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googeler

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  • in reply to: Small Air Forces Thread #13 #2387088
    googeler
    Participant

    Wikipedia is full of crap, as always.
    The provisional government barely holds control over a few blocks of Mogadishu, supported by African Union soldiers and a few own rag-tag troops.
    Them having such a serious air force (by sub-saharan African standards) is completely out of the question now.

    in reply to: Russian Aviation News – Часть 3! #2387098
    googeler
    Participant

    Otaku, that Su-35 photo screams Photoshop.
    Look at the sun’s shadows on the ground, particulary at the buildings – the light comes from the left, 10 o’clock approximately
    On the Su, the light comes from trhe right (1 o’clock) – look at the shadow the right tail casts on the horizontal stabilizer

    in reply to: Indian Air Force – News And Discussion #14 #2391040
    googeler
    Participant

    Interesting, quite rare to see 29s with wing tanks.

    Is this something specific for IAF 29s or are there any other versions out there by different 29 operators with wing tanks?

    Do the IAF 29s also use the large belly tanks?

    1500 liters belly tanks are standard for any MiG-29.
    There were no provisions for wing tanks in the Fulcrum A, but they are standard on Fulcrum C and onwards.
    The first ones to retrofit 2×800 liter fuel tanks on the inboard pylons of Fulcrum A, plumbing, etc. were the Germans after the reunification, in cooperation with MiG. Iraqis did something similar, but on their own and in a more rudimantary fashion, with fuel lines running over the wing and fuselage side.
    That’s about it as far as I know – of course plus India, as demonstrated by the picture above

    in reply to: Military Cessnas (High-Wing Prop Types) #2392233
    googeler
    Participant
    in reply to: Small Air Forces Thread #13 #2392240
    googeler
    Participant
    in reply to: Small Air Forces Thread #13 #2392506
    googeler
    Participant

    I didn’t mention Kazakhstan since it wasn’t in Flyer’s list, but yes, they had a regiment and used it for a few years. In the mid 90’s these MiG-21bis and UM were sold to North Korea.

    Uzbekistan didn’t have MiG-21s in any significant number or operational, my bet is that the one above never flew painted like that. Just like the MiG-23MS with Kyrghiz markings in Tokmok.

    in reply to: Small Air Forces Thread #13 #2394152
    googeler
    Participant

    Latvia and Moldova have definitely never had any MiG-21: Latvia, like all 3 Baltic republics, did not inherit a single jet aircraft from the USSR (we’re not counting gateguards and mueum exhibits), while Moldova’s only jet combat aircraft were a regiment of Fulcrums, nothing else at all. These are well known historic facts, worldairforces.com is utterly wrong in this case.

    Armenia only inherited some L-39C and Su-25, which were pressed into combat against Azerbaidjan in the Nagorno-Karabah conflict. I’m sure if they had even a single functional MiG-21, they would have used it.

    Also, there is no evidence whatsoever that Turkmenistan had any in service or on its territory at independance.

    Kyrghizstan did inherit a regiment of bis/UM based at Kant, but never used them, they still wear the red star. 5 MiG-21UM were sold to Romania in the early 90’s and another 4 to Croatia in 2003 to be upgraded as UMD. The rest are rotting away at Kant.

    Azerbaidjan is said to have had a few (4) based at Gandja/Gyandzha. There are no pictures available, current status unknown.

    Georgia had exactly two MiG-21UM, serials 27 and 29 (these had been manufatured at the Tbilisi plant until the 80’s when they started making Su-25). By the time of the August 2008 war they were not in use anymore.

    Belarus – don’t know.

    Ukraine inherited a large number, and some were used after the independance. Most of the Croatian examples were bought from there in the mid 90’s. At least one UM two seater serial 02 was used as late as the early 2000’s for training (probably for foreign pilots and Ukrainian test pilots at the facilities overhauling MiG-21s for foreign users).

    http://spotters.net.ua/file/?id=24443&size=large
    http://spotters.net.ua/file/?id=19721&size=large
    http://spotters.net.ua/file/?id=12031&size=large

    in reply to: J-6/Q-5 in 2010 #2403110
    googeler
    Participant

    Here’s the MiG-19 thread 😉 :

    http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=99191

    in reply to: Unknow small aircarft crashed in China #2421758
    googeler
    Participant

    Looking at the image above, the spine and tail tells me that’s a late model MiG-21PF (with the thick chord tail) or a PFM. The only way to tell them apart is through the canopy (which can’t be seen). The late-PF has a forward opening canopy while the PFM’s canopy hinges sideways.

    What you are calling late model PF is normally designated MiG-21 FL, and there is no evidence NK got any of those. After MiG-21 F-13 they went straight to PFM. FL was exported to India (also produced under license) and the Middle East.

    in reply to: Unknow small aircarft crashed in China #2422355
    googeler
    Participant

    bis mate, bis.
    What they got from Kazakhstan are MiG-21bis, while the last version imported from the USSR in the late 60’s was PFM. They do not have M/MF

    in reply to: Unknow small aircarft crashed in China #2422385
    googeler
    Participant

    Look like a NK MiG-21MF..

    MiG-21 PFM, not MF Look at the shape of the dorsal spine and the small air intake scoop on the forward base of the tail.
    Besides NK does not have M/MFs

    in reply to: Military Cessnas (High-Wing Prop Types) #2422645
    googeler
    Participant

    Central Africa – same aircraft, but with two different paintschemes and Philippines

    in reply to: Military Cessnas (High-Wing Prop Types) #2424047
    googeler
    Participant

    Mali

    in reply to: Lucky escape for CAF F18 pilot #2382499
    googeler
    Participant

    Thankfully other than a sore bum from a hard landing in his ejector seat,the pilot is fine.

    No, you got it all wrong mate. The pilot separates from the seat shortly after ejection, pilot and seat land separately. Had he landed together with the seat, it would have meant certain death, as the chute would not have deployed. Just look at the picture sequence in the link you provided.

    googeler
    Participant

    Offer enough offsets and political benefits to Romania and they may forget about both F-16 and Gripen and go for the more expensive Typhoon.

    Absolutely no way. The economical situation here is so bleak even the “free” F-16 deal is suspended.
    Romania will never go for Typhoons. Period. Even if they came for free and with offsets, they are too expensive to operate compared to F-16 and Gripen. No point in having state of the art aircraft if you can’t afford to fly them.

Viewing 15 posts - 46 through 60 (of 879 total)