My first post here:
This a/c was part of 2 sqn's worth of a/c gifted by the Holy Russian Empire to the Knights Templar Air Corps in 1957. This a/c served on the Eastern Antioch Front (2 yellow stripes on port wing) in the combat patrol role. These patrols roamed the desert along the borders of the Greater Islamic Lands and the Middle Eastern fringes of the Holy Roman Empire.
This particular a/c was piloted by Brother Knight Michel de Payens and flew from Al-Bukamal, a town often attatcked by rocket fire from G.I.L forces. The camoflage adopted is a simple blue/grey underbelly with a mottled camoflage coat of Brown and light tan, which works well in the border desert.
The tail cross, theatre stripes and shield emblems are sprayed and masked on...the shields seemed a good idea at the time.