Steve RushWas in the area on holiday over the past fortnight: the runways at Oban and Colonsay looked pretty close to completion now.
I know Moggy was singing the praises of Oban in another thread but, as beautiful a location as it is, I thought the setting of Glenforsa (the small airfield on Mull) was even more picturesque. Great food (and whisky and Mull real ale!) in the hotel to boot. Just look out for midges 😮
Best regards
Steve Rush
Steve RushQuestion though: would the Su-25T be from Tblisi or Ulan-Ude? While official series production of the upgraded Frogfoot was to have been at UU (since it was based on the two-seater Su-25UB airframe built at UU, and the Russians wanting to take high-end production out of the newly independent states back into the rodina), i’ve actually never heard of confirmed series-built UU Su-25T or TMs, whereas i know a number of Su-25Ts have been built by the Tblisi plant.
Definitely Ulan-Ude, Arthur.
It’s being reported as a Rosoboronexport deal whereas TAM at Tbilisi is in Georgia.
The details of this Iranian deal are a little sketchy: it was reported back in February that three ‘Su-25UBT’ were to be delivered to Iran, following-on from the confirmed delivery of three ‘Su-25UBK’ in 2003.
If the ‘Su-25T’ models in this latest story are the same as the ‘Su-25UBT’ variants reported back in February is beyond me at the moment.
Best regards
Steve Rush
Art: check your PM box 😉
Steve RushAnother goof – it’s ASCC NOT NATO !!
Nahh, Ken….that’s just you being a pedant!
I have a lot of time and respect for the work that Andreas Parsch has done over the years with regards to aircraft and systems designation, and this is what his site states:
The NATO uses so-called “Reporting Names” when referring to aircraft and missiles of FSU (Former Soviet Union) states and the People’s Republic of China. Reporting names for aircraft are selected by the ASIC (Air and Space Interoperability Council; renamed in 2005 from ASCC, Air Standardization Coordinating Committee – member states are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA and UK), but names for missiles (and other systems like radars etc.) are created by other organizations. However, all reporting names are eventually forwarded to NATO in a single list.
The phrase “NATO reporting name” has been in constant use for as long as I’ve had an interest in aviation….so it’ll do for me, ta :p
Best regards
Steve Rush
Steve Rushwhat you’ve been smoking Steve??? 😀
That’ll teach me to try and do a dozen things at once! Thanks for the heads-up on the NATO reporting name goof 😉
For sure, non of them were wired for nukes!!
I thought, like SOC too evidently, that this was the reason cited for the US purchase of the Moldovan Fulcrums. However, I don’t remember the original source for the reporting of this: it may have been in IAPR, but I’m unsure about that.
If none were wired for nukes do we assume that the MiGs were procured purely for “evaluation” purposes then?
Steve Rush
Steve RushAaaaggggghhhhhhhh, there are none so blind as those who don’t want to see, or deaf as those who don’t want to hear.
I have a friend who buys and sells Migs (so knows his way round eastern built aircraft) and on an official visit to Nellis saw one of the Su-27’s hidden away. Unfortunately, he was not able to get close to the aircraft to confirm identity.
I also have another acquaintance who has photographed the mockups at Indian Springs AAF, and who also knows something about eastern built aircraft, and he has confirmed that these appear to be mockups (look at the top of the tail fins in the photo posted above).
All of Zoot’s posts in this thread tie-up with what I understand the situation to be also.
The pair of Su-27 Flankers shipped from Belarus to the USA were seen aboard the An-124 by an aircraft entusiast who was working airside at Prestwick Airport in Scotland during its fuel-stop/layover in November 1995.
Do the US build full-size mockups of Russian fighters? You bet they do:
http://www.fbo.gov/servlet/Documents/R/986793
Some of you keen model makers might even want to submit a bid for any future tenders 😀
One thing that I’m still unclear about regarding the ex-Moldovan Fulcrums is why didn’t the US purchase all of them? Surely the six or seven examples that remained in-country still represented a notable threat if they were to have found their way to Iran, for example. The only reasonable explanation could be that not all were wired so as to be nuclear-capable.
Steve Rush
Steve RushI’m going on Sunday…what time do you think I should get into the show to get a decent spot? Last major airshow I went to was Farnborough and it was dire…couldn’t get anywhere near the front of the crowd so all my photos had heads obscuring everything
Without wanting to sound too obvious I’d advise getting in as early as possible : the gates open to the public at 07:30 on both days and I would actually suggest getting into the queue for 07:00 if personal circumstances allow for that. Once the vast mass of punters all start to arrive mid-morning then the traffic and queues for security checks etc. get far worse than they are first thing.
Due to the fact that RIAT is held on a much larger site than Farnborough I don’t think you should have the same problems finding a spot on the crowdline, especially at the ends of the runway: for the past couple of years there has been space at the eastern end to take nice shots of the display aircraft taking off and on final approach to land.
Have a fabulous day: the weather looks set to be almost perfect!
Best regards
Steve Rush
Steve RushWith respect wouldn’t your opinions on the ‘show at Waddington be better addressed to the organisers? At least then you might get some answers to the questions you pose.
From a personal point of view, I stopped attending airshows in the UK as “an enthusiast” around ten years ago: for the very reasons you highlight in your posting. I’d swap a few hours airside on a busy active base for any airshow you care to name, but that’s just a personal preference.
Best regards
Steve Rush
p.s. By the way, RIAT is not an “RAF show”.
Steve RushI’m sure Nick Blacow won’t mind me mentioning his thread of great pictures taken today over at the photographic forum: the HAF A-7E painted in tiger colours is worth the look alone!
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=60031
Steve Rush
Steve RushThanks, Nils – much obliged 🙂
Arriving at Fairford today ready for the weekend were the following:
RAAF: Boeing 707
RJAF: C-130H
Hellenic AF: A-7E x 2
Turkish AF: F-4E x 2
Aeronavale: Atlantique NG
Flygvapnet: JAS-39A x 2, JAS-39B x 1
Swiss AF: LJ 35A (Also departed)
Polish Navy: M-28 Bryza
USN: E-6B
USAF: KC-10A, B-52H x 2, T-43A
USAFE: F-15C x 3, F-15E
USMC: KC-130H
RAF: Tornado GR.4, Dominie T.1, Beech 200
If any of you are down at RIAT over the weekend make sure you check out the AirForces Monthly/AIR International stand: the editorial team will be in attendance over both Saturday and Sunday.
Best regards
Steve Rush
Steve RushMoggy,
14 Squadron Jag GR.1 XX963/AL shot down 35 miles north-east of Bruggen by 92 Squadron Phantom FGR.2 XV422. Pilot ejected safely. Definitely a Sidewinder, presumably an AIM-9L.
Best regards
Steve Rush
Steve RushAssuming a westerly wind (which it should be, judging by the forecast) then try around where the orange arrow is pointing to on the following map:
Where you’ll be able to park on Friday is another issue, but there should be various fields in the area that’ll charge you a few pounds to park-up for the day.
Okay….the met is now declaring a light easterly wind for Friday, so they should land from the opposite direction. Try the following spot for pictures, although you’ll no doubt have to hike to it due to parking restrictions in the area:
The only other thing I have to add is that the vast majority of visitors for the ‘show arrive on Thursday, going by previous years.
Steve Rush
Steve RushThe USMC has 13..
Although the 13th UC-35 (2x UC-35C, 11 x UC-35D) was handed-over back in May, one of those 13 (namely UC-35D BuNo 165938) sadly crashed back in March 2004 whilst on approach to MCAS Miramar, killing all four aboard.
The US Army received 20 UC-35A models, which by now should all have been upgraded to UC-35A1 standard by DynCorp.
In addition to the 20 UC-35As, the Army also received seven UC-35B and a single UC-35C (03-00726) models.
Steve Rush
Steve RushA pair of F/A-18F Super Bugs arrived at Farnborough for SBAC ’06 yesterday using radio call-signs ‘Trend 67 & 68’. As did an USMC KC-130F and one of the two MV-22B Ospreys: the second Osprey has made a “precautionary landing” at NAS Keflavik in Iceland en route.
Steve Rush
Steve RushI think it is a Macchi MB.308
100% agree with dan_pub.
As fas as is known they operated a single example of the MB-308 between around 1949 and 1958, so the date fits that time frame too.
Steve Rush
Steve RushRussian developers to demonstrate MiG-AT with two RD-1700 engines at MAKS 2007
Russian developers to demonstrate MiG-AT with two RD-1700 engines at MAKS 2007
The Russian MIG Aircraft Building Corporation is going to demonstrate its MiG-AT training aircraft equipped with two RD-1700 engines, developed by the Soyuz design bureau, at the MAKS 2007 international air show in Zhukovsky, a source in the Russian defense industry told Interfax-Military News Agency.
“The work to replace the French Larzac engines with Russian RD-1700 in MiG-AT is under way,” he said.
According to him, the experimental aircraft with one Larzac and one RD-1700 will perform its maiden flight in September or October 2006.
“There will be 49 test flights made in such configuration,” the source said.
According to him, the main issues will be settled when 20 flights have been made, showing what reliability and other characteristics the new Russian engine has.
“If it is all right, the test program will most likely be revised, and the second RD-1700 installed instead of the Larzac,” he added.
He also said that in the present configuration with one French and one Russian engine only the tests of the power plant will be conducted, while as soon as the second Russian engine is installed tests of both the engine and the aircraft in all operating modes will be held.
“The first phase of the engine tests will have to be completed this year, so that the second phase could be passed before the MAKS 2007 international air show,” he said.
Source: Interfax-AVN (3rd July, 2006)
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