Friday 24 August 2007

Kubinka

The entrance hall of the 237th Proskurovsky Guards Regiment.

Wall mounted bust of top scoring WWII allied ace - Ivan Kozhedub.

In the hangar we were presented with this Russian Knights Su-27 to photograph - note the steps in the background...

....up the steps to take this photo.

Assortment of missiles laid out.

MiG-17 'Gate Guard'.

This An-26 was waiting for us outside....

....and then this An-12 was towed into place.

An-12 parked up.

The An-12 was then followed by this Il-20...

....which was backed into place. Note the yellow zap - from RIAT 200 when it was held at RAF Cottesmore.

I don't remember seeing this Il-20 there ...........

.....but this An-30 'Open Skies' machine certainly was - maybe they changed the zap???

Whilst we waited in the hot sunshine, this Lipetsk-based Su-27 came in - presumably after his display at MAKS.

Dropping his drag chutes at the intersection.

He then raised his airbrake - in salute??........

....before taxiing down to ramp - note the 'open' and 'closed' exhaust nozzles.

This is what we had been waiting for - takeoff of the Strizhi for their 15 minute flight to MAKS.

Swift departure.

Single seat MiG-29.

Some of these youngsters just can't stand the pace......

'Arty' reflective photo.

Migalovo, Tver

An-12 on a wet ramp.

Il-76M.

My favourite - the huge An-22.

Another shot of the An-22 'Anteus'

An-22 cockpit.

An-22 hold

An-12 cockpit.

Front end of the An-12 hold - with the obligatory bicycle.

Looking down the back end of the An-12.

The Il-76 makes an ideal rain shelter......

As we drove out of Tver for the long journey back to Moscow, I spotted this guy being stopped by the police -

he was towing a Mi-2 helicopter along the main road!!!!