Kibanov and his Nieuport

Angiolillo · 9 March 2005, 12:28 AM

Hello!

On a huge book about Russian aviation in WWI I found a picture and a three views plate of a nice Nieuport with almost French roundels and a horseman personal insigna. It is a Nieuport 21 according to the picture dida, a 23 according to the plate. The pilot is Kibanov, unit unknown. He has been shot down october 11, 1917 according to the picture dida (the plate dates the color scheme December 1917 - any problem with Russian calendar, maybe?).

Anybody know anything about Klibanov? Expecially first name, rank (hopefully in Russian), unit?

Thanks a lot,

Andrea

Familyman · 9 March 2005, 02:17 AM

Geust & Petrov: Red Stars 3 (Apali, 1999) has a photo of this Nieuport too. It's still in one piece and a pilot (Kibanov?) standin in front of it. It appears to be a Nieuport 23. It has French roundels and French type tricolor on the rudder. Sayz in the picture text: 'Nieuport 23 of the Russian pilot Kibanov, 22 KAO, 3 BAG. Kibanov was shot down near Minsk 11 October 1917'

Yours

Mikko

rammjaeger · 9 March 2005, 02:29 AM

Why "French type" roundels?

I don´t know the book but IMHO the Russians had cockades (like all Entente states) in their national colours and did not use French roundels.

VBR
Rammjaeger

Familyman · 9 March 2005, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rammjaeger

I don´t know the book but IMHO the Russians had cockades (like all Entente states) in their national colours and did not use French roundels.

VBR
Rammjaeger

In many photos the French made Nieuports used by Russians still have their original French roundels. Maybe the Russian roundels were painted over later, maybe not. I really do not know...

Mikko

Angiolillo · 9 March 2005, 04:29 AM

Thanks a lot! So now we know the unit and there is a confirmatioon of the type. I only wish I had his rank and first name...

The plane has French roundels, maybe slightly modified, and anyway the French colors on the tail rudder. That's Auletta's drawing for my little game, quite faithful to the plate on the book.

Bye and thanks!

Andrea

Angiolillo · 9 March 2005, 04:36 AM

Anyway, I could guess it was the hurry to get machines to the front. It happened in Italy too. Could be in the Osprey about Nieuport Aces that there isa profile of the Nieuport 27 N5800 of Sergente Retorri of 81a Squadriglia (Italian), with French roundels and tail rudder colors.

Matt_Bittner · 9 March 2005, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angiolillo

That's Auletta's drawing for my little game, quite faithful to the plate on the book.

Did that artist also do side profiles of Kibanov's machine? I would be interested in seeing those if he did.

Angiolillo · 9 March 2005, 05:49 AM

No sorry, he just do the artwork for the game and we just need the view from above.

That's a very bad picture (taken from a camera) of the book. Sorry, I could not scan it. Colors are so false that insigna almost look italian...

Familyman · 9 March 2005, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt_Bittner

Did that artist also do side profiles of Kibanov's machine? I would be interested in seeing those if he did.

Matt!

Red Stars 3 has drawings of all the 3 emblems on page 171!

Mikko

Angiolillo · 9 March 2005, 06:29 AM

That's a great info. Even because the two horse heads on the two sides are different (as it would be evident if it was not for the gloss paper of the book and the flash of the camera). But better that way, so we do not give around copyrighted material that can be used. Let's say it's advertising fopr the book, that I recommend:
Amazon.com: The Imperial Russian Air Service Famous Pilots and Aircraft of World War One (9780963711021): Alan Durkata, Tom Darcey, Victor Kuhkov, Alan Durkota, Victor Kulikov: Books