Mig 21 in restoration at NMUSAF

[Pat Carry]

As far as I can tell, the Mig 21 currently in restoration is not the same one that has been on display at the museum for a number of years. Has it been in storage or did it recently come from another museum? www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/fa ... p?id=16889

[gale_dono]

This one's been in storage for a while; I don't have any idea where they got it, it may have been a post-Cold War backyard toy, but if it's from before that I'm sure its provenance is still classified.

[Kyleb]

I was in the restoration shop a few weeks ago. They indicated that the resto Mig-21 was an honest to gosh Russkie manufactured bird, whereas the one on display was built/operated by a satellite state (Bulgaria? Yugoslavia?). The USAF finds it important to display a "real" Soviet built Mig-21 as opposed to the other kind...

Last edited by Kyleb on Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Rauhbatz]

Check out my previous post regarding a discussion around Mig-21s mysteriously showing up a museums a few years back. I describe the arrival of one at Garber....

[Randy Haskin]

Probably one of the former Red Eagle or Red Hat aircraft, covertly acquired and flown/evaluated by the US military during the Cold War.

[JDK]

Gale, your 'unknown' was actually Benjamin Franklin.

However his views on MiG 21 origins remain unknown.

[Clifford Bossie]

The MiG-21 that has been on display for years is a Czech built MiG-21F.





(Nice looking airplane too!)

The one in the restoration area is a MiG-21PF that served with the Hungarian AF. Both were common variants with the NVNAF.





This was a ratty looking aircraft when I saw it last August.

[Owen Miller]

When the MiG exploitation program was closed down
a number of Soviet aircraft "showed up" at museums
around the country. Entirely possible this was one
of those.............

"Red Eagles" by Steve Davies is an outstanding book
on the subject.

[mustangdriver]

Looks like that MIg was built by Chrysler. That was the joke that used to float around the shops...

[Clifford Bossie]

Looks like that MIg was built by Chrysler. That was the joke that used to float around the shops...

That's funny! Kind of what I thought too.

Are you still volunteering at both the NMUSAF and Grissom?

[mustangdriver]

Sorry Cliff I just saw this. I am still an active member of the NMUSAF but due to my work schedule can't volunteer on a week to week basis. I work on other projects for them such as articles for the magazine and veteran interviews. Most of my hands on time now is at Grissom or with some of the local warbirds that are flyers. The NMUSAF will always have a special place in my heart and I am honored to have been an actual hands on volunteer there for a few years. I have many friends there so when I can I still go over and hang out.

[Shay]

Where is this one at, that was on display in front of the "Foreign Technologies Center" (Wright-Patt AFB)?



Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[mustangdriver]

Not sure, I will have to ask. One thing that I find interesting is that there are many aircraft on display around the base that most people don't get to see. A good deal of Migs here and there.