Friday 10 August 2012

Russian Air Force 100th Anniversary Show

(all photos copyright Ken Duffey)

Ilyushin Il-102 on the main entrance drive into Zhukovsky - photographed from the coach.

MiG-23UB Gate Guard.

Su-17M3

Yak-38U.

Il-76MD in the static lineup at Zhukovsky.

A-50 AWACS.

Grey-painted Tu-95MS.

Tu-160 'White Swan' named after Valentin Blizniuk

Il-14 & An-24 replacement - Antonov An-140-100.

Ulan-Ude built Mi-8AMTSh in attack configuration.

The mighty Mi-26.

Mi-35.

New training helicopter - the Kazan 'Ansat'

Kazan built Mi-8MTV-5.

Ministry of Ugly Helicopters Mil Mi-28.

Ministry of Handsome Helicopters Kamov Ka-52.

New Russian trainer - Yak -130.

Upgraded Su-25SM.

Upgraded Su-27SM3.

Recently entered service - Su-30M2.

Another newcomer - Su-34. Note the 'blind flying' curtains.

Latest iteration of the Flanker family - the brand new Su-35S.

New MiG-29SMT

MiG-31BM

MiG from a different era - MiG-3 of the Great Patriotic War.

Polikarpov Po-2.

Even older period - the WWI Nieuport 23.

Rear view of the Po-2.......

.... and the MiG-31.

Red Arrows arriving from Chkalovskaya - in a 9-ship trailing the colours of the Russian flag......

.... and taxying in to their dispersal.

A few ground movements for positioning.... French registered Yak-3UTI in the markings of Soviet ace Ivan Kozhedub.

Russian registered Polikarpov I-152 DIT two-seat trainer.

The show opened proper with the arrival of 3 parachutists - one with the flag of the Russian Federation.......

.... one with the flag of the Ministry of Defence

... and the Russian Air Force flag.

The flying display started with a flypast of six Su-25's trailing smoke in the colours of the Russian flag.

5 X Su-27's, 8 X Su-25's and 8 X MiG-29's forming the number 100.

Representing WWI - this Swedish 'Tummelisa' (Tom Thumb) trainer took off .........

..... only to be attacked by a Fokker Triplane.

The Fokker soon got on the tail of the Tummelisa....... and shot it down!

Soviet biplanes - Polikarpov Po-2's.

The Po-2 put on a sprightly display.

... as did the Polikarpov I-153 to start the Great Patriotic War section of the flying program.

I'm not sure of the Soviet connection - but this Swiss-registered Avenger took off and gave a flying display....

Home-grown MiG-3 tucks his wheels away to start his display.

MiG-3 with one wheel not quite fully retracted.

British contribution in the form of a Hurricane XII from the Historic Aircraft Collection.

HAC Hurricane taxying back after his display.

Red Bull B-25 - representing the Lend-Lease Mitchell's supplied to the Soviet Union.

Who needs camouflage, when you can just dazzle your enemy?

Another non-Soviet type - the Red Bull F4U-4 Corsair.

Taxying back to the dispersal.

To represent the Soviet Li-2, Sweden sent this C-47B Skytrain.

The Korean War and the jet age were represented by this immaculate MiG-15UTI.

The Yak-9U-M flew next - but rather far away from the crowd line....

Another British contribution - Plane Sailing's PBY5A Catalina represented the type's use by the Soviet VVS in the GPW.

Gear up and floats down....

Meanwhile, during a lull in the show, the Red Arrows support Hercules departed....

Totally out of sequence, this beautiful Bleriot replica put on a stunning display....

You can see where the expression 'stick and string' comes from!

The Bleriot was followed by the first prototype Su-35S - extreme ends of the aircraft spectrum.

The Su-35S showed off its agility with a stunning aerial display .......

.... before landing.

The first of the aerobatic teams - the Russian 'Team Rus' flying their newly-painted L-39 Albatros's.

Mi-2 in DOSAAF markings.

Helicopter display team 'Berkuty' flying their new Mi-28's.

Sukhoi Su-31 aerobatic aircraft.

The current VVS 'Heavy Metal' - the Tu-22M3.

No Goldilocks???- The low rumble of 12 X Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprops reverberated around the airfield.

The iconic Tu-95MS

Bringing up the rear of the Long Range Aviation section was these three Tu-160's.

The Russian nickname for the Tu-160 is 'White Swan'.

Representing Transport Aviation was these three An-2's....

An-2 Triplane?

Antonov An-26 - still in service in large numbers.

Newcomer to Transport Aviation - the An-140-100.

An-12 is also in widespread service.....

.... whilst the huge An-22 has been given a new lease of life.

The worls largest turboprop transport.

I'm not sure what this is - the young Russian pilot didn't speak any English!

The French AF Rafale put on a spirited flying display.

LET 410 light transport.

Tu-134UBK navigation/bomber trainer.

Three Il-76 transports.

Il-76MD.

Flying Command Post - Ilyushi Il-96

A-50 AWACS

The Red Arrows flew with only six aircraft - which looked a bit lop-sided. But they did use their smoke to form the Russan flag.

Kamov Ka-52 'Alligator'.

Yak-130 trainers.

Su-24 from Lipetsk.

Formation of 4 X Su-24's.

4 X MiG-31.

Su-34 from Lipetsk.

4 X Su-34.

Myasishchev M-55 'Geophisica' Earth Resources survey aircraft.

M-55 landing.

Helicopter flypast - Ansat, Mi-24, Mi-8 & Mi-26.

Mi-26 & Mi-8MTV-5.

Polish aerbatic team 'Iskry'

Su-27's, MiG-29's & Su-34's from Lipetsk.

Su-34 'break'......

... followed by a Su-34 handling demo.

Su-27 'battle tactics' demo team from Lipetsk.

Popping flares at the end of the demo.....

Representing sports aviation - 3 X Yak-52 and a Yak-54.

PAK FA - Sukhoi T50.

Second prototype T50 - bort 'Blue 52'.

MiG-29M2 & PAK FA.

Some of the warbirds at dispersal - Yak-9U-M.

P-40N Kittyhawk.

P-51D Mustang

Polikarpov I-152 DIT.

Polikarpov Po-2

MiG-3.

T6 Texan.

Polikarpov I-153.

Yak-11.

On the way out I photographed the collection of ex-LII aircraft that are to form the basis of a museum.

This is the Buran orbiter....

.... and the Tupolev Tu-155 hydrogen fueled testbed.