About
My name is Boris Ilchenko. I was born and grew up in Kamchatka, Russia. My grandfather participated in battle of Shimushu in 1945. My dad is a retired civil aviation engineer. As you see, my interest in WW2, history, and aviation is not by chance.
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Aviation
This is me in 1978, greeting the first non-stop IL-62M flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk, along with my dad and his co-workers. Note the tail of Li-2 at the right side of the picture.
History
Kamchatka was the last region of the USSR where Li-2, the license-built Soviet version of DC-3, was used on the regional routes. When my dad returned to Kamchatka in 1961 as a fresh grad from Riga's Institute of Civil Air Fleet Engineers, he was quite surprised to realize that Li-2s are going to be the mainstay of his fleet for another decade! (Pictured here at the controls of DC-3 in Oshkosh in 2004)
Skiing
Since I never became a pilot, I had to find an alternative source of adrenalin. This is me in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in search of powder.
Modeling
To keep it simple, it has been my hobby ever since I learned how to use basic tools. As I entered adult life, my priorities have naturally shifted, but I always knew, that some day I will get back to the workbench. So, about 15 years ago I had my "modeling rebound".
Still wonder, for better or for worse?