Part I
An aspect of Soviet aviation and
the aviation industry which has not really received any significant
attention heretofore concerns the use and design of various logo type
devices. Whereas the logos and trademarks of many Western companies are
indeed well known-- to the point that no skilled modeller would omit,
for example, a Hamilton Standard badge on a propeller of this type--
there is no corresponding such body of modelling work, decals, or
indeed awareness for VVS modelling. In this series of articles we will
hope to make some headway towards a rectification of this condition.
Perhaps surprisingly to some, many Soviet aviation design bureaux did indeed employ logos and trademark devices. The bureaux were, in fact, always companies in all but name even up to the 1960s, after which they were publicly recognised as such. These identification devices came into use perhaps somewhat extemporaneously, but caught on as a concept and by the end of the 1940s were seen with virtually all of the fraternities and design bureaux in the USSR. In some cases such logos were seen well before this time, as we shall demonstrate.
Interestingly, many of these logos and trademark devices remain in use to this day. It may perhaps be argued that the employment of such items by the various companies has expanded, or broadened, over the last 30 years, but that should not be understood to mean that they did not exist prior to such time, nor that they came about as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The idea that commercial activity and business orientation was not seen in Soviet times is a common misconception; perhaps these use of these logo devices will serve and example of this reality.
. . . . . .
The LII applied a logo representing their testing fraternity to many aircraft under examination by them, both foreign and indigenous types. This logo was usually applied in white, and very often on the upper portion of the fin/rudder area. There are a few cases where the marking looks to have been applied in black (over an area of quite light colouration). It is not currently known when, exactly, this logo came into use. The earliest as yet identified application is seen on a Bf 109G-6 during 1943. By the end of the war, however, the LII logo was quite ubiquitous, especially on captured foreign aircraft. There is no information available at the time of writing as to when the logo passed out of use.
This seemingly innocuous little marking launched what was probably the most extensive use of aircraft logo devices by any Soviet or Russian entity during any period of aviation prior to the current day. The badge is a simple, stylised Cyrillic letter "F" in red colour within a circle on a white field. The "F" signified a boosted (forsirovanniy) M-82F engine as installed in the La-5F fighter, and was applied at Factory 21 to all such machines during manufacture. This "F" badge was applied to the cowling of the receiving aircraft, the exact location being relevant to any individual example. As with all subsequent Lavochkin logos, examples can be found where the badge was present either to port (only), or both to port and starboard; it is not known which was the preferred method. It also seems to have been the case that, following repairs or other obscuring work, this logo was usually re-applied under field conditions as required, with the expected and resulting variations in quality of application.
The use of the "F" badge to denote La-5 fighters with the boosted engine type seems to have been regarded as very significant within the Lavochkin OKB. Indeed, when the M-82FN motor began to be installed in the new La-5FN type aircraft a similar badge was designed along the lines of the earlier "F" type. The new "FN" logo was virtually identical, this a stylised "FN" text in red again within a red circle on a white field. For reasons unknown, this logo did not last long; it was summarily replaced during the autumn of 1943 by a new FN logo of more dramatic appearance.
A new "FN" logo of much more 'artistic' appearance replaced the round badge very rapidly at Factory 21. This marking consisted of a stylised "FN" text conforming to a diamond shaped outline, this segmented for additional visual impact. Two small triangles flanked the "FN" text. The new diamond FN logo seems to have been universally applied in white on the engine cowling, and once more also seems to have been replaced by field units when required (via re-painting, etc). Examples of this logo can be seen after the GPW, and probably remained in use until the La-5FN itself was withdrawn from service in 1947.
The concept to employ a logo device to denote the aircraft's type upon manufacture was clearly established within the Lavochkin OKB by 1944. Hitherto, the logo badges had denoted the type of engine installed in the machine, but in the La-7 programme the device specifically referred to the aircraft, itself. The new La-7 logo returned, interestingly, to the earlier round pattern with red text and outline on a white field. An additional artistic feature was added below the "La 7" text as a coloured border within the white disc. The placement of the logo was as before, on the aircraft's cowling. Photographs exist of La-7s in post-war service which do not seem to show such badges of the cowling, while at the same time other images do show these in place in the same period. It seems likely that the La-7 badge continued generally in use until the last of the La-7s were withdrawn in the late 1940s.
With the introduction of the La-9 fighter, the Lavochkin OKB introduced a rather new type of logo. This device was completed as a small aircraft graphic, somewhat suggesting the shape of the La-9 itself. The main graphic was in white, with heavy black highlighting along the upper portions. Above the entire picture was placed some text, in black, which seem to be "Product of Factory 21" [the first word is very small and as yet unconfirmed; I believe it may be izdeliya, but further investigation is needed]. La-9s seen in foreign service often seem to usually lack this logo, however.
Although the original La-9V prototype featured a logo which very much resembled the La-9's device (as above), the production version of the two-seat trainer, the UTI La-9, featured a new logo type. Curiously again, this badge returned to the older round format, complete with red colouration over a white field. The upper red division carried the text "UTI", while "La-9" appeared in the lower white portion. The logo was applied to the cowling in the usual manner, but machines seen in foreign service often do not seem to feature it. No explanation is currently available for this observation.
The long association of the Lavochkin OKB with aircraft logos, as applied to their piston-engined fighters, came to a close with the last such machine designed by the bureau-- the La-11. The La-11 logo was seen in at least three forms, interestingly, and by this time had really come to represent a trademark device of considerable importance, being modified in application to meet the underlying aircraft colouration. The original, and seemingly preferred, version of this device was completed with a black outline around the main text "La-11" which was filled-in with red, as was the small star. The trim and smaller "Zavod 21" text were in black. A simplified version of the logo was seen on light-coloured aircraft (e.g. A-36m finish), particularly on exported machines, in which the entire logo was completed in black. A finial version was seen in cases where the aircraft carried a dark livery (perhaps A-32m or A-24m colouration), this being 'reversed' in application with white. One presumes this was done so that the logo would stand out better; the darker versions would quite disappear over such colouration. The La-11 logo was applied to to cowl in the usual positions, and presumably remained in use until the type was withdrawn from service.
The date at which this trademark for the MiG OKB came into use remains unclear. A film clip from Russian TV concerning the development of the MiG-21 fighter seems to show this logo (or perhaps something similar) present on a factory drawing sheet of the E-4 prototype, which would then presumably date from 1954, or thereabout. A similar programme concerning the MiG-29 shows what surely looks to be this logo on Mikoyan plans for the izdelyia-9 prototype of 1974-75. The introduction of this trademark probably can be found within those two dates. Be that as it may, the device usually appears in one of two versions: monochrome and coloured. The monochrome version is simply rendered in black, whereas the coloured version (which looks to be preferred for letter-head and web site use) consists of white borders with blue and dark blue fill. Often the entire marking is again displayed over a dark background, sometime with additional small embellishments. As yet, I have not found any version of this trademark applied to an aircraft as a logo device, but the some authors claim that this has been done. The search for such images will continue.
The current Yak OKB trademark has a similarly unclear origin. The design, which consists of a Cyrillic "Yak" text flanked by two wings, is usually rendered in white, although in some cases on letter-head or such with various trim surrounding. The design bears a very strong resemblance to some small artwork which appears on more than one of the AIR prototypes from the 1930s. Sadly, all currently known images of this graphic are small and blurry and not distinct enough for proper interpretation. Could it be the same logo, or perhaps a similar one? No other Yak OKB aircraft have yet been spotted sporting such artwork, and it would seem that this device is in fact only a trademark. Investigations on this interesting point will have to continue.
Perhaps surprisingly to some, many Soviet aviation design bureaux did indeed employ logos and trademark devices. The bureaux were, in fact, always companies in all but name even up to the 1960s, after which they were publicly recognised as such. These identification devices came into use perhaps somewhat extemporaneously, but caught on as a concept and by the end of the 1940s were seen with virtually all of the fraternities and design bureaux in the USSR. In some cases such logos were seen well before this time, as we shall demonstrate.
Interestingly, many of these logos and trademark devices remain in use to this day. It may perhaps be argued that the employment of such items by the various companies has expanded, or broadened, over the last 30 years, but that should not be understood to mean that they did not exist prior to such time, nor that they came about as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The idea that commercial activity and business orientation was not seen in Soviet times is a common misconception; perhaps these use of these logo devices will serve and example of this reality.
. . . . . .
| Entity: | L.I.I. (Letno-Islyedovatel'skiy Institut ) |
| Type of Device: | Aircraft Logo |
| Date of Appearance: | 1943 ? |
| Date of Discontinuation: | unknown |
The LII applied a logo representing their testing fraternity to many aircraft under examination by them, both foreign and indigenous types. This logo was usually applied in white, and very often on the upper portion of the fin/rudder area. There are a few cases where the marking looks to have been applied in black (over an area of quite light colouration). It is not currently known when, exactly, this logo came into use. The earliest as yet identified application is seen on a Bf 109G-6 during 1943. By the end of the war, however, the LII logo was quite ubiquitous, especially on captured foreign aircraft. There is no information available at the time of writing as to when the logo passed out of use.
| Entity: | Lavochkin OKB |
| Type of Device: | Aircraft Logo |
| Date of Appearance: | January 1943 |
| Date of Discontinuation: | 1945 |
This seemingly innocuous little marking launched what was probably the most extensive use of aircraft logo devices by any Soviet or Russian entity during any period of aviation prior to the current day. The badge is a simple, stylised Cyrillic letter "F" in red colour within a circle on a white field. The "F" signified a boosted (forsirovanniy) M-82F engine as installed in the La-5F fighter, and was applied at Factory 21 to all such machines during manufacture. This "F" badge was applied to the cowling of the receiving aircraft, the exact location being relevant to any individual example. As with all subsequent Lavochkin logos, examples can be found where the badge was present either to port (only), or both to port and starboard; it is not known which was the preferred method. It also seems to have been the case that, following repairs or other obscuring work, this logo was usually re-applied under field conditions as required, with the expected and resulting variations in quality of application.
| Entity: | Lavochkin OKB |
| Type of Device: | Aircraft Logo |
| Date of Appearance: | 1943 |
| Date of Discontinuation: | 1943? |
The use of the "F" badge to denote La-5 fighters with the boosted engine type seems to have been regarded as very significant within the Lavochkin OKB. Indeed, when the M-82FN motor began to be installed in the new La-5FN type aircraft a similar badge was designed along the lines of the earlier "F" type. The new "FN" logo was virtually identical, this a stylised "FN" text in red again within a red circle on a white field. For reasons unknown, this logo did not last long; it was summarily replaced during the autumn of 1943 by a new FN logo of more dramatic appearance.
| Entity: | Lavochkin OKB |
| Type of Device: | Aircraft Logo |
| Date of Appearance: | Autumn 1943 |
| Date of Discontinuation: | 1947 ? |
A new "FN" logo of much more 'artistic' appearance replaced the round badge very rapidly at Factory 21. This marking consisted of a stylised "FN" text conforming to a diamond shaped outline, this segmented for additional visual impact. Two small triangles flanked the "FN" text. The new diamond FN logo seems to have been universally applied in white on the engine cowling, and once more also seems to have been replaced by field units when required (via re-painting, etc). Examples of this logo can be seen after the GPW, and probably remained in use until the La-5FN itself was withdrawn from service in 1947.
| Entity: | Lavochkin OKB |
| Type of Device: | Aircraft Logo |
| Date of Appearance: | 1944 |
| Date of Discontinuation: | unknown |
The concept to employ a logo device to denote the aircraft's type upon manufacture was clearly established within the Lavochkin OKB by 1944. Hitherto, the logo badges had denoted the type of engine installed in the machine, but in the La-7 programme the device specifically referred to the aircraft, itself. The new La-7 logo returned, interestingly, to the earlier round pattern with red text and outline on a white field. An additional artistic feature was added below the "La 7" text as a coloured border within the white disc. The placement of the logo was as before, on the aircraft's cowling. Photographs exist of La-7s in post-war service which do not seem to show such badges of the cowling, while at the same time other images do show these in place in the same period. It seems likely that the La-7 badge continued generally in use until the last of the La-7s were withdrawn in the late 1940s.
| Entity: | Lavochkin OKB |
| Type of Device: | Aircraft Logo |
| Date of Appearance: | 1947 |
| Date of Discontinuation: | unknown |
With the introduction of the La-9 fighter, the Lavochkin OKB introduced a rather new type of logo. This device was completed as a small aircraft graphic, somewhat suggesting the shape of the La-9 itself. The main graphic was in white, with heavy black highlighting along the upper portions. Above the entire picture was placed some text, in black, which seem to be "Product of Factory 21" [the first word is very small and as yet unconfirmed; I believe it may be izdeliya, but further investigation is needed]. La-9s seen in foreign service often seem to usually lack this logo, however.
| Entity: | Lavochkin OKB |
| Type of Device: | Aircraft Logo |
| Date of Appearance: | 1948 |
| Date of Discontinuation: | unknown |
Although the original La-9V prototype featured a logo which very much resembled the La-9's device (as above), the production version of the two-seat trainer, the UTI La-9, featured a new logo type. Curiously again, this badge returned to the older round format, complete with red colouration over a white field. The upper red division carried the text "UTI", while "La-9" appeared in the lower white portion. The logo was applied to the cowling in the usual manner, but machines seen in foreign service often do not seem to feature it. No explanation is currently available for this observation.
| Entity: | Lavochkin OKB |
| Type of Device: | Aircraft Logo |
| Date of Appearance: | 1947 |
| Date of Discontinuation: | unknown |
The long association of the Lavochkin OKB with aircraft logos, as applied to their piston-engined fighters, came to a close with the last such machine designed by the bureau-- the La-11. The La-11 logo was seen in at least three forms, interestingly, and by this time had really come to represent a trademark device of considerable importance, being modified in application to meet the underlying aircraft colouration. The original, and seemingly preferred, version of this device was completed with a black outline around the main text "La-11" which was filled-in with red, as was the small star. The trim and smaller "Zavod 21" text were in black. A simplified version of the logo was seen on light-coloured aircraft (e.g. A-36m finish), particularly on exported machines, in which the entire logo was completed in black. A finial version was seen in cases where the aircraft carried a dark livery (perhaps A-32m or A-24m colouration), this being 'reversed' in application with white. One presumes this was done so that the logo would stand out better; the darker versions would quite disappear over such colouration. The La-11 logo was applied to to cowl in the usual positions, and presumably remained in use until the type was withdrawn from service.
| Entity: | Mikoyan & Gurevich OKB (later, RSK MiG) |
| Type of Device: | Trademark |
| Date of Appearance: | 1950s ? |
| Date of Discontinuation: | still in use |
The date at which this trademark for the MiG OKB came into use remains unclear. A film clip from Russian TV concerning the development of the MiG-21 fighter seems to show this logo (or perhaps something similar) present on a factory drawing sheet of the E-4 prototype, which would then presumably date from 1954, or thereabout. A similar programme concerning the MiG-29 shows what surely looks to be this logo on Mikoyan plans for the izdelyia-9 prototype of 1974-75. The introduction of this trademark probably can be found within those two dates. Be that as it may, the device usually appears in one of two versions: monochrome and coloured. The monochrome version is simply rendered in black, whereas the coloured version (which looks to be preferred for letter-head and web site use) consists of white borders with blue and dark blue fill. Often the entire marking is again displayed over a dark background, sometime with additional small embellishments. As yet, I have not found any version of this trademark applied to an aircraft as a logo device, but the some authors claim that this has been done. The search for such images will continue.
| Entity: | Yakovlev OKB |
| Type of Device: | Trademark |
| Date of Appearance: | unknown |
| Date of Discontinuation: | still in use |
The current Yak OKB trademark has a similarly unclear origin. The design, which consists of a Cyrillic "Yak" text flanked by two wings, is usually rendered in white, although in some cases on letter-head or such with various trim surrounding. The design bears a very strong resemblance to some small artwork which appears on more than one of the AIR prototypes from the 1930s. Sadly, all currently known images of this graphic are small and blurry and not distinct enough for proper interpretation. Could it be the same logo, or perhaps a similar one? No other Yak OKB aircraft have yet been spotted sporting such artwork, and it would seem that this device is in fact only a trademark. Investigations on this interesting point will have to continue.