anyone got a higher res of this picture ? the words are kinda hard to see

picture taken from http://animearimasu.animeblogger.net/2008/...inaugural-post/

I am actually more interested in the history of real aces featured in the picture. LOL.

Lidya Vityak, "White Rose of Stalingrad" (due to her personal motif of white lily on her plane) also awarded Heroine of Soviet Union. She always carry lily flowers in her cockpit, final tally is 12 kills. Fought in the skies above Stalingrad, she finally outgunned by a group of German warplanes determined to kill her, after it is revealed who she is.  The reason why she fought so hard is because revenge, her lover was killed in dogfights by Luftwaffe.

Erich "Bubi" (Boy) Hartmann known to Russians as Kariya One and sometimes Black Devil. Cautious and superbly skilled in ambush tactics, he is the man who have highest kill in experten circle (experten is German's word that denotes higher level than ace) 352. All but 7 P 51 Mustangs he fought over skies in Romania oil fields of Ploesti are Russians. Did not like to do fancy stuff, he just use Bf109 best characteristics, dive and shoot then dive again. After the war and brief captivity in Russia, he served in West Germany Air Force and famous for voicing out against deployment of F 104 Starfighter which he deemed as too unstable an unsafe. Sick of internal politics, he retired from Air Force at rank of Colonel.

Gerhard Barkhorn, 2nd highest kill for Luftwaffe experten (301 kills) later on served as General in post WW2 West Germany Air Force.  Like Hartmann, he is master of surprise bounces and below jumps, love to use out of the sun attacks on his hapless enemy. In his own memoir, he described an one to one dogfight with an Russian ace from Guards Regiment lasted about 40 mins which ended in draw as both men retreated after there is no opening between both of them. Famously, later on when he is test piloting the British Harrier, he "dropped" the prototype caught in camera. As he is led away unhurt but slightly dazed, he is heard muttering "302!". 

Saburo Sakai (60 kills) is 2nd best Imperial Navy ace pilot, flew A6M2 and A6M5 Zero. He is master of dogfight, knew how to utilize light wing load of Zero for tighter turn and superb marksman. Most famous case is when he is flying in semi conscious state after got hit in head by bullet for 3-4 hours. He managed to fly back to base with profuse bleeding from his head, almost blind in one eye. In 1942, he escorted a Dutch passenger plane over Java Sea despite given order to shoot any Allied plane down in the vicinity. After the plane reached safety zone, Sakai saluted the plane and flew off, sparing it. 

Chuck Yeager (11.5 kills), speed junkie and one of the most daring test pilot in USAF. He has 20/10 eyesight and able to spot the enemy very far away. After the war, he served as the best test pilot managed to survive all accidents and mishaps. He is famous for his breaking the sound barrier, piloting X-1 Bell become national hero. He is too famous to be considered for US NASA space program, much to his frustration. All pioneer US astronauts felt that he is the best choice for Gemini/Apollo space missions but got left out due to his status as national hero.

Eino Ilmari Juutilainen (94 kills), Finnish ace of aces, famous for 34 kills using one of oldest and slowest World War 2 fighter, Brewster Buffalo. Fought against Russians in Winter War and Continuation War, he was never shot down by enemy and never lost his wingman. Started as mechanic later on joined the Finiish Air Force. One time when his Buffalo plane malfunctioned aka unable to fly properly, he actually shot down a Russian Spitfire and one more fighter with surprise turns at last minute then he go home. In 1997 he flew Finnish Air Force latest fighter, FA 18 Hornet and 2 years later he passed away as national hero of his country. 

Will continue later.....

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lynette and erika got sisters...