[skanchan95]

The two 1:72 Mirage 2000s in my collection :

[skanchan95]

1:72 Grumman F-14A Tomcat Bu No.160913, “13”, Naval Strike & Air Warfare Centre(NSAWC), NAS Fallon, 2000

" I got to send somebody from this squadron to Miramar. I got to do something here. I still can't believe it. I got to give you your dream shot. I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters are going to Top Gun!!! For five weeks, you're gonna fly against the best fighter pilots in the world."

-Cdr Tom "Stinger" Jardian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwxuB7oGgF4

The dialogue, delivered by the Air Wing Commander of USS Enterprise in the movie Top Gun, to Maverick & Goose refers to them being sent to Top Gun - the Naval Fighter Weapons School(NFWS). The movie immortalized the link between the F-14 & NFWS.

Top Gun/NFWS
In 1969, the US Navy established its Fighter Weapons School (NFWS), more popularly known as TOPGUN, at NAS Miramar, California. Its objective was to develop, refine and teach air combat manoeuvring tactics and techniques to selected fleet air crews flying against aggressor squadrons. The aggressor aircraft are flown by TOPGUN instructors in a way that simulates the tactics and capabilities of air forces deemed most likely to be a threat to the US.

Adversary aircraft are typically painted to simulate aircraft from air forces that pose a likely threat to the US at the time of training. F-14A BuNo 160913 was painted in a desert camouflage scheme, representing an F-14A of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

In 1996, the Navy Fighter Weapons School (NFWS/Top Gun), the Naval Strike Warfare Center(NSWC) and the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS) (historically known as “TOPDOME”) were merged to one unit, - the Naval Strike & Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon, Nevada.

NFWS pit student US Navy aircrews against F-16N (in service from 1987 - 1995, replaced by F/A-18 Hornets), A-4, and F-14 adversary aircraft flown by TOPGUN instructors. Ultimately, each new graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School will return as a Training Officer carrying the latest tactical doctrine back to his operational squadron.

Mimicking Iranian F-14s
Iran was the only other country which operated the F-14.After the Islamic revolution (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force), the reorientation of Iran and its good relations to the USSR, the US Navy was quick in changing its AN/AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 missile systems. That way any data fallen into the hands of the enemy would be useless to them. The AWG-9 radar delivered on the IIAF’s(later IRIAF)was a slightly downgraded variant, however the missiles(AIM-54A, AIM-7F and AIM-9J) were the same as the US Navy was using on their F-14s.US Navy started replacing/upgrading their AIM-54A stocks with AIM-54Cs. Tactics were also developed at NFWS to counter IRIAF’s F-14As and their AIM-54/AWG-9 combo.

F-14A 160913 was painted in IRIAF paint scheme with US Navy markings to simulate IRIAF F-14s at NSAWC. It began life as Top Gun 33 at NFWS/Top Gun. It became NSAWC 13 when NSAWC was formed. It was later painted in all grey paint scheme (as mentioned later in this post with a photo of NSAWC F-14 “13” in all grey paint scheme).

F-14s in NSAWC were also painted in Russian splinter camo, arctic camo to visually simulate Russian MiG-29 & Su-27 threats

In early October 2003 the last F-14s left NSAWC.







671 of 800 manufactured

[skanchan95]

Airborne
























For us chairborne Tomcat pilots










F-14A 160913 "13" in all grey paint scheme during its last days at NSAWC




Grumman's Mike Pelehach - widely considered to be the father of the Tomcat.


What the "Defender of the Fleet" was primarily tasked to shoot down:


While only a couple of photos exist on interception of IN IL-38s and Tu-142s by USN aircraft, the encounters between them were pretty common

[skanchan95]

The Original & the Imposter
Easy to use how closely they replicated the IIAF/IRIAF Asia Minor paint scheme on the NFWS F-14A 160913


















1:72 & 1:200 models of the same aircraft - F-14A 160913 as Top Gun 33 at NFWS & NSAWC 13 at NSAWC

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Grumman F-14A Tomcat Bu No.160913, “13”, Naval Strike & Air Warfare Centre(NSAWC), NAS Fallon, 2000

Another great Tomcat in your collection In my opinion this is most striking livery in your collection.

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Iran was the only other country which operated the F-14.After the Islamic revolution (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force), the reorientation of Iran and its good relations to the USSR, the US Navy was quick in changing its AN/AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 missile systems. That way any data fallen into the hands of the enemy would be useless to them.

Iraq almost got hold of a F-14 in one piece but some major miss-communications ruined their plans and a Mig-23 shot down the defecting aircraft.

Iraqi military intelligence had, since 1982, been trying to establish contact with diverse IRIAF pilots and convince them to defect. This operation was run via telephone calls, routed via Turkey, during which the callers had addressed targeted pilots in English. The Iraqis achieved their first success on Aug. 27, 1984, when Major Rahman Ghanat Pishnee defected with an F-4E from TFB.6 (Bushehr) to Ali Ibn Abu Talib AB. The Phantom II was carefully inspected but never test-flown: subsequently, it was parked inside a hangar where it was destroyed by US bombs, in January 1991.

Emboldened, the Iraqi Military Intelligence continued trying and eventually established contact with Captain Ahmed Moradi Talebi, an F-14-pilot based at TFB.8 (Esfahan). In spring 1986, Moradi requested permission for a family vacation outside Iran. This was granted, and in August the same year he travelled with his wife to Germany. Moradi returned without his wife, late the same month but – surprisingly enough – was granted permission to continue service. What the Iranian counterintelligence did not know was that by that point in time he had been in contact with the Iraqis and his defection was planned for Sep. 2,1986. In order to be recognized as a defector, Moradi was to fly his Tomcat along a very specific route, at a specific speed and altitude.

......a pair of F-14s launched from Esfahan and flew a combat air patrol near Bushehr. One of the pilots selected to fly the afternoon patrol on Sep. 2, 1986 was Talebi. After two Tomcats aborted prior to take-off, he took off in a third aircraft, which was armed with Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles only. Once airborne, Moradi topped his fuel tanks from a tanker aircraft, and then turned west — in the direction of Iraq.

The officer assigned the responsibility to receive Moradi’s defection was Ahmad Sadik. He was present at the ADOC but did not expect the Iranian to defect on Sep. 2, 1986. He recalled the drama that unfolded that afternoon:

“I entered the main hall and took a look at the huge screen in its centre. There I could see the track of an Iranian aircraft moving west from Esfahan, approaching the Iraqi border via Khoramabad, and then turning southwest toward al-Kut. The officer on duty scrambled a pair of MiG-23MLs from al-Bakr AB and the Kari system promptly calculated their interception point near the town of Numanya, well inside Iraq.’

Shortly after taking a smooth right turn, the two MiG-23MLs from No. 63 Squadron rolled out barely 15 kilometres (8nm) behind the F-14A, meanwhile underway well inside the Iraqi airspace. The leader of the Iraqi pair then lost his radar to a malfunction: he had no choice but to advise his wingman to take over. The young lieutenant acquired a lock-on and fired a single R-24T. The hefty weapon detonated below the F-14A, setting it on fire, and forcing the crew to eject. Meanwhile, the two MiGs were critically short on fuel. They approached only close enough to identify and report the type of downed aircraft before breaking away. It was only at that point in time that Sadik realised what was going on: the Iraqis just missed a golden opportunity to get a fully intact F-14A Tomcat into their hands. Of course, the Iranian crew was captured and extensively interrogated. Moradi even took a flight manual with him. However, nearly all of the information he provided was already known to the Iraqis. Furthermore, the F-14A was completely destroyed in the crash, as recalled by Sadik, who inspected the wreckage on the next day.

Source: https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-...cting-to-iraq/


Source: https://warisboring.com/in-1986-the-...-iranian-f-14/


Found this very ironical
Even then, and contrary to what might be expected, the Iraqis never shared any pieces of wreckage from that F-14 with the Soviets. Determined to bolster their relations with Washington, they gave the wreckage to American representatives at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

Several F-4s successfully defected to Iraq although I don't think the Iraqis ever flew them again.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Another great Tomcat in your collection In my opinion this is most striking livery in your collection.

Thank You. Apart from the NSAWC F-14 "13" replicated by Calibre Wings, Two other US Navy Tomcats were painted in this IRIAF Asia Minor livery.

1. Bu No. 160378 - It was meant to be the 80th & last Tomcat delivered to Iran. All other 79 Tomcats were delivered to Iran prior to the Iranian revolution in Iran. F-14A 163078 ( that was to be become 3-6080 is IIAF/IRIAF service) remained back in the US and was being used a testbed to integrate some systems and the Tomcat's TCS camera that were to be implemented to the entire IIAF F-14A fleet. Then the Iranian revolution happened and this F-14A was never delivered to Iran, nor were the TCS cameras for the IIAF/IRIAF F-14 fleet(and that is the reason why the IRIAF F-14As do not have a TCS camera on the chin, instead they have the ALQ-100 like early US Navy F-14s). This aircraft was used by the US Navy and designated an NF-14 and was used to test and develop the F-14's systems further.




2. Bu No. 159607 - It was US Navy F-14 that was painted in the IRIAF camo and markings and used as an aggressor aircraft for a short while at NSAWC and had Modex No. 172. It even had fake Iranian Flag on the tail fins, IRIAF roundels on the wings and IRIAF titles under the cockpit. Being a US Navy F-14, it had the provision for a TCS camera( which was fitted)



Reel versus Real
"Real" Top Gun F-14 clashing with a "Reel" Top Gun F-14(Maverick/Goose's F-14 from the movie Top Gun)











I've got you now!!!


Sweet Tone. Fox Two!!! Jester's Dead!!! Woohoo!


Alright, Knock it Off, Gentlemen, Jester has the Lead.






Tomcat Alley

[skanchan95]

MAN 630 L2AE
The MAN 630 L2AE was a five-tonne lorry, made by German manufacturer Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg, from 1953 until 1972. Military base model with additional, switchable front-wheel-drive.

It had four 14-inch wheels with four same-size. It was powered by a MAN D 1246 straight-six diesel engine. The uniqueness of this engine was that it had multi-fuel capability - it could run on petrol or diesel or a mixture of both.

Shaktiman truck
MAN got an order for the MAN 630's smaller cousin - the MAN 415 L1AR from the Government of India in the late 1950s. It had a smaller payload capacity of 4 tons and a six-cylinder MAN engine. The truck was manufactured under license at VFJ( Vehicle Factory. Jabalpur) and was called the Shaktiman. These trucks were used by the Indian Army in troop transport, ambulance etc and saw action in the 1962, 1965, 1971 and even 1999 Kargil war.

Specifications
Type : Lorry
Manufacturer : Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg
Class : 5 Tonne lorry
Body style : Long-bonnet, conventional cab lorry
Layout : Front engine, rear-wheel-drive

Powertrain
Engine : MAN D 1246 (Diesel, 8.276 dm3, 96 kW)
Transmission :
ZF AK 6-55 manual, constant-mesh, six-speed gearbox
Two-speed intermediate gearbox

Dimensions-
Wheelbase : 4600 mm
Length : 7900 mm
Width: 2500 mm
Height: 2980 mm
Kerb weight: 7980 kg

The Model:
It is a 3d printed model by K10 scale models(https://www.k10scalemodel.com/) - who are a Mumbai based 3d printed models manufacturer. I do not know the exact scale but it is somewhere between 1:43 and 1:72( it is too large to be a 1:72 and too small to be a 1:43). Bear in my mind these 3d printed models have their own detailing & feature limitations compared to an equivalent diecast model. Overall, a decent looking model, considering the price.

[skanchan95]

1:200 Eurofighter EF-2000/C.16 Typhoon, C.16-30/11-10, 111th Squadron "Diablos de Hispania"(Devils of Spain), Ala(Wing) 11, Ejercito del Aire(Spanish Air Force), Base Aerea de Morón, Spain

Designed as part of a co-operative effort by Germany, Italy and the UK to produce an air superiority fighter, the Eurofighter was first flown on March 27th, 1994. The Eurofighter is a single-seat, twin-engine, agile combat aircraft used in air-to-air, air-to-ground and tactical reconnaissance roles. It is intentionally aerodynamically unstable, which gives it its high levels of agility-but this means the Typhoon is controlled by a computerized "fly by wire" system instead of by its pilot. The Eurofighter's first rate performance is matched by excellent all round vision and by sophisticated attack, identification and defense systems and stealth technology

The Typhoon is capable of supersonic cruise without using afterburners (referred to as supercruise).

The Spanish Air Force has 70 EF-2000(locally designated as C.16) in operation with three squadrons. In 2022, Spain ordered 20 Tranche 4 to replace their legacy F/A-18A/B(C.15 EF-18) Hornets.

General characteristics
Crew: 1 or 2
Length: 15.96 m (52 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 10.95 m (35 ft 11 in)
Height: 5.28 m (17 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 51.2 m2 (551 sq ft)
Empty weight: 11,000 kg (24,251 lb)
Gross weight: 16,000 kg (35,274 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 23,500 kg (51,809 lb)
Fuel capacity: 4,996 kg (11,010 lb) / 6,215 L (1,642 US gal; 1,367 imp gal) internal
Powerplant: 2 × Eurojet EJ200 afterburning turbofan engines, 60 kN (13,000 lbf) thrust each [333] dry, 90 kN (20,000 lbf) with afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed: 2,125 km/h (1,320 mph, 1,147 kn) / Mach 2.0[334][335] (2,125 km/h or 1,320 mph at 11,000 m altitude)
1,530 km/h (950 mph; 830 kn) / Mach 1.25 at sea level[331] (1,530 km/h or 950 mph)
Supercruise: Mach 1.5
Range: 2,900 km (1,800 mi, 1,600 nmi)
Combat range: 1,389 km (863 mi, 750 nmi) air defence with 10-min. loiter / ground attack, hi-lo-hi (with 3 × external 1,000 l tanks)
185 km (100 nmi; 115 mi) air defence with 3-hr combat air patrol (with 3 × external 1,000 l tanks)
601 km (325 nmi; 373 mi) ground attack, lo-lo-lo (with 3 × external 1,000 l tanks)
Ferry range: 3,790 km (2,350 mi, 2,050 nmi) with 3 × drop tanks
Service ceiling: 19,812 m (65,000 ft)
g limits: +9 / -3
Rate of climb: 315 m/s (62,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 312 kg/m2 (64 lb/sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 1.15 (interceptor configuration)
Brakes-off to Take-off acceleration: <8 s
Brakes-off to supersonic acceleration: <30 s
Brakes-off to Mach 1.6 at 11,000 m (36,000 ft): <150 s

Armament
Guns: 1 × 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon with 150 rounds
Hardpoints: Total of 13: 8 × under-wing; and 5 × under-fuselage pylon stations; holding in excess of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload
Typical multi-role configuration for a Tranche 2-P1E would be 4 × AMRAAM, 2×ASRAAM/IRIS-T, 4 × EGBU-16/Paveway-IV, 2 × 1000-litre supersonic fuel tanks and a targeting pod.

Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles:
AIM-120 AMRAAM
MBDA Meteor
IRIS-T
AIM-132 ASRAAM
AIM-9 Sidewinder

Air-to-surface missiles:
Storm Shadow/Scalp EG
Brimstone
AGM-88 HARM
AGM-65 Maverick
Taurus KEPD 350
SPEAR 3 (in progress)

Anti-ship missiles:
Marte ER (up to 6 Marte ER anti-ship missiles at 6 hardpoints
Joint Strike Missile (planned)

Bombs:
Paveway II/III/Enhanced Paveway series of laser-guided bombs (LGBs)
500-lb Paveway IV
Small Diameter Bomb (planned for P2E)
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)
HOPE/HOSBO, in the future
Spice 250

Others:
Up to 3 × drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time
Conformal fuel tanks on Tranche 3 or later

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

MAN 630 L2AE
The MAN 630 L2AE was a five-tonne lorry, made by German manufacturer Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg, from 1953 until 1972. Military base model with additional, switchable front-wheel-drive.

A very well detailed model of a rare subject especially for the Indian Army.
I wonder do they scan the actual vehicle or build a virtual model on some software? I have done the later and its not a very difficult task if you have the specifications from some Engineer Drawings.

If you are willing to try some DIY painting some details on the models will do some wonders after taking reference from the pictures.

[SuperGirl_Dad]

Have drooled over this thread for the impeccable models that others have displayed. Hers is my first contribution with my humble model.

What I actually wanted



The engines tilted and the fans turn when the wheel rotates.

But what I actually got


The V22 was vetoed by Finance Minister and it did not make any sense to see it destroyed. My collection of toys have been attacked, lonely F16, busses and cars. They had no chance - against my spirited toddler with a appetite to paint pink glitter glue on everything. But since the kid is interested in anything with wheels and willing to learn, wanted to guide her to start taking them seriously. So got this Apache set and took some time to make the model with my SuperGirl. Its made of foam board material and is easy to fix.

Work in prgress:



Final outcome



Hope I can contribute more in the coming months.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by SuperGirl_Dad

Have drooled over this thread for the impeccable models that others have displayed. Hers is my first contribution with my humble model.

Welcome to our little happy corner in Team BHP. Thank you for opening your account. Please keep contributing.

[skanchan95]

1:100 Shaanxi Y-9W/KJ-500 AWACS, S/N 30552, 76th Regiment, PLAAF (AF1)
The Shaanxi KJ-500 is a third-generation airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLANAF) & People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force . It was built by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation, and is based on the Y-9 airframe. The Y-9 itself is based on the Y-8(which is an An-12 clone).

An airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft with a radar early warning system designed to detect aircraft, missiles and other incoming projectiles at long ranges, as well as performing command and control of the battlespace in aerial engagements by informing and directing friendly fighter and attack aircraft. When used at the aircraft's operating altitude, the radar system on AEW&C aircraft allows the operators to detect, track and prioritize targets and identify friendly aircraft from hostile ones at real-time and from much farther away than ground-based radars. Like a ground-based radar, AEW&C systems can be detected and targeted by opposing forces, but due to the aircraft's mobility and extended sensor range, they are much less vulnerable to counter-attacks that ground systems. AWACS are considered as a high value assets and provided with enough airborne and ground based protection systems.

The KJ-500 has a fixed dorsal rotodome containing three radar arrays each containing active electronically scanned array or AESA radars arranged in a triangular configuration to give full 360° coverage. Unlike the Rotodome on American AWACS like the E-3 and E-2, the rotodome on the KJ-500 does not rotate. The KJ-500's radar has the range of up to 470km and can track up to 100 targets.

PLAAF had deployed KJ-500s to Lhasa-Gonggar Airport in Tibet, 200 miles from the Doklam Plateau where a standoff between Chinese and Indian troops over the disputed border occurred in 2017 and are assumed to be on permanent deployment at Lhasa since the 2020 Galwan clashes.

<RANT ON>One thing that we have to grudgingly admire about the Chinese is the way they have persisted with their domestic military projects over the years despite being low tech and being mocked at. Yes, they have stolen tech from the Americans and Russians but they have not only 100% successfully cloned Fishbed and Flanker variants among others, but have also managed to build an all round and self sufficient military ecosystem in house which unlike us, cannot be disturbed by sanctions or whims and fancies of some western government (remember how the LCA program was put in jeopardy and the Navy's Sea King fleet grounded because of western sanctions after the '98 Pokhran Nuclear test)! The Chinese have persisted with low tech locally built systems, learnt from it/improved it and are now using that experience (and stolen tech) to manufacture fifth gen fighters!!! They adapted those low tech systems for their use and learnt from the experiences and improved them. The actual military capability and technology of the Chinese systems will only be known in combat when it happens but this is what we need to learn from the Chinese - to get behind and fully support locally built military systems and not to cancel domestic military programs because the system did not satisfy the requirements or reach the parameters!!!<RANT OFF>

The 2nd AWACS in my collection (after a 1:72 E-2C Hawkeye), this diecast 1/100 KJ-500 is quite heavy and nearly as long as a 1:72 Su-24 or F-14(which themselves are huge).

KJ-500 General characteristics
Role: Airborne Early Warning & Control Aircraft
National origin : China
Manufacturer: Shaanxi Aircraft Company
Crew: 6-8
Length: 36.065 m (118 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 38 m (124 ft 8 in)
Height: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Wing area: 121.9 m2 (1,312 sq ft)
Airfoil: root: C-5-18; tip: C-3-14[23]
Max takeoff weight: 65,000 kg (143,300 lb)
Fuel capacity: 23,000 kg (50,706 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × WoJiang WJ-6C turboprop engines(Chinese copy of the Ivchenko AI-20 turboprop engines)
Propellers: 6-bladed JL-4 composite constant-speed fully-feathering reversible propellers

Performance
Maximum speed: 660 km/h (410 mph, 360 kn)
Cruise speed: 560 km/h (350 mph, 300 kn)
Range: 2,200 km (1,400 mi, 1,200 nmi)
Ferry range: 5,700 km (3,500 mi, 3,100 nmi) with maximum fuel
Service ceiling: 10,400 m (34,100 ft)
Maximum operating altitude: 8,000 m (26,000 ft)
Power/mass: 0.234 kW/kg (0.142 hp/lb)

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by SuperGirl_Dad

But since the kid is interested in anything with wheels and willing to learn, wanted to guide her to start taking them seriously. So got this Apache set and took some time to make the model with my SuperGirl.

I missed out on reading your post earlier.

Moments like these are priceless and educative too . Please keep contributing to the thread.

My six year old girl twins help me out with the biannual ritual of cleaning my model display shelf. It takes nearly the entire day but they spiritedly carry out the tasks of handling the small models with absolute care and then placing it back.

[skanchan95]

AWACS
1:72 E-2C Hawkeye USN & 1:100 KJ-500 PLAAF. Due to the difference in scale of these two models, the KJ-500 looks similar in size to the E-2, but in reality the KJ-500 is about 50% bigger than the the E-2.

The PLANAF is working on getting their carrier based turboprop - the KJ-600 ready for carrier operations(a khichdi and stolen copy of the E-2 and Yak-44).

Like the E-3's radar dish, the E-2's radar dish too rotates while the KJ-500's radar dish is static like the ones on IAF's A-50EI Phalcon, PLAAF's IL-76 based KJ-2000 and Russia's A-50 AWACS

[skanchan95]

1:72 Mikoyan MiG-29A Fulcrum-A(9.12A) Red 77, 1st Fighter Aviation Regiment "Warszawa", Polish Air Force, Minsk-Mazowiecki AB, Poland, 1996(HM)

The model represents a MiG-29 that seen service with four different Air Forces over the years - Czechoslovakian Air Force, Czech Republic Air Force, Polish Air Force and Ukrainian Air Force.

The 9.12A MiG-29A Fulcrum-A was a slightly downgraded export version of the baseline Soviet MiG-29 for Warsaw Pact countries and it was supplied to Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland and Romania. It had a downgraded RPLK-29E radar, downgraded OEPS-29E IRST, older navigation systems and older IFF transponders.

MiG-29 in Czechoslovak/Czech service
Twenty MiG-29s(18 MiG-29As & 2 MiG-29UBs) were in service with the Czechoslovak Air Force's 11th Fighter Regiment based at Žatec airbase, Czechoslovakia. These Czechoslovak MiG-29s, unlike most other Fulcrums in service with the Soviet Air Force and those exported to non-WP countries, were painted in a so-called East European tactical camouflage(dark green/light green, dark earth/tan upper surfaces with light grey undersurfaces).

In 1989, the Velvet Revolution ended Communist rule in Czechoslovakia. In 1992, the Slovak Republic voted to leave the Czech federal republic, which was dissolved on 1 January 1993, thus Czechoslovakia split into seperate countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. The Fulcrum fleet of the erstwhile Czechoslovak Air Force was divided equally between the Czech Air Force and Slovak Air Force (10 each). Having decided to join the NATO and having felt that 10 MiG-29s did not represent a viable force, the Czech govt was eager to dispose off their Soviet origin equipment that did not conform to NATO standards.

MiG-29 in Polish service
The Polish Air Force was one of the first Warsaw Pact countries to take delivery of MiG-29s. They ordered 12 MiG-29s(9 MiG-29As & 3 MiG-29UBs) from the Soviet Union and deliveries began in 1989.

After the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, Poland began pushing for NATO membership. It involved switching to NATO standards and Poland decided to stop buying Russian equipment. But economics outweighed politics! At around the same time, the Czech Air Force began phasing out its MiG-29s, as written above. It came as an unexpected gift to the Polish Air Force. In 1995, Poland paid for the 10 Czech MiG-29s by transferring 11 brand new W-3 Sokoł utility helicopters to the Czech Republic.

MiG-29A Red 77
On December 22, 1995, these Czech MiG-29s arrived in Poland wearing Czech markings. Among them was Czech MiG-29A Black 7702. It was renumbered 77 along with Polish markings but the Czech camo scheme and tiger stripes on the tail remained. It was assigned to 1. ELT (tactical aviation sq.) "Warszawa" / 23. blot (AFB) Minsk-Mazowiecki, Poland. Later the MiG-29s were repainted in Polish Air Force's standard two tone paint scheme as seen on their Su-22s and F-16s. To be compatible with NATO standards, the Polish MiG-29s were upgraded with western communications equipment and IFF.

Throughout the 1990s, Poland did not purchase any new combat aircraft and only managed to acquire further MiG-29s from the Czech Republic in 1995 and from Germany in 2004.

Between March and May 2023, Poland handed over 14 of their remaining 28 MiG-29s to the Ukrainian Air Force. Red 77 was one of the MiG-29s transferred to Ukraine and is now in active service with the Ukrainian Air Force.


General Characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 17.32 m (56 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 11.36 m (37 ft 3 in)
Height: 4.73 m (15 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 38 m2 (410 sq ft)
Empty weight: 11,000 kg (24,251 lb)
Gross weight: 14,900 kg (32,849 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 18,000 kg (39,683 lb)
Fuel capacity: 3,500 kg (7,716 lb) internal
Powerplant: 2 × Klimov RD-33 afterburning turbofan engines, 49.42 kN (11,110 lbf) thrust each dry, 81.58 kN (18,340 lbf) with afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed: 2,450 km/h (1,520 mph, 1,320 kn) at high altitude
Maximum speed: Mach 2.3+
Range: 1,430 km (890 mi, 770 nmi) with maximum internal fuel
Combat range: 700–900 km (430–560 mi, 380–490 nmi) with 2 x R-27s, 4 x R-73s at high altitude
Ferry range: 2,100 km (1,300 mi, 1,100 nmi) with 1× drop tank
Service ceiling: 18,000 m (59,000 ft)
g limits: +9
Rate of climb: 330 m/s (65,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 403 kg/m2 (83 lb/sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 1.09

Armament
Guns: 1 × 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 autocannon. Originally held 150 rounds, reduced to 100 on later variants.
Hardpoints:
7 × hardpoints (6 × underwing, 1 × fuselage) with a capacity of up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of stores, with provisions to carry combinations of:
Rockets: S-5, S-8, S-24
Missiles: 2 × R-27R/ER/T/ET/P, 4 × R-60 or R-73 AAMs
AGM-88 HARM (Integration by Ukrainian Air Force during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine)
Bombs: 6 × 665 kg (1,466 lb) GPbombs

Avionics
Radar : N019 family radar
OEPS-29 IRST
SPO-15 'Beryoza' RWR











Emblem of the 1st Fighter Regiment "Warszawa"












Standard MiG-29 loadout - 2 X R-27R SARH missiles, 4 X R-60 IRMs and 1 X centerline MiG-29 drop tank












As Czech Air Force Black 7702


As Polish Air Force Red 77 in Czech camo


As Polish Air Force Red 77 in Polish AF two tone grey camo