Tags with keyholes were cut from various access panels located on the wing of different IL-2s recovered from 3 different crash sites. All aircraft were pre-1942 production Il-2s fitted with all-metal wings.
The tags in this variation have small rectangular openings on each of them. These openings were where ground crews inserted their tools into the lock located inside the access panel to open it. Therefore, they served as something similar to keyholes. The locks were very simple, consisting of a steel strip that slid under the wing structure to secure the panel. There was a small hole in the strip through which ground crews inserted their tools and moved the strip to lock or unlock the panel. A very similar system was used in some US made aircraft during WWII, such as P-39 Airacobra.
Additional information:
Dimensions: approx. 88 mm x 37 mm (3.46″ x 1.45″)
There may be a slight difference between the color shades on your screen and those on the actual tags.
