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Warbirds Exported from Russia

Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:27 am

I've found it hard to keep track of the various warbirds that have been exported from Russia, so, once again, I decided to make a list:

Total: 83

A couple notes on the above:
  • Only aircraft recovered from Russian territory are included - not Finland, other former Soviet republics or anywhere else. Complete new builds, such as Yakolev fighters, are also not included. Finally, aircraft recovered in Russia that have not left the country are not included.
  • For the sake of completeness, I have included any parts that could be used to provide an identity, regardless of what condition the airframe is. The question of whether these are data plate restorations is a later concern. However, I have tried to note the status where confirmation is available.
  • If no identity is known and it was part of a group of airframes collected at the same time, entries have simply been given a number.

As additional reference, I figured I would add a list of the individuals and organizations involved:
  • Paul Allen/Vulcan Warbirds/Flying Heritage Collection[74]
  • Champlin Fighter Museum[75]
  • Daniel and Kevin Hunt/Wings Museum[76][77]
  • Jeet Mahal/Air Assets International/Warbird Recovery[78]
  • Boris Osetinky/Aviarestoration
  • Jim Pearce[79]
  • Tim Wallis/Alpine Fighter Collection[80]
  • Jerry Yagen/Fighter Factory/Military Aviation Museum

As always, I don't know what I don't know, so if I missed one, please feel free to suggest it.

EDIT (22-12-23): Added two I-153s, two I-16s, eight P-40s, and three Spitfires based on suggestions.
EDIT (23-01-08): Corrected the numbers for the references in the list of individuals and organizations, which had been missed in the last edit.
Last edited by Noha307 on Sun Jan 08, 2023 3:39 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Wed Apr 27, 2022 7:56 am

Several P-40s missed off that list, I think TFC at Duxford had 4 (P-40C x 2, E, N).

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Wed Apr 27, 2022 4:43 pm

A lot of 109s...that list looks like it would double the world's population.
Have many of the aircraft been restored...are any flying?
Or are they squirreled away as investments or loooong term projects?I

Too bad there aren't any more Spitfires, Mitchell's, PBYs, or even
C-47s on the list.
Last edited by JohnB on Sat Jun 04, 2022 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Wed Apr 27, 2022 4:55 pm

JohnB wrote:A lot of 109s...that list looks like it would double the world's population.
Have many of the aircraft been restored...or areany flying?
Or are they squirreled away as investments or loooong term projects?I

Too bad there aren't any more Spitfires, Mitchell's, PBYs, or even
C-47s on the list.

The list is incomplete. There are at least 3 Spitfires missing (BP926, RK858, SM639) missing

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Wed Apr 27, 2022 5:06 pm

Spitfires

Mk IV BP923 crashed in Norway. Currently Sweden

Mk IV BP926 Recovered Wreck to the UK

Mk IX SM639 Recovered Wreck to the UK

Mk IX RK858 Recovered Wreck to the UK

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Wed Apr 27, 2022 5:37 pm

JohnB wrote:A lot of 109s...that list looks like it would double the world's population.
Have many of the aircraft been restored...or areany flying?
Or are they squirreled away as investments or loooong term projects?I

Too bad there aren't any more Spitfires, Mitchell's, PBYs, or even
C-47s on the list.


I went down the list and matched most of the Bf-109s to source lists, but could not find a few. Many of the Emils are in the UK as projects, while the F's and G's are scattered between the UK, the US and Germany. A good number are airworthy projects.

I still think it's odd that Bf-109E-7 #1983 is stunning and airworthy but hidden away by owner. But I understand if they want privacy. A good recent photo would be nice.

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Wed Apr 27, 2022 6:21 pm

JohnB wrote:A lot of 109s...that list looks like it would double the world's population.
Have many of the aircraft been restored...or areany flying?
Or are they squirreled away as investments or loooong term projects?I

Too bad there aren't any more Spitfires, Mitchell's, PBYs, or even
C-47s on the list.


I wonder about a lot of the 109s as well. Up until about 10 years ago, Fighter Factory/MAM were posting semi-regular photo updates from the restoration of their E-7. It sure seemed like there was steady progress being made, though I'm not sure where the work was being performed. I always got the impression that the work was being done overseas somewhere. I hope the project didn't fall off the table with the completion of their Hispano conversion to a Bf109G-6.

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Wed Apr 27, 2022 8:02 pm

The Aviarestavratsiya Polikrapovs recovered and restored to airworthy for Tim Wallis/Alpine Fighter Collection:
I-16 Type 24
- 2421319 ZK-JIN, now D-EPRN with Thomas Juelch
- 2421234 ZK-JIO, now RA-1561G with unknown (to me) Russian owner
- 2421645 ZK-JIP, now N30425 with Kermit Weeks
- 2421014 ZK-JIQ, now N7459 with FHCAM/Steuwart Walton
- 2421028 ZK-JIR, now N1639P with Jerry Yagen
- 2421039 ZK-JJC, now EC-JRK with Fundacion Infante de Orleans

I-153
- 6316 ZK-JKN, now N153RP with Jerry Yagen
- 6326 ZK-JJB, now with Vadim Zadorozhny
- 7027 ZK-JKN, now EC-LJL with Fundacion Infante de Orleans

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Mon May 30, 2022 12:01 am

Thanks to everyone for the additional information.

Zac Yates wrote:The Aviarestavratsiya Polikrapovs recovered and restored to airworthy for Tim Wallis/Alpine Fighter Collection

Coincidentally, the Historical Aviation Film Unit posted a "Sales Video" for the aircraft just the other day:


I'll also note that there are two (or three) Yak-9 projects for sale on Platinum Fighters. The listing only notes that they "were discovered in an abandoned Soviet military base" and that they are presently located in "Europe", but they could have come from Russia.

Finally, it's worth mentioning the the three A6M3 replicas (3852, 3858, 3869) that were built in Russia for the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, California - if only to clarify they were based on wrecks actually recovered from New Guinea.

EDIT (22-12-23): Two follow up points on this post. First, as detailed in an article, HAFU has found and restored a documentary about the recovery of a Hawker Hurricane I, P3351, from Russia. Also, I missed the fact that there was also a Ki-61, unknown identity, sent to Russia as part of the above effort by the Museum of Flying.
Last edited by Noha307 on Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Tue May 31, 2022 10:22 pm

Noha307 wrote:Coincidentally, the Historical Aviation Film Unit posted a "Sales Video" for the aircraft just the other day:

The full video on HMTV is well worth watching - lots of restoration film and photos I've never seen before.

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Wed Jun 01, 2022 9:29 pm

You should add Mike Walton as a full partner of Boris Osyatinskiy and Jim Pearce

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Sat Jun 04, 2022 4:58 pm

Consideringg the Russian connection/location of these wrecks/projects, one has to wonder how the current unpleasantness will impact them?

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Sat Jun 04, 2022 11:57 pm

P-40 list seems to be missing

P-40C
41-13357

There's also a few Tomahawks that have come out

P-40E/E-1
41-35916 - being restored
41-35918 - to be restored?
41-36018 - Flying

P-40K
42-10083
42-10256

Additionally there's probably another 12 or so I believe have come out (parts, almost complete etc, certainly enough to register)

Buz

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Fri Dec 23, 2022 8:41 pm

warbirdfinder wrote:You should add Mike Walton as a full partner of Boris Osyatinskiy and Jim Pearce

Could you explain a bit more about who Mike Walton is?

PeterA wrote:Spitfires

Zac Yates wrote:The Aviarestavratsiya Polikrapovs recovered and restored to airworthy for Tim Wallis/Alpine Fighter Collection:

Buz wrote:P-40 list seems to be missing

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! The list in the original post has been updated - with the exception of Spitfire IV, BP923, as it was recovered from Finland, not Russia.[1][2] (However, I do appreciate it being mentioned if for no other reason than the sake of clarification.)

Re: Warbirds Exported from Russia

Sat Dec 24, 2022 12:09 pm

For those of you in the know, are there enough parts to rebuild engines for all those airframes?
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