POSTCARD N.51 - Russia

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 25th November; received on the 13th December
Postcard image: Polar Aviation Il-14
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Ilyushin Il-14 - Itself a development of the Ilyushin Il-12, that aimed at replacing the DC3 Dakota workhorse (or as locally built, Lisunov LI-2) in soviet use, the Il-14  first took to the air in 1950. The trycicle undercarriage  aircraft, powered by two radial  Shvetsov ASh-82T-7 engines each delivering 1,900 hp, was operated by a crew of 4 and could transport 24 to 32 passengers. Besides the Soviet Union, the Il-14 was built under licence in the former DDR (FWD - Flugzeugwerke Dresden - Il-14), in Czekoslovakia (Avia-14) and in China (Y-6).

The Il-14 was, unsurprisingly, extensively used by the air forces of the countries that formed the Warsaw Pact and also by many of the countries that gravitated around the Soviet Union centre of influence during the cold war, for a total of more than 2 dozen operators

Conversely , the Il-14 was also used as a commercial transport aircraft by the airlines of of the countries of the Warsaw Pact and a few of the countries that used it for military purposes.

Currently, according to Wikipedia, only 3 confirmed airworthy IL-14 aircraft exist in Russia, with a suspected 4th airframe in the United States. 

The Il-14 on the beautiful postcard that Mr. Postman dropped into my letterbox depicts an aircraft of the Soviet Polar Aviation Fleet, operated in the 1960s, in the same livery as shown by the restored "Penguin" and "Blue Dream", two of the 3 aforementioned airworthy  aircraft flying in Russia. Thank you so much for such a nice card, Julia. 

Stamps, left to right; top to bottom:

- Single stamp set issue with a face value of 15 Rubles, issued on 13FEB2012, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the birth of aviation pioneer  P.N. Nesterov.

Pyotr Nikolayevich Nesterov (1887-1914)... one of the names that attained the status of timeline milestone marker in the history of aviation ... the first man ever to Loop the loop, at a time when pilots weren't even strapped to the seat and aircraft were not much more than DIY contraptions made of wood and fabric.

But even if this was enough to guarantee Nesterov a place in the olimpo of aviators, his name would in time  be enwrapped in the aura of legend due to his extremely combative nature in war times, what would eventually supply the element of tragedy that fosters the myth.

At a time when air combat was almost impossible because the pilot had no other weapon than a revolver or a shotgun, Nesterov came up with quite inventive solutions like flying above the opponent and  dropping an anchor with explosives into his aircraft, or attaching a sabre to his skid and trying to literally cut the fabric of the enemy aircraft. These all proved rather difficult and ineffective, though. So he went the extra mile and decided he would ram the enemy out of the air with his own aircraft. The first time he tried the manoeuvre, against an Austrian Albatross B.II reconnaissance aircraft, although successful, would also be his last since both aircraft entangled and plunged to the ground, Nesterov falling out of his Morane Saulnier Type G to his sad demise.

- 15 Rubles stamp, issued on 18APR2014, part of a 4 stamp even priced set, dedicated to Aerial ramming. Besides Yekaterina Zelenko (1916-1941), the set includes stamps honouring P.V. Eremeyev (1911–1941), B.I. Kovzan (1922–1985) and A.S. Khlobystov (1918–1943).

It seems Nesterov's example would in time be followed by quite a few pilots with absolute disregard for their physical integrity, Yekaterina Zelenko, a woman pilot that fought bravely against the German forces during WW2 was one such case and after having spent all her ammunition she chose to ram a Me Bf109 with her Sukhoi Su-2 in her final combat, thus losing her life. 

- Single stamp set issue with a face value of 21.5 Rubles, issued on 20MAY2016, celebrating the birth centenary of  A.P. Maresyev (1916-2001) 

The story of Aleksey Petrovich Maresyev echoes the more familiar one to us on the western side of  Europe of Douglas Bader.

Both lost their legs in accidents involving aicraft (although Maresyev lost them in combat during WW2 and Bader in a practice flight, long before that) and both, showing relentless stamina, resiliance and a tremendous will managed to become air aces during the second great obscenity. Both would also survive the conflict. 

- Self-adhesive 50 Kopek stamp, part of the 7th definitive issue of the Russian Federation, started in 2019. It exhibits the State Postal Administration Emblem and was issued on 07AUG2019.