Mig 29 threat: Operation Falconer

[hrtpaul]

That'll learn them for not putting in the nose weight before gluing the fuse together. Rookie mistake *shakin head* Though thier paint job and weathering looks very realistic IMHO

[Adam the Akrodude]

That's those "MiG" pigments I told you about Paul! (possibly the worst attempt at scale plastic modelling humour ever!).

Possibly all the radar gear and the gun pulled out making it a tail sitter? Wonder what happened to all these MiG's - the 25's and 29's in particular? The USAF would have been mad not to keep a few, at least for whatever parts usable for whatever MiG's they still operate up in the high desert. Some may recall that there were two Su-27's for sale in USA a few years ago - $5 Million each. These both disappeared off the market - sold to a undisclosed buyer. I'm guessing a scaled down version of that "Red Eagles" squadron still operates somewhere in USA - possibly still at Tonopah.

[_BlackHawk_]

That's those "MiG" pigments I told you about Paul! (possibly the worst attempt at scale plastic modelling humour ever!).

Possibly all the radar gear and the gun pulled out making it a tail sitter? Wonder what happened to all these MiG's - the 25's and 29's in particular? The USAF would have been mad not to keep a few, at least for whatever parts usable for whatever MiG's they still operate up in the high desert. Some may recall that there were two Su-27's for sale in USA a few years ago - $5 Million each. These both disappeared off the market - sold to a undisclosed buyer. I'm guessing a scaled down version of that "Red Eagles" squadron still operates somewhere in USA - possibly still at Tonopah.

I have no idea what happened to them. I know we rejected the offer of a couple, as it was our SAS that discovered some of them buried. However, it's funny you say they are in the US somewhere, as I was looking at Google Earth a few days ago (they have censored out Area 51 now) and at Dugway proving ground there is a mock airfield with what looks to be MiG 21's and MiG 29's in revetments. They could be mock ups too, but they certainly look convincing.

[tor lives]

Iraqi Air Force - what stayed - below. Make for fantastic dioramas! I do wonder the fate of those Iraqi pilots who flew to Iran.
Interesting topic Ray. Did prompt me to look around for these photos - pretty interesting stuff.

Great series of photos Adam......very interesting indeed.
Thanks for going to the trouble of sourcing and posting.
You do raise a most interesting question......what actually did happen to those brave Iraqi pilots who ran the gauntlet of coalition airpower to get their jets to the "safety" of Iran.
It is interesting to note that just this year Iran finally returned some SU-25s back to Iraq. This is precisely the sort of aircraft that Iraq could really use at the moment.
TOR

[_BlackHawk_]

Iraqi Air Force - what stayed - below. Make for fantastic dioramas! I do wonder the fate of those Iraqi pilots who flew to Iran.
Interesting topic Ray. Did prompt me to look around for these photos - pretty interesting stuff.

Great series of photos Adam......very interesting indeed.
Thanks for going to the trouble of sourcing and posting.
You do raise a most interesting question......what actually did happen to those brave Iraqi pilots who ran the gauntlet of coalition airpower to get their jets to the "safety" of Iran.
It is interesting to note that just this year Iran finally returned some SU-25s back to Iraq. This is precisely the sort of aircraft that Iraq could really use at the moment.
TOR

Wikileaks documents have shown that nearly 200 Iraqi pilots were murdered up to 2009 by Iranian agents in retaliation for the Iran-Iraq war. There is a real lack of information on what happened to those defecting pilots which doesn't exactly imply a happy ending.