I.A.R. 80 nr.39 of ”Grupul 8 Vânătoare” (8th Fighter Group), pre-May markings, Pipera airfield, early May of 1941.

Romanian I.A.R. 80, nr.39

Romanian He 111H-3 nr.5 of ”Grupul 5 Bombardament” (5th Bomber Group), Basarabia, summer of 1941.

This particular aircraft was lost due to bad weather during a night operation in July 1942, wounding one and killing four, including a Luftwaffe Lieutenant. 

Romanian He 111H-3

I.A.R. 80B, nr.229 & I.A.R. 80, nr.19 are flown from Brașov I.A.R. factory to Târgșorul Nou airfield by I.A.R. factory pilots Dipl.-Eng. Nicolae Florescu (nr.229) and Lt. Av. Mihail Iliescu (nr.229), July of 1942.

The author of this color photo is Slt. Av. (r) Sorin Tulea (1915-2005), highly decorated He 111 pilot, WIA in 1944 while bombing soviet positions on Moldavian front (http://www.worldwar2.ro/arr/?article=741).

The newly installed communist regime ”rewarded” him with 16 years in prison, from 1948 to 1964.