P-39N 'White 61' flown by Nikolai Stroikov, 508 IAP (later 213 GIAP), Kursk, 1943

Stroikov's Airacobra "61" was photographed in the Kursk region during the summer of 1943 when he was a young and unknown Mld. Letenant. The photograph caption identifies the aircraft as an 'N' model, and I do not know if this is correct; no guns are visible in the wings. 

"White 61" retained its US applied camouflage, but the rear fuselage and fin/rudder were heavily overpainted with AMT-4 green. The spinner was finished in red, and there was a very attractive red flash on the fin and rudder trimmed with a thin white band. A small numeral "23" (thought to be in red) was present on the rudder; its meaning is unknown. The forward fuselage sports a large white band, and it is not currently known if this was a personal or unit marking. 

The most unusual feature on "61" is the discoloration on the aircraft's port door, and due to the large amount of light reflecting off of its surface this is thought to be bare metal. It would seem that this machine sported some artwork or other feature on the door that was not acceptable to Stroikov when he acquired this aircraft in May 1943, and it looks as though whatever was present was removed with turpentine. Thanks to x4btr for above text (vvs.hobbyvista.com)

Base skin by Col. Gibbon  
Reference skin from Canon(IL2 website-www.canon-skins.com)

Original Credits;
Capt. Kurt, 
Chompy, 
Alessandro Borges
HarryM, JPI, Cord Hartmann Geo, Mosi, Migge
Claudio Wilches & Papa Romeo

The stars on the upper wings probably shouldn't be there , but they're "too pretty" to remove.


REDsWINGer
January 2006