Hello,
On August 11, 1916, Makijonek returns to his home unit and finds information about his friend's transfer to a hunting unit. Janchenko was transferred to the 7th IAO. At that time, Donat continued his work as a pilot in 3KAO, where the tasks were basically focused on reconnaissance, reconnaissance and attacking ground targets. Despite this, Makijonek used every opportunity to perfect the art of piloting, he knew that air combat with the enemy was rather a matter of time. He had already won his first fight. On March 15, 1915, near the village of Kosovo, he single-handedly attacked a German reconnaissance plane (probably an Albatros) and forced it to land. Unfortunately, the German machine sat down on its front line and this victory was not credited to him.
Donat Makijonek, original charcoal drawing. Artist: Terry Waldron, 1995.
In 1916, the Russian military aviation started to create its own fighter units almost from scratch, and Makijonek decided to seize the perfect moment and applied for sending to a hunting course. The request was accepted and Donat went to Odessa for flight training on the new Nieuport-17 fighter. Makijonek completed his training in August 1916, already with the rank of second lieutenant, and then returned to the Squadron of the 3rd Corps.
On September 7, demonstration flights took place over Strunkowo airport, near Kołomyja. At an altitude of 1000-1500 meters, the pilots turned off the engine and landed in a gliding flight at their airport. The record was set by Shkarin, who maintained the set altitude for 7 minutes.
In the autumn Lieutenant Makijonek took part in one of the largest bombing raids carried out by the Russian Air Force during World War I. On September 15, 1916, large Russian air forces raided the Podvysokoje-1 railway station (Ukraine). In total, 20 aircraft took part in the attack, of which 16 carried bombs and 4 flew as cover. On that day, Russian pilots dropped over 700 kg of bombs on the station. In the air battle that ensued in the sky, the pilot Makijonek attacked the enemy Albatross three times and forced it to descend and withdraw from the battle, hiding in an area controlled by German troops. For this battle, the second lieutenant received further decorations: the Order of St. Anna IV class with the inscription "For Courage".
7 I.A.O. The pilots of the unit near the Nieuport 10 aircraft. From left to right: Byczkow, Makijonek, Gilscher (with a dog) and a mechanic. Galicia, 1916
During his service in 3KAO, Donat Makijonek made 95 sorties, in a total time of 80 hours and 25 minutes.
Being a fighter by nature, Makijonek willingly accepts in December 1916 the opportunity to join the 7th Fighter Aviation Unit under the command of Lieutenant Ivan Orlov. In the unit, he is greeted by a friend from the previous unit, Janchenko. The unit was stationed near the city of Tarnopol (Ukraine). Makijonek arrived at his new duty station straight from the hospital where he had landed after an emergency landing.
Until the beginning of February 1917, Makijonek took part in several air battles, but his opponents managed to escape all the time. Donat realized that his chances would increase significantly if he found a reliable and courageous partner. Warrant Officer Vasily Janchenko became such a partner - an experienced pilot who had shot down three confirmed enemy aircraft until then (he ended World War I with 16 confirmed aerial victories). The pilots became friends and discussed the tactics of team attacks and combat in every free minute. By the end of February 1917, Makijonek and Janczenko had become a harmonious and dangerous team, now they were waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves in the sky.
Vasily Janchenko (left) at Nieuport 4
An opportunity soon presented itself to them. On March 7, 1917, flying at an altitude of 2,200 m above the village of Świstelniki, Makijonek and Janczenko spotted a German plane and immediately attacked it. During the battle, Yanchenko descended to 400 m, Makijonek - to 800 m. The battle lasted more than 20 minutes, and after the eighth joint attack, the enemy plane was shot down, unfortunately, it fell behind the German front line. The Germans at that time retreated behind the first line of their trenches west of the town of Lipnica-Gorn (Poland). For Makijonk, it was the first victory as a fighter pilot, confirmed by other witnesses, for Janchenko, the fourth. Although the plane crashed in enemy territory, detachment and division documents report this.
Just a few months after joining the 7th IAO, Commander Orlov wrote about Makijonk:
“A pilot of extraordinary courage. He boldly carries out the most dangerous flights, which he performs masterfully. He knows the flight technique very well and likes his job. It has a calm and static character. Although he definitely likes hunting tasks the most, he performs all others without exception with great commitment.”
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When it comes to building the model, I have finished work on the engine. In the end, I chose the original from the model. The large cap will basically cover this element completely, so introducing a resin substitute here did not make much sense. The engine will only be visible from the bottom and rear in a small fragment of the cowling, which will protrude beyond the hull, i.e. it will not be visible at all. As for the box engine, well, it leaves a lot to be desired. The cylinders are not clearly made, and the very way of dividing the cylinder into three parts carries the risk of visible joints. Anyway, the whole thing was assembled, painted and put in place. I can't wait to paint the plane properly.
Regrds
Lukasz
