Google as a verb, not a nomen!

As for the An-70, i thought it was on a dead-end but verbing you brought the following, from June this year, Rosbaltnews:

http://www.rosbaltnews.com/2004/09/01/66807.html

Russia, Ukraine to Build AN-70 Military Planes

KIEV, June 7. Representatives of the Kiev aircraft factory Aviant and the Omsk manufacturing union Polet signed a two-year agreement to produce a series of AN-70 military transport planes. Aviant informed a Rosbalt correspondent that the planes will be assembled in Ukraine from Polet parts.

Preliminary data shows that the overall number of planes needed between the two countries totals over 200. However, while Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has only ordered 5 planes thus far, India, the United Arab Emirates, China, and a few other Asiatic countries have already shown interest in the planes. ‘We have found a common denominator and defined a valuable policy with the Russian party. We look optimistically to the future,’ noted Aviant general director, Oleg Shevchenko.

They still could use a few hundred orders or so, don’t forget the An-70 has been screwed immensely by Russia and mishaps over the last few years.

Oleg Antonov was born near Moscow, but (googlegooglegoogle…) his former deputy and replacement of General Designer of the OKB, Pyotr Balabuyev, is a homegrown Ukrainian. Still, the Russians can feel satisfied that at least they have got the An-124 production line at Ulyanovsk.

There are ~300 div. MiG-23s, 60 MiG-27 and 250 MiG-29/UB as tactical reserve, most are not in flying condition and will never be. RFAF (2004)
41 MiG-25R in Moscow-Militärbezirk and 28 MiG-25 in St. Petersburg-Militärbezirk. Of this ~ 40 operated or in flying condition.

Shatalovo and a handful at Lipetsk (Moscow MD) and Monchegorsk (Leningr… uhhh, St. Petersburg MD) airbases.

Of the 256 MiG-31/M
62 at Moscow-MB, 85 at St. Petersburg MB, 39 at Sibiria-MB and 26 Far-East-MB.
Not all operated regulary, but some more at Test-facilities

Moscow: Morshansk (doubtful though, hardly operational in 2001), Pravdinsk, Khotilovo (and Savasleyka at the Tsentr).
St. P: Gromovo, Monchegorsk, Kotlas, Talagi.
Siberia/Far East: a total of 65 is incredibly low if you consider the number of MiG-31 airbases that should be in this area: Yelizovo, Sandagou, Dolinsk, Omsk, Kansk, Bratsk and Bolshoye Savino. Now which ones have closed down as operational MiG-31 bases????

No – the Antonov An-225 is the Russian monster aircraft.

I raise you in pickiness: it’s Ukrainian!

From a spotters point of view, i have never seen such a huge aircraft which is so impossible to read. The wings are always in the way – impressive the dispersals of Seshcha may be.

I stand corrected Leornato, i wasn’t all too consciously alive back in 1980…

The pics show one of the Moldovan Fulcrums at the Nellis petting zoo where service personell can get up close and personal with Russian (and other potential hostile) gear. The green was the paint it had when it came from Moldavia, the grey paintjob is supposed to be a more authentic (and sometimes even claimed to be it’s) paintjob – well, at least they tried…

Well, there definately are other MiG-29s in the US then the Moldovan ones, but none of the Moldovan machines are flying.

Time to contact Tom again, should have done that a long time ago.

John,
The Cessna’s were illegally crossing Cuban borders with the ultimate intent to overthrow the Cuban government, by dropping propaganda. Furthermore, the Cessna’s were known to be owned by an organisation linked with terrorist organisations in Cuba proper.

Best of all, the BttR had been violating Cuban airspace for a longer period of time and the Cuban government had warned them that future breaches of Cuban airspace could result in the DAAFAR opening fire on the intruders. They were warned, they ignored the warnings and flew in anyway, and they were shot down. Yes they were unarmed lightplanes, so what? I don’t recall any outrage when Israeli helicopters shot down a Cessna from Lebanon either.

And i don’t think any hypothetical Iranian Yak-18T’s on leaflet dropping missions calling for an Islamic revolt against GWB over Maine would be left untouched either.

I don’t think that font size seven is really convincing by the way, i prefer your arguments over your typographical shouting.