Central Museum of the Russian Air Force

[fromSalekhard]

In history and in this museum, the Tu-16 is followed by the Tu-22.

The plane attracts attention with its unusual engine arrangement. And this, as I understand it, was one of the reasons for its modernization. The initiative in this came from Tupolev himself, and here, once again, his non-design talent was revealed. Because what happened as a result is not a modernization at all, but a completely different aircraft.

This can be seen with the naked eye, plus I had to read that only the front landing gear and the bomb bay flap remained unchanged from the original model.

With true modernization, much remains in place. At a minimum, general outlines and familiar appearance. That’s how it is with this modification, indeed.

There are two Myasishchev Design Bureau aircraft on the site. One of them, like the previous Tu-22M3, is not very accessible for viewing.

The only saving grace is that this is a very close relative of the M-4 aircraft installed in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, where it is more accessible for inspection.

But the second plane is exactly what the word “rocket plane” represents for me, no matter what it actually means. This is the plane from those futuristic pictures in a popular science magazine that I looked at with lust in my school childhood.

If we add to this that there is a couple standing next to each other from whom it is impossible to take your eyes off,

then it becomes clear that I spent a lot of time there.

Yes, the plane completed only 10 flights and did not reach the stated speed of Mach 3. Yes, its further development was stopped in favor of the Tu-160 (it is quite possible that it was not Tupolev’s design talent that played a role here). Yes, it is called the “Russian Valkyrie”, and it is indeed extremely similar to the American XB-70 Valkyrie. But how the tarnish from welding on its titanium planes shimmers in the sun!

And, completely off topic, but there’s nowhere else to put it.

Well, this is a fighter, but with a take-off weight twice that of the Il-28 bomber!

[fromSalekhard]

Helicopters.

It probably wasn’t that hard to guess what the next topic of the review would be. If there is a Tu-4 on the site to the right of the entrance, then to the left is the Mi-12. And each of them, depending on the direction of the walk around the site, is either the first or the last exhibit of the review.

The Mi-12 amazes with everything: the unusual transverse arrangement of the propellers, the height of a four-story building, thick braced pipes, etc. Looking at it, you don’t understand only one thing: how does this thing even fly? And not only did it fly with its take-off weight of 100 tons, but it also lifted a hell of a lot of cargo.

The remaining helicopters are located compactly on the other side of the demonstration field, between two hangars. Just as the surname Tupolev dominates in bomber aviation, so in helicopter manufacturing it is Mil. And the line of its helicopters is quite widely represented. At the time of my visit there was no Mi-1, but I came across photographs of the museum with its participation. But the Mi-2 is present.

True, no museum plaque. The next one in the line is the Mi-4, although it has a sign, but it is very far away – you can’t really see it.

There are also two Mi-8s in the backyard: a civilian and a military transport. They are frequent guests of museum sites, but the Mi-10 deserves a closer look.

It is clear that all the helicopters cannot be brought to the front line, so at least they were given access to them. Moreover, there are paths, but they are closed.

I wasn’t very upset about this. I looked at all the giants in sufficient detail at the UTair airline show last year. If there is interest, I can show you.

There are two copies of Mi-6 here. And if one of them looks ordinary,

then the second one is a fire helicopter!

Please note that it does not have “wings”. This is to make it easier to control in hover mode.

There is also a giant here that “buried” the Mi-12, the notorious Mi-26

Previously, it seemed to me to be much larger than its fellow Mi-6, twice as large. Because they didn’t come across me close. And here – quite comparable sizes.

[Karl187]

Wonderful looking oddities in that collection!

[Tank_1812]

@fromSalekhard

I looked at all the giants in sufficient detail at the UTair airline show last year. If there is interest, I can show you.

I am interested.

[fromSalekhard]

Since we have run out of conventionally civilian helicopters, let’s move on to the military assortment. The museum displays two seemingly identical Mi-24Vs.

But I was more attracted to their brother, or rather the forerunner, the Mi-24A.

Take a close look at it. For example, it didn’t immediately dawn on me: he has the cockpit of the original version – with the pilot and navigator sitting side by side.

This helicopter was given the nickname "Stakan“ (Glass) . And anyone originally from the USSR will understand what glass we are talking about.

Mil OKB helicopters make up the majority of the helicopter fleet, but not entirely. The museum displays a helicopter from the Kamov Design Bureau.

and from the Yakovlev Design Bureau.

This exhibit was used as… a pipelayer! In my opinion, pipe layers are something like this:

But it turns out there is this!

[fromSalekhard]

Unique

Not all aircraft on the site are open air and visible. Some of them are hidden in a hangar with the intriguing name “Unique aerial vehiclets”.

Please note – not airplanes, but vehiclets. Although right from the entrance your gaze is directed directly at the plane.

The legendary bomber of the Russian aircraft designer and the American helicopter designer I.I. Sikorsky.

It is immediately necessary to clarify that this is a model of an aircraft created for the filming of the film “Poem of Wings” (1979) about the life and work of aircraft designers Tupolev and Sikorsky. The model cannot fly, only run and taxi on the ground.

It should be noted that this is one of a small number, namely a damn dozen, models in the museum.

After Muromets, his smaller contemporary, Voisin, catches the eye. We don’t have much equipment from the period of the First World War and the Civil War in our museums.

And only then, behind them, do you notice aircraft that are not planes, but gondolas of stratospheric balloons.

Well, or, above them, an unusually shaped glider.

There is not only one glider there, there are many of them, but somehow they did not interest me.

Maybe when I get here next time, I’ll be able to look at them carefully, but now I gave all my attention to the truly unique exhibits. And, you see, the triplane is clearly one of those.

The long red wings of the ANT-25 attract attention.

Which made history with the first transpolar flight.

By the way, this is also a layout. More precisely, it is “…a technological copy of the ANT-25, manufactured at the experimental plant of the Design Bureau named after. A.N. Tupolev, based on the model of the aircraft on which the Moscow-Sant Jacinto flight was made.”

And only after that, under his wing, do you notice a tiny ANT-2 – the first and only copy.

[fromSalekhard]

A little further there is a corner of miracles: each one is unusual and unique.

True, not all of them are flying machines: snowmobiles even have a propeller, but they don’t fly.

The product was considered a failure: it’s one thing to drive along city streets in a passenger car, and quite another thing to carry mail across virgin snow.

Next there is a very strange design.

This is not an independent flying unit, but a test bench. Then they “attached” a cabin, wings and everything else to it: the result was the Yak-36 – the first Soviet vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
It turns out that the previous report is not complete: not all helicopters are reflected there.

One of them hid here.

Its homely appearance and frail physique are compensated by a revolutionary rotor drive. True, he was the only one left.

Then came a series of first Soviet jet fighters from various design schools, which is interesting and informative.

The exhibition ends with the first combat Soviet jet fighter MiG-15.

Colorful, but not entirely up-to-date, map of our route around the hangar (in case anyone gets lost).

[fromSalekhard]

Unusual.

There are many other exhibits in the museum that can be classified as unique, but which are not located in a hangar with the corresponding name.

It is, of course, clear that each aircraft is unique. Even with, at times, external similarity, everything is quite different and unique. But there were several specimens that are directly different from the bulk of their counterparts. Let’s see them.
Have you forgotten the jet “stool” from the previous report? So, it was she who was the progenitor of the first Soviet vertical take-off aircraft.

True, it was still an experimental aircraft. And in the museum is the first and only one remaining of the two released.

But the next model is quite a production model.

It should have been replaced by a supersonic airplane,

But it didn’t come - the Soviet Union ended.

There is unverified information that in the early 90s, the Yakovlev Design Bureau, in search of finance, tried to make friends with the American Lockheed Martin, whose specialists visited them as guests and had access to documentation. Nobody knows for sure, but there is an opinion that the American F-35B has something from the Yak-141.

Not exactly the “identical face,” but there is something related.

They’re cousins

Naval aviation is so weird. Maybe because it exists at the junction of two unstable structures. Particularly interesting are the few representatives of devices that have mastered both elements - seaplanes.

Even the shape of the wing has a specific nautical name - “seagull”. But it is located extremely poorly for viewing.

On the outskirts of the site is its less fortunate brother, who you can’t really see.

It’s best to look at it in numerous photographs and drawings on the Internet.

At the same time, there is no need to relegate this project to the rank of just an ekranoplan. This hypostasis must be supplemented with the words “and a vertical take-off and landing aircraft.” Its ceiling is set at 10,000 m. And ekranoplanes are only low above the water.

[Tank_1812]

@fromSalekhard

Not exactly the “identical face,” but there is something related.

The world defense industry like the Royal class has lots of nepotism. So it’s not too surprising looking at the Yak-38 and Harrier developments. I am sure the next vertical flight craft will look similar as the cycle repeats.

[fromSalekhard]

For flights to altitudes almost twice as high, another aircraft was manufactured.

And he needs height in order to shoot down high-altitude balloons. And don’t let Aeroflot’s livery fool you.

When the USA and the USSR promised each other not to launch such probes into foreign territories, the plane served a little for science by studying ozone holes.

The next aircraft would rise even higher – the answer to the American Shuttles and the forerunner of the domestic Burans, which fell under the confluence of tragic events in the industry and the technical complexity of the project.

I never once doubted that he had the nickname “Lapot’ ”.

Pay attention to the chassis of this unit. He’s not the only skier here.

Starting from an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, which has recently become a habit of being loaded with explosives.

Until a series of implementations of the Su-7 from a fully ski version,

through the combined option to

again the norms of the usual standards.

Although, the Yak-130 is like an ordinary plane, but looking at it from the angles that are available in this museum

you begin to understand where the idea of “egg planes” came from.

All that remains is to find out, as in the classic chicken-and-egg question: “What comes first: the Yak-130 or the egg planes?”

[Tank_1812]

@fromSalekhard

All that remains is to find out, as in the classic chicken-and-egg question: “What comes first: the Yak-130 or the egg planes?”

eggxcellent.

Hasegawa egg planes came out in the late 70’s, almost a decade before the Yak-130 started development (according to wiki anyway).

Hasegawa did a Buran egg boxing (1991).

The EPOS and SU-7 on skis look like interesting modeling subjects.

[fromSalekhard]

Thanks, I didn’t know. I thought it was a newfangled fad.
There are quite a few models of Su-7BKL.
And according to EPOS. Just the other day the news:
“SARMAT RESIN showed a test assembly of its Spiral interceptor models in 1/72 scale.”

[fromSalekhard]

Civilians.

What we haven’t really looked at yet are civil aircraft. It is clear that civil aircraft are very conditional. For example, for me the term “transport aircraft” is simply a short spelling of “military transport aircraft” with full preservation of the essence of the named one.

And, immediately, contradicting myself, I show the Tu-144, which is not associated with any bomber.

This is not the first Tu-144 I have seen; previously I was able to examine it in Ulyanovsk. All my life I envy my brother who managed to get on one of the 55 passenger flights Moscow-Alma-Ata!

I wonder why NASA chose the already decommissioned Tu-144 as a flying laboratory, and not the regularly cruising Concorde?

But the next plane will completely rehabilitate me and the concept I outlined about the kinship between civil and military aviation.

If this plane doesn’t remind you of anything, go back to looking at the Tu-95 bomber. It’s just his “fat” twin.

And one mystery about this plane: “Who are these people and what do they have to do with this plane?”

If you guessed right, go and take some candy. Well done!

And this is Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, who flew to visit his colleague Dwight David Eisenhower. And he arrived on this plane.

Please note: not the same one, but exactly this one!

I was able to fly on some of the exhibits, the relatives of which have already been taken out of service. Of these, I can mention the IL-62, which I flew back in the period when uncles (for me at that time) walked around the cabin with cigarettes during the flight.

Or Yak-42. At that time I was already smoking, but not in the salon.

Well, and, in fact, from those with whom I started – transport workers. The Antonov Design Bureau dominates here. From the “small” An-8

to the larger An-12

and then to the stunningly sized An-22,

which was not for nothing called “Antey”: look how firmly it stands on the ground with its huge and multiple wheels.
Remember Mi-12? They have the same cargo compartment dimensions!

Off topic, but I can’t help but boast that I once drove past the giant An-124

I’ll conclude the review of the IL-76, which became tragically famous a couple of days ago.

I must say that this section of the museum gave me a rather painful feeling. Apart from the Tu-144, there is not a single exhibit in more or less normal condition. This is despite the fact that military equipment looks quite good, just good and even excellent.

Later, when preparing reports, I learned that there was a fairly long-standing order from Shoigu to transfer either part or all of the exhibits to Patriot Park. Well, and with the verbal battle that flared up on the Internet about this.

I will neither repeat the arguments of the parties nor refute them: on both sides there is both complete nonsense and very sensible considerations. Let me simply note that often unrighteous thoughts are hidden behind the right words.

A little earlier, I showed the hangars of Kubinka, which had previously been similarly absorbed by Patriot Park, and noted the positiveness of the changes.

So my opinion is clear.

[fromSalekhard]

Others.

In order not to end the review of the street exhibition on a minor note from the previous report, I decided to add another one, where I will include exhibits that more or less turned out in the photo. But and this will not be a complete review yet.

Let’s begin! Like on a decent excursion: “Look to the left, look to the right… .”.

We have already seen some of the developments of the Sukhoi Design Bureau.
Let’s see what else is there. Just in ascending numbering order:

Plus an experimental aircraft.

And one more, but this time from the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau.

It is not for nothing that it stands next to the Tu-144. But to understand this, you must either know it or look at it from above.

And one more experiment

The rest are production aircraft.

[fromSalekhard]

We have already seen one Yakovlev Design Bureau fighter from the beginning of the era of jet aviation in the hangar. There’s one more here.

But there weren’t any like this before.

I only recently found out about this.

More precisely, about a prefabricated set of one of them. I’ll definitely buy it and collect it!

And I only found out on this visit that the Lavochkin Design Bureau created something like this.

Again, this is not a complete review. There are also paths on this site that are worth walking.

But that’s for next time.

[fromSalekhard]

Hangar No. 6a

There are only two hangars left to explore in the museum.
Let’s start alphabetically. The entrance is in the middle of the long side, so when you enter, look to the right

then to the left

or vice versa. I can’t remember where I came from. However, you can look at the photo in a circle

Below are some of the exhibits in close-up.

For some reason, the Airacobra was not supplied with a standard text plate.

And finally, a few group photos.

[BootsDMS]

Thank you so much for posting these - an extraordinary and unique survey of a massive collection! Absolutely fascinating.

Thank you again.

[fromSalekhard]

Hangar No. 6b

Well, it’s time to finish this very long trip around the museum in Monino.

The last hangar of the review: right from the entrance, your eyes run in different directions.

Further progress along the path spreads these eyes even further, bringing them as close as possible to the ears.

If you spin on the spot, you will get more impressions, but the roof will go even further.

So we gather our eyes and go look at each exhibit separately.

First, the smaller ones – fighters.

And then the larger ones – bombers.

Samples of bombs were also placed next to some of them.

I wanted to write that among all the planes, the only transport plane was also lost. But thanks to its size, it didn’t get lost.

With this, let me consider this review of this museum complete.

Many thanks to everyone who came and watched this long and lengthy report. A special and big thank you to those who left their comments and likes.

To the owners and staff of this site: thank you for the opportunity!

I plan to continue introducing you to Russian military-technical museums in the near future, which require a whole day to visit. I have at least half a dozen of them in mind.

So, see you soon!

[SSGToms]

Yuri, thank you for this fantastic tour! It is so gracious of you to provide us with a view of all of these wonders that we will never have the opportunity to see in person. It is so interesting to see all of the equipment that they have preserved, in such remarkable condition. I thank you for your efforts and I look forward to your next museum tour.

[William_Gibbs]

Bal’shoe Spasiba moi Droog for the incredible photos. I especially liked the photos of the Fedka camera. I have a pre-Great Patriotic War one that I use. I also like the photo of the Russian “Happy Meal”……nothing can beat cold Vodka chased by a pickle! I am the former Kapitan of the Military Reconstruction Group, 193rd Rifle Division RKKA. In 2019 my group was honored by being invited to the Victory Day Celebration at the Russian Embassy as guests of the Ambassador! Most of my model making deals with Great Patriotic War Red Army/Air/Fleet subjects.