in Insignia magazine and decals, nor all red as in the Kraskiy Ruskoi Aviatzii book (the text and photos of this book is great but there are a few discrepancies in the colour artwork).
Although 25 SVA were ordered by the Georgian, by 1920 only 12 aircraft had been delivered, the whole Georgian air force numbering less then 20 planes (although some report credit it with a total of 50 to 56 aircraft at its apex, Georgian sources speak of only 20 planes in active service, so these numbers may have included out of service planes and still to be delivered orders).
On February 19, 1921, during the Battle of Tbilisi (Tiflis), the Georgian SVA-10 launched a series of air strikes on the positions of the 58th Infantry Brigade in the area of the Soganlug station, which contributed to the suspension of the Soviet offensive. On February 24th Four SVA-10 tried to bomb a Soviet armored train, near Karadzhalar station, but they only managed to damage the rails. One airplane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. After the fall of Tbilisi, some Georgian pilots defected to the Red Army and their aircraft were included in the Red Army Air Force .
Georgian National Flag used between 1918 and 1921:
Georgian insignia 1920
2) the 10E and the 10L are in fact the SAME aircraft with just the top cover of the crew cell discarded. This cover (including the central console), separating front and rear crew position was anyway mobile and needed to be one in order to allow the front crew member to enter the plane. SO the same skins must fit both aircraft.
D'annunzio entering the front seat of the biplace SVA with the central console in open position:
SVA-10 with their central console still in place seems to have been used only in South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Brasil and maybe Chile - photo of Chilean aircraft are not of very good quality) and Western Europe (Italy and Holland). Those used in Eastern Europe had the central console discarded.
Lithuania:
Latvia:
Georgia:
Poland:
Italy:
Holland
Argentina
Uruguay
Brazil
Author
Topic: Ansaldo S.V.A -5 / -10 (Read 20430 times)
