Monday 13 August 2012

Monino Aviation Museum

(all photos copyright Ken Duffey)

Lots of improvements at Monino. The new hangar opened earlier......

... the recption building is now open.....

.... and new building work is going on to the rear.

Inside the reception building all is light and airy with photographs and artifacts on display.

An amazing change from the previous dark and dingy museum.

Some of the early pioneers of Russian aviation - Lomonosov, Zhukovsky, Mendele'ev and the father of space science, Tsiolkovsky.

Models of an ornithopter, dirigible and an early aero engine.

M-30 (ACh-30B) aero engine - as used on the TB-3 and TB-7 bombers.

Collection of aero engines.

Bust and painting of celebrated Russian pilot Valeri Chkalov.

Memorial outside - to the members of the VVS.

The Great Patriotic war hangar houses a collection of types - Pe-2, P-63, Po-2, R-5........

..... Il-2, Yak-9U, La-5FN, MiG-3, I-16 & I-15bis.

Just inside the entrance to the main display sits the mighty Mil V-12 - recently repainted in dubious colours.

Whilst it is good the see the exhibits being conserved, historical accuracy is being compromised.

The Sukhoi T10 Flanker prototype - repainted in an incorrect colour scheme.

Similarly, the T10M - Su-35 prototype never wore this scheme.

A new additions to the collection are these Yakovlev trainers - this Yak-30 that lost out to the Czech-built Aero L-29 Delfin.

Armed Yak-18 trainer.

Yak-11 in Czech markings.

Yak-12 liaison aircraft.

The obligatory photograph of the Sukhoi T4 'Sotka' Mach-3 bomber.

Recent arrival from the Gagarin Academy next door - Su-24 with concrete counterweight.

This Kamov 'Sever-2' aerosleigh uses the body of the GAZ-20 'Pobeda' car - note the skis in the background.

There must be a surfeit of blue paint - the Sopwith Triplane is painted in the same colour.

Scale model of the Buran orbiter - presumably for wind-tunnel testing.

Mil V-7 helicopter with tip-jet propulsion.

Rafaelyants ‘Turbolyet, O’ - Soviet 'Flying Bedstead'.

Yakovlev - or Sukhoi? - aerobatic trainer awaiting display.

Sikorsky 'Illya Mouromets' replica.

This Mil Mi-24 is a new arrival........

.... whilst the existing example has had a pint job.

Freshly painted Mi-8T.

Another repaint - this time the Mi-4.

Another Mi-8T.

Repainted Mi-10.

Diminutive Kamov Ka-15 minus its rotors.

Ka-18 aerial taxi.

Kamov Ka-26.

The Mi-6PZh2 is being restored.

Another ex-Academy exhibit - the Il-76 has travelled 100 yards from behind the blue fence........

.... as has this Tupolev Tu-22M3 - note the concrete weights on top of the forward fuselage.

Another Yak-11 - this time in camouflage.

Yak-18U.

Yak-18PM aerobatic aircraft.

Yak-18T four-seat tourer.

Another aerobatic machine - the Yak-50. This machine is possibly the prototype.

Another ex-Academy airframe - Su-25.

Antonov's heavyweight turboprop airlifter - the An-22 'Antei'.

Nestling next to the An-22 is this ex-Academy Su-27 minus its radome.

MiG-29SMT - another airframe from the Gagarin Academy next door........

.... as is this Su-17M4.

One that didn't make it - the Tu-95MS is still inside the Academy grounds.

Tucked away under the Tu-144 is this MiG-21I 'Analog' ..........

.... used to test the wing shape of the Tu-144.

Repainting underway - no mask, spray going everywhere, but at least the colours are right!

It's good to see the volunteers caring for the exhibits - presumably on a shoestring budget.

Panoramic view of Monino.....

Monino is near to the Russian Air Force base of Chkalovskaya - and you get the occasional overflight, like this Tu-154....

... An-74

Tu-134A........

.... and this Tu-134UBL doing circuits.

At the extreme range of my lens - this An-22 overflew at altitude.