PZL/IAR P.11F

ROMANIAN FIGHTERON SKISM I C H AŁ SK AW IŃ S K I

No. 57

No. 128

No. 122

COLOUR OPTIONS FOR IBG MODELS KIT No. 72522

Many of us associate Romania with warm and sunny weather. In reality,
however, it is a country with a continental climate and vast upland andmountain areas, where summers are indeed hot, but winters can be very cold andsnowy. Looking at the weather reports from the 1930s and 1940s we can observethat periods from December to February were characterised by temperatures
below zero and significant precipitation. To facilitate air operations during thesemonths, the Romanian Air Force was using locally-developed skis at least since
the early 1930s. PZL P.11F fighter thus equipped is a subject of the IBG 1/72
model kit no. 72522.
This eBook gives additional information on the colour options contained in thebox. It is worth noting that Romanian airplane camouflages and markings of theperiod are not well covered in the references published so far. Some of theresults of research conducted for the kit are described below, neverthelessthis topic definitely requires a separate treatment. It should also be noted thatvery significant effort was put into making kit decals as accurate and detailed
as possible. However, not all photos and documents available for analysis could
be included in this publication.

I would like to warmly thank Dan Antoniu, Tomasz Kopański and Horia Stoica for the openness, willingness tohelp, guidance, thoughts and documentation shared from their vast collections. Without them, this publication
would not be possible.
Michał Skawiński

PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKIS

Skis for P.11F
The production of aircraft skis in Romania probably started
in the early 1930s. These were long, narrow skis, providing
good stability during take-off and landing, but arguably
making it difficult to manoeuvre the aircraft on the ground.
They were initially manufactured by the I.A.R. company andin various variations were used on the Potez XXV, MoraneSaulnier MoS-35 Ep2 and Loire Gourdou-Leseurre LGL.32
C1 aircraft produced under licence. Similar type of skis
also appeared in the second half of the 1930s on PZL P.11B
fighters delivered from Poland.

Long, narrow skis of I.A.R. manufacture fitted to P.11B in the winter of 1936/37. (Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)
The first known reference to the skis for P.11F fighter dates
from late November 1937 and is related to the strengtheningof the undercarriage by I.A.R. in order to accommodate
increased loads associated with landings on skids. The typeof skis to be used at that time is unfortunately unknown.
In the late 1930s, in line with the trends of the time, shorter

3and wider skis were designed for the airplanes of AeronauticaRegală Română. Their production was undertaken by theICAR factory and they were put into service no later than in1940. The new skis were made of wood and shod with threemetal strips. They did not yet have aerodynamic fairings ontop of the skid.

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKIS

Two photographs of P.11F No. 83 wrecked in the winter of 1940/41. On the sides of the burnt-out fuselage there are visible wideskis without aerodynamic fairings, shod with three metal protective strips. The N-shaped truss is well visible. (Dan Antoniu/Horia
Stoica collection)

Skis produced by ICAR company installed on Fi-156 (version without aerodynamic fairings). Visible are the N-shaped truss
and three metal reinforcement strips on the underside of the skids. The components described are almost identical to theskis on the P.11F. 1 – skid, 2 – protective strips, 3 – turret (called N-shaped truss in the eBook), 6 – lower wire, 7 – expander
ferrules, 8 – expander rollers, 9 – expander (elastic rope), 10 – wire for limiting the travel of expander, 11 – upper wire,
12 - attachment ferrule, 13 – rear wire, 14 – links. (Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKIS

The final and best known version appears to have beena development of the skis presented above. The generaldesign and principle of operation was retained, but
aerodynamic fairings were added above the skids to reducedrag in flight. These most likely consisted of a metal orwooden structure covered with canvas. Photographic

evidence shows that type of skis was used at least on
P.11B, P.11c, P.11F and SET-7 airplanes. The first photosof this variant come from the winter of 1940/41 and it is
this version that is included in IBG model of P.11F (cat. no.
72522).

P.11F in the winter of 1940/41 with the final type of skis. Visible is the N-shaped truss protruding from the top of the fairing andthe arrangement of wires adjusting the position of the skid. This suggests that the version with fairings was a development ofan earlier form of ski, shown in the drawing above. (Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKIS

The wires seen in the photos and the drawing were intended to adjust the skid alignment. To reduce drag in flight, the skid had to belaid horizontally - the rear wire was then fully tensioned and the front wire shortened by the expander. After landing, the skid had
to be tilted backwards, which had the effect of loosening (and sagging of) the rear wire and lengthening the front wire thanks to theexpander. (Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)

Photo at left shows the aerodynamic skis on the SET-7KB airplane and gives us important information on their overall green
finish with metal strips visible underneath. Worth noting is also a very heavy sagging of the rear wire, much more pronounced
than in the PZL fighter. This resulted in a different alignment of the skis during flight than in the P.11F. The very rare photo atright (unfortunately there is no better frame available) illustrates this well. As the pilot had no means of controlling the lengthof the wires, this alignment of the skids was almost certainly not dedicated specifically for landing, but was typical for all stagesof the flight of this airplane. The arrangement seen on the SET-7 provided safer landings, but definitely reduced the maximum
speed of the aircraft, which, however, was not an issue in this case. (Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)

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OPTION 1

PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKISOption 1

PZL/I.A.R. P.11F NO. 57
FLOTILA 2 VÂNĂTOARE / TÂRGŞORU NOU AIRFIELD / EARLY 1941Târgşoru Nou airfield is located just a few kilometres to thewest of Ploiesti, a large centre for oil extraction and refining.
It was an area extremely important for Germany, which in 1940
imported as much as 8 million barrels of oil from Romania,
making it the leading foreign supplier. As early as October
1940, the two countries signed an agreement whereby
Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe units, including anti-aircraft artillery,
were introduced into Romania. Flak units were deployed
to protect Ploiesti from possible raids by British bombers
taking off from Greece. The fighter cover at the time was theresponsibility of Romanian Flotila 2 Vânătoare. It was the firstunit to receive I.A.R. 80 fighters, but older P.11Fs, including
No. 57, also served alongside.

In the second half of 1940 the Romanian fighter fleet began
to be repainted in two-tone camouflage, in case of No. 57
of the ‘stripes’ type. In all probability top colours were darkolive green and terracotta (although the latter could also
have been khaki-yellow). Undersurfaces were blue-grey.
Aircraft sported a full set of recognition markings that weremandatory at the time: cockades on the wings, tricolouron the rudder, yellow 25cm bands on the wings andfuselage (introduced in October 1940 as a recognition aidfor German airplanes operating from Romania) and yellow
engine cowling.

A view of the Târgşoru Nou airfield in April 1941. At the time, the airfield was undergoing expansion and an additional four, muchlarger hangars were being built to the left of the two older ones visible in the photo. Towers of the Biserica Sfinții Voievozi
church are well visible behind the hangars. As every Romanian P.11F differed a bit in camouflage and placement of markings,
it is often possible to identify individual airplanes even from the distance. In the row there are (left to right) No. 54, No. 51,No. 57, No. 120, unknown, unknown, unknown, No. 121. One of the unknowns is most likely No. 128. To the bottom of the photo
we can see Luftwaffe soldier and a small fragment of Junkers Ju 52 wing. At that time the airfield was also home to Transportstaffel VIII.
Fliegerkorps. (Tomasz Kopański collection)

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKISOPTION 1

A slightly earlier photograph, taken on 1st February 1941. Four P.11F can be seen with skis installed. On the left, the hangars
known from the previous photo. In the background, directly behind the aircraft is the 'Pavilionul Administrative' - the administrativebuilding. This was a fairly typical structure, also known from other airfields in Romania. (Tomasz Kopański collection)

A close-up view of the parked P.11F fighters. No 57 is distinguished by its lighter camouflage colour, most likely terracotta
or khaki-yellow. Typical markings of the time are visible on all three aircraft - cockades, 25cm yellow stripes on the wings
and fuselage, yellow engine covers. (Tomasz Kopański collection)

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKISOPTION 1

There is snow, but there are no skis! In fact this photo was taken in the winter of 1940-41 before the skis were installed or after
they had already been replaced with wheels. It also reminds of the fact that aeroplanes with wheeled undercarriage can take off
and land on snow, but there are additional risks involved. Interesting details include the markings mentioned earlier, white
number '57' and the inscription 'P 11 F' on the fin. Well visible is the way the wing struts were painted, note also that undercarriage
legs were blue-grey on the underside, but covered in camouflage on top. Both outer and inner wheel surfaces were painted mostlikely dark olive green. Propeller nut was left natural metal. Bomb racks of the IAR-Barbieri system are visible under the wings.
(Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)

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OPTION 1

PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKISPZL/I.A.R. P.11F NO. 57, FLOTILA 2 VÂNĂTOARE, EARLY 1941

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OPTION 2

PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKIS

Option 2PZL/I.A.R. P.11F NO. 128
FLOTILA 2 VÂNĂTOARE / TÂRGŞORU NOU AIRFIELD / EARLY 1941
This is another airplane from Flotila 2 Vânătoare, both
No. 128 and No. 57 (see option 1) stationed together
at Târgşoru Nou in early 1941.
Although repainted at approximately the same time as No. 57
and in the same general camouflage scheme, there aresome differences between the two airplanes. The first one

is the use of a darker colour next to the dark olive green- most likely dark brown or khaki-brown. The standard setof markings consists of cockades on the wings, a tricolouron the rudder, a yellow engine cowling and 25cm stripeson the wings and fuselage, but the latter was placed
further to the rear than on the No. 57. Finally, the propeller
manufacturer's logo is also different.

Photo of No. 128 taken on 20th January 1941. The wavy division line between the upper and undersurface colours on thefuselage is typical for the 'stripes' camouflage. The location of the yellow stripe on the fuselage is clearly visible, but the typeof photographic material makes the stripes on the wings very faint. It is worth noting the way the wing struts and landing gearlegs are painted. Aircraft number 120 is in the background. (Tomasz Kopański collection)

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKISOPTION 2

Close-up of aircraft No. 128 from the photograph shown in the section on No. 57. Visible are the markings on the upper surfacesof the wings - cockades and yellow stripes. (Tomasz Kopański collection)

Final photo of this aircraft taken in the winter of 1940-41 again proves that minimal amounts of snow do not necessarily warrant
switching to skis. The location of the underwing cockades and stripes on the wings can be seen well. Note the natural metalpropeller nut and the manufacturer's logo on the blades. This airplane has a small-bomb or grenade dispenser installed inside thewing (with a sliding cover). Unlike No. 57, the inner surfaces of the wheels are painted blue-grey. (Tomasz Kopański collection)

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKISOPTION 2

PZL/I.A.R. P.11F NO. 128, FLOTILA 2 VÂNĂTOARE, EARLY 1941

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKIS

Option 3

PZL/I.A.R. P.11F NO. 122
FLOTILA 3 VÂNĂTOARE / GALATI AIRFIELD / EARLY 1943
The last option shows the P.11F in the late period of its career,
serving as an aircraft towing aerial targets to allow gunnery
training for the pilots of Flotilla 3 Vânătoare equipped with
I.A.R. 80.
Airplane No. 122 was finished in uniform dark olive green
on the upper surfaces, a scheme that replaced the twocolour camouflage in late 1942. Characteristic featureof the new scheme (but not exclusive to it) was the straight
dividing line between the upper and underside colours.
The aircraft sported full set of markings mandatory at thetime: crosses (introduced in May 1941), a yellow 50cm stripeon the fuselage and wingtips undersides in the same colour(introduced in June 1941 in connection with OperationBarbarossa) and a yellow engine cowling (reintroducedin September 1941).

Aircraft No. 56 and No. 122 being prepared for take-off during the winter of 1942-43. The airplanes bear markings typical of theperiod - crosses on the fuselage and wings, yellow engine covers, 50cm stripe on the fuselage and yellow wingtip undersurfaces(in case of the latter, they blend with the blue-grey on the black and white photographs). Note the difference in colour of the central
dot between crosses on the fuselages, much lighter on aircraft No. 122. (Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKISOPTION 3

Close-up of the cockpit. Just behind the pilot's headrest a circular skin patch can be seen where the antenna insulator waspreviously fitted (the aircraft had no radio installed). Note the wear of the paintwork and the fact that the cross on the visible rightside of the fuselage was slightly further back than on the left side. (Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)

Last moments before take-off. In front of the aircraft two fire extinguishers can be seen. They were always kept on standby during engine
start-up. This photo shows that, unlike the fuselage, the crosses on the lower surfaces of the wings had dots in the same colour as thecross rim. The aircraft had the armament removed, but the holes in the wings were not covered with plugs. Same as No. 128 this airplane
has a small-bomb or grenade dispenser installed inside the wing (with a sliding cover). (Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKISOPTION 3

This view gives us a good insight into a non-standard element under the fuselage, most probably an attachment for towing airtargets. The presence of the gunsight is notable, especially as the armament has been removed. Typical of the ski positionof an aircraft standing on the ground, the rear wire is not tensioned. It is also worth looking again at the national markings
on the fuselage - the central blue dot is noticeably lighter than the blue rim of the cross. A close examination of the buildings visible
in the series of photographs taken on this occasion (of which only part is published here) allows us to conclude that they weretaken at Galați airfield. (Dan Antoniu/Horia Stoica collection)

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PZL/IAR P.11F ROMANIAN FIGHTER ON SKISOPTION 3

PZL/I.A.R. P.11F NO. 122, FLOTILA 3 VÂNĂTOARE, EARLY 1943

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PUBLISHED BY MICHAŁ SKAWIŃSKICONTACT: PZLINROMANIA(AT)GMAIL.COM© All graphics are the sole property of IBG Models Sp. z o.o. if not stated otherwise.
This eBook is free to download and distribute. Text, photos, graphics and layout is a copyright material that must not be copied,
reproduced, transferred, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by thepublisher, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was acquired or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law.
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responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Publication date: 18.12.2022