Brass, silver plating, gilt, enamels. Measures 31.3 mm in height, 46.0 mm in width; the width of the shield in its widest section is 20.5 mm; weighs 8.3 g not including the screw plate. Riveted two-piece construction: the two bombs are a separate part superimposed on a shield- shaped base. The wrench and hammer emblem is gold-plated.

In excellent condition, extremely uncommon for an early-WW2 Soviet Air Force specialist badge. Both the sky-blue enamel on the shield and red enamel on the star are practically perfect, showing a beautiful luster and having only a few microscop

Brass, silver plating, gilt, enamels. Measures 31.3 mm in height, 46.0 mm in width; the width of the shield in its widest section is 20.5 mm; weighs 8.3 g not including the screw plate. Riveted two-piece construction: the two bombs are a separate part superimposed on a shield- shaped base. The wrench and hammer emblem is gold-plated.

In excellent condition, extremely uncommon for an early-WW2 Soviet Air Force specialist badge. Both the sky-blue enamel on the shield and red enamel on the star are practically perfect, showing a beautiful luster and having only a few microscopic flakes and contact marks that are completely unnoticeable to the naked eye. The silver plating is very nicely preserved on both sides of the badge; the gilt on the hammer and wrench is intact and clearly visible. The rivets are tight. The screw post is full length, approx. 9.5 mm long, and includes an original mint-marked screw plate in nickel-plated steel.

The badge was a part of the "streamlined" 1938 series of AF school graduate badges that replaced the earlier, serial-numbered badges of 1936 type. According to the Badges of the Soviet Armed Forces by Borisov, the actual production of the 1938 model started at the Leningrad Mint only in 1940 and wrapped up in July 1941, soon after the German invasion of the USSR. It stands to reason that at the time., weapon technicians were a small fraction among all the aviation school graduates. From practical experience, the badges of AF weapon school graduates indeed appear on the market far less frequently than those of AF mechanic schools or even pilot and navigator schools. It is exceptionally rare to find an example of the former in a condition as superb as the one offered here.

/Avers 8 p. 477, fig. 2256a; Borisov, Badges of the Soviet Armed Forces, 1918 - 1991 , fig. 310/
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