Keeping aside regular MoD/PRO/PC press releases, the following was posted on BR Forum – which are said to be direct inputs from the Indian team

So far the Typhoons and Su-30s have been pretty much at a standoff in 1-v-1s (AWACS used as well). They have different strengths (enabling their respective pilots to either create an offensive situation to their advantage or exit from a defensive one with ease). Tons more to go – the routines will get more complicated and elaborate in the days to come. (High praise for the Typhoon – it was described as being “like a Hunter” – can’t get much better than that!).

The typhoon and the Su-30 was a kind of stand off in the 1 vs 1.. the Su-30 in any case is not meant for that sort of fight in the first place..AWACS are being used..the typhoons biggest advantage is light weight i.e., high thrust to weight ratio, so good climb performance and very fast acceleration..so it can get out of trouble quickly..more importantly it can regain energy fast after a energy depleting manoeuvre..it was too evenly matched to really compare, Su-30 great on snap maneuvering but more energy depletion while lesser maneuvering by the Typhoon but lesser energy depletion…(in BVR type scenarios) there is still a fair amount of maneuvering, albeit at large distances, and a lot of stand offs due to missile defeating maneuvers at large distances, till such time that a merge takes place..so one guy locks the other break away, turn around, then some one locks or fire and the others avoid etc and a lot to do with keeping a high SA on who is where doing what in large number situations..and in these kind of situations when the Typhoon needs to maneuver aggressively it has a lot of power to enable it to do so..BVR is a lot of cat and mouse stuff, while close combat missile type is more messing around with gun combat taking the cake…the Typhoon has only been doing close combat till now. bigger stuff yet to take place..the pilots maneuver not just to try break lock-ons to them but also to to stay away from a know threat of better capability or also to defeat the missile after launch…remember the chaps are just not airborne to stay in one place and fight , they have an objective to reach, that necessitates a forward movement…that is the basic premise in BVR combat

Hello,

Did somebody read the Su-30 construction numbers at Waddington ?

The c/n plate is to be found on the front bulkhead of the nosewheel bay.

Any additional details would be more than wellcome!

Rgd,
Jeroen Nijmeijer
Holland

Jeroen,

I checked our photo collection from aero india where we did some up and personal shots with the MKIs. I found the following photo by our contributor Vijay Simha Reddy – Is ths the C/N Plate that you talk about? If so the number somehow ‘matches’ the serial number of the ac SB106.. These were the HAL produced examples

Thanks Jagan-is this a HAL MKI Mk3?

There was a pic of a flying MKI with 75 painted on it- the same aircraft as in above?, it was taken from the side as the aircraft was banking and showed the entire top airframe. Do you have that?

There seemed to be new protrusions on top of that extended “stinger” that comes out between the engines.

Nick, these are the same aircraft as the one with 75 painted on it. There were actually two aircraft SB105 and SB106 – and they took turns flying. Are they Mk3? I really dont know.

Scotavia

Something does not make sense about these aircraft. I would question if they are decoys. Why are they not dispersed? No camoflage, no sign of any ground support kit.While the pic is real I would expect that such a cocentration of potential danger would have been destroyed within a few days of being located by the Sri Lankan air force.
Can anyone explain the background to these aircraft or is this a propaganda pic.

The pic I posted is real, but it is NOT from Sri Lanka or from the LTTE. It is from India.

The person who sent it to the OP , photoshopped a hoarding in the background and an LTTE soldier with a rifle half way to the right of the picture.

The Iskras were retired in 2004. And the ac under the tarps are the ones that have been withdrawn from use. Read more here http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Images/Special/Iskras/index.html . (The above photo and the more can be seen under Iskra Portraits)

Since then, most of these ac have been dispersed to various AF installations in India as gate guards.

Here is the location on Google Earth. There are only four ac now in this aerial shot, which meant they have been moved away

See link

*link abbreviated and embedded, BR Mod

GJ,

can you post some 100% crops? rather than resized pics? both static as well as flying pics are welcome~!

Lets not forget the incompleted ‘Volume 2’ – A Fighter Pilots Summer with Norman Franks.

Hi Steve,

You will have a great time photographing the aircraft. For what its worth here is the list of aircraft

Antonov-12 BL-727
BAe Canberra B(I)58 IF-907
Consolidated B-24 Liberator J HE-924
Dassault Mystere IVa IA-1329
Dassault Ouragan IC-554
De Havilland DH82 Tigermoth HU-512*
De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou BM-774*
De Havilland Vampire FB52 IB-799*
De Havilland Vampire NF10 ID-606
Douglas Dakota C-47 IJ-302*
Douglas Dakota C-47 IJ-817*
Fairchild C-119 Packet IK-450
HAL Gnat I IE-1059
HAL Gnat II E-265*
HAL Gnat II E-2016
HAL HAOP-27 Krishak N-949
HAL HF-24 Marut D-1205
HAL HT-2 IX-732
HAL HT-2 IX-737*
Hawker Hunter F56 BA-263
Hawker Hurricane II B AB-832
Hawker Tempest II HA-623
Illyushin-14 IL-860*
MiG-21 FL C-499
Mil Mi-4 BZ-900
NA Harvard HT-291
Percival Prentice IV-3381
PZL TS-11 Iskra W-1757
PZL TS-11 Iskra W-1758
Sikorsky S55C IZ-1590
Sukhoi-7 BMK B-888
Supermarine Spitfire VIII NH-631*
Supermarine Spitfire XVIII HS-986
Tupolev-124 V-644
Westland Lysander 1589
Westland Wapiti K-813
Yokosuka MXY-7 Baka -NA-
MiG-25 R KP-355

Those marked with * are not accessible for the public

Additionally – in and around Delhi, you have the following aircraft on display

Dassault Mystere IVa IA-1009 Near Old Bus Stand, Delhi.
Dassault Mystere IVa IA-1016 Subroto Park, WAC HQ, Delhi
De Havilland DH85 Pussmoth VT-AKH Preserved at Delhi Flying Club, Safdarjung
De Havilland Vampire FB52 -NA- Airforce School, Subroto Park, Delhi
Douglas Dakota DC-3 VT-AUT BSF No Wings, No Engines at Palam Airport
Douglas Dakota DC-3 VT-CTV National Airports Authoritiy – Unused at Palam Airport
HAL Gnat -NA- Airforce Bal Bharati School, Delhi
HAL Gnat -NA- Traffic Training Park Punjabi Bagh
HAL Gnat I IE-1061 Subroto Park, WAC HQ, Delhi
HAL Gnat I IE-1071 Officers Mess, Air HQ, Delhi
HAL Gnat I IE-1205 Vayu Bhavan, Delhi
HAL Gnat II IE-246 Vayu Bhavan, Delhi
HAL Gnat II E-254 Pragathi Maidan Exhibition
HAL Gnat II E-1975 Vayu Bhavan, Delhi
HAL HF-24 Marut D-1274 Officers Mess, Air HQ, Delhi
Hawker Hunter F56 BA-241 Modern School, Delhi
Hawker Hunter F56a A-941 Subroto Park, WAC HQ, Delhi
Hawker Hunter F56a A-1012 Army complex, Bhikaji Cama Place Near Hyatt Regency
Hawker Hunter T66 S-574 DGNCC Office
Illyushin-14 -NA- South of Palam Airfield
MiG-21 FL C-1168 Pragathi Maidan Exhibition
MiG-21 Bis C-2284 Officers Mess, Air HQ Delhi
Sukhoi-7 BMK B-747 Gate Guardian AFS Hindon Outside Delhi
Sukhoi-7 BMK B-909 Army Public School, Delhi

Have a great time.