V-E Day question: Flying SOVIET warbirds - how many & where?

[StangStung]

A question for the WIX brain trust: How many flying Soviet warbirds (that is designed/manufactured in the USSR - not lend-lease) are there today, and where are they based?

I have the suspicion that the majority of flying Soviet era (1922-1991) warbirds are flying and based in the West (as opposed to in the former Soviet Union countries). This question arose in my little noggin as a result of the confluence of the Russian May Victory Parade and current world events.

Full disclosure: I know it's probably already in the "flying warbirds" thread, but -also full disclosure - I'm too lazy to comb through that haystack for these particular needles. Moreover, knowing this group there's already someone for whom this is already their pet project and has the numbers at their fingertips.

Ready, set, go!

[DaveM2]

There is a large collection owned by Vadim Zadorozhny in Russia- air worthy Polikarpovs, IL-2, MiG-3s.

NZ probably had one of the largest airworthy Soviet collections back in the late 1990s with the Tim Wallis Alpine Fighter Collection, but now there are a few Yak-3 new builds. Several countries operate those, and Po-2s, but I think Russia itself has the largest 'fleet' - of the WWII era anyway.

Last edited by DaveM2 on Wed May 11, 2022 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Archer]

A quick copy/paste from the first post in that haystack:


There are about 53 Yak-3/9/11 & LET C-11 type aircraft flying in the world:
Belgium: 1 (D-FENK)
Czech Republic: 2 (OK-JZE, OK-KII)
Finland: 1 (G-YCII)
France: 10 (F-AYAK, F-AZFJ, F-AZIR, F-AZJB, F-AZLY, F-AZNN, F-AZOK, F-AZOS, F-AZXZ, F-AZYF)
Germany: 8 (D-FAFA, D-FJII, D-FLUG, D-FMAX, D-FYAC, D-FYAK, D-FYGJ, D-FYWM)
Italy: 1 (D-FIST)
Netherlands: 1 (F-AZZK)
New Zealand: 2 (ZK-VVS, ZK-YOV)
South Africa: 1 (N17ZA)
United Kingdom: 6 (F-AZIM, G-BTUB, G-BTZE, G-BZMY, G-OLEG, G-OYAK)
United States: 20 (N102Y, N1157H, N11WY, N130AM, N16YK, N18AW, N2124X, N219Y, N25YK, N261MS, N316DH, N42YK, N43UP, N4425S, N498SD, N529SB, N5943, N6373Y, N6388U, N854DP)

-----Purposely not included: F-AZZV and G-CDBJ, which I believe are undergoing repairs. I have removed ZK-YYY from the list, as it was severely damaged/wing torn off at Warbirds Over Wanaka after clipping a cherry picker left on the grass runway. N7YK (**new/future reg required**) in New Zealand is undergoing overhaul/restoration work at Omaka.

Allison-Engined Yak-3 New Production (12): D-FLUG, D-FYAC, D-FYGJ, (F-AZZV), (G-CDBJ), G-OLEG, N102Y, N17ZA, N42YK, N529SB, N854DP, ZK-VVS
Allison-Engined Yak-9 New Production (10): D-FAFA, D-FENK, D-FIST, HB-RYA, N1157H, N219Y, N4425S, N6373Y, N6388U, (VH-YIX)
Allison-Engined Yak-3 Conversions (built from LET C-11's): F-AZLY, F-AZXZ, N130AM, (ZK-YYY)
N7YK is converted from a LET C-11 to resemble a Yak-7, and powered by an Allison engine

There are about 12 MiG-15's flying in the world:
Canada: 1 (C-FMVN)
Czechia: 1 (OK-UTI)
Norway: 1 (N104CJ)
Poland: 1 (SP-YNZ)
Russia: 1 (RA-0488G)
United States: 7 (N15UT, N87CN, N996, N669MG, N515MG, N157GL)

There are about 10 MiG-17's flying in the world:
United States: (N117BR, N1710, N1713P, N17HQ, N217SH, N406DM, N620PF, N6953X, N717MG, N917F)

-----Purposely not included: N1426D, N217JG, N217RH, N711TF, and N905DM, which haven't appeared to be active in the last few years.

There are 2 Mig-3's flying in the world:
Russia: (RA-1563G, RA-2224G)

-----Purposely not included: N107FB, which has not flown since arriving in the US several years ago.

There are only one or two Polikarpov fighters currently in the world (only a few flown):
Germany: (I-16 "D-EPRN")
Spain: (I-16 "EC-JRK")

-----Purposely not included: The I-153 EC-LPC in Spain is not known to be an active flyer. All five the of the US-based Polikarpov fighters, the I-15 "N3815R", I-153 "N153RP", I-16 "N1639P", I-16 "N30425", and I-16 "N7459", are not active. All four of the Russian-based Polikarpov fighters, the I-15 "02089", I-15 "RA-0281G", I-153 "RA-1562G", and I-16 "RA-1561G", are said to be undergoing major overhauls..

There is 1 Ilyushin IL-2 flying in the world:
Russia: (RA-2783G)

I have not searched through the rest of the thread for all the updates, but I have a feeling that as this first post has been updated recently, this is a pretty good summary of today's situation.

[marine air]

That is very informative. Thanks. Wouldn't it be great to get a pilot report on the Mig 3 versus the Yak-3 or P-40?

[sandiego89]

Heard a rumor that no one really wants to fly the Soviet biplanes at Military Aviation Museum/Yagen collection? Perhaps with dated restorations?? Anyone know the reality? The vast majority of other types, including the Yak-3, there are flyers.

[StangStung]

This is good info and confirms my gut suspicion that the greatest "Soviet" air force exists in the US and Western Europe. Pretty remarkable to a kid who grew up reading articles with fuzzy pictures of Warsaw Pact planes I thought I'd never see in person. It's a shame I wasn't able to get to Monino before Russia made itself a global pariah.

[warbirdfinder]

A restored Ilyushin IL-2 flew over the May Day parade in the city of Novogorod.