MiGs
Having asked many associated with the museum (either paid staff, volunteers or trustees) for their suggestions for their Aircraft of the Week, back in the summer museum trustee Dawn Hazle eagerly offered both MiG fighters as her personal choice, hence why they are paired together. Dawn’s explanation: “Harriers are cool (and ours is really cool) but the MiG27 isn't as 'readily available'!” By Jan McGeachie.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML “Flogger 024003607 “07” NAHR – Significant
As many know MiG generally refers to any Soviet military fighter aircraft produced by the Soviet Design Bureau which was created in 1939 by Artem Mikoyan (M) and Mikhail Gurevich (G) hence where the letters derive from the name with the “i” being the Russian word for and.
The MiG-23 was designed as an air defence fighter by the Soviet Design Bureau in 1974 as a successor to the MiG-21, with a more powerful Turmansky engine and variable sweep wings.
Even before mass production its pilots soon learned what the MiG-23's limitations. The accident rate began climbing as whenever the MiG-23 approached high angle of attack, it became very unbalanced. This was due to shortcomings to both its airframe strength and reliability, engine performance, manoeuvrability as well as its radar performance.
The prototype first flew 21st January 1975 and quickly entered mass production with more than 1,100 MiG-23MLs built between 1978 and 1983. The wing has three sweep settings: 16, 45 and 72 degrees When the Russian Air Force decided to retire its single-engine MiG-23s and MiG-27s, the MiG-23P was the last version retired on 1st May 1998.
The MiG-23 has a wing span of 45 feet and a length of 54 feet 10 inches; a top speed of Mach 1.7; a range of 1,550 miles; a service ceiling of 61,000 feet; and a range of 715 miles. 5,047 MiG-23s were produced and it carried the NATO code name ‘Flogger’.
This airframe arrived on loan from Hawarden Air Services in May 2002 and was a film prop in the 2021 Marvel Studio film “Black Widow” having been taken off site for a brief time in 2019.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27K “Flogger” 61912507006 “71” NAHR – Significant
Also on loan from Hawarden Air Services, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27K design was based around the earlier MiG-23 aircraft; it was redesigned as a ground attack fighter aircraft. The type first entered service in the mid-1970s and production was completed in mid-1980s.
As with the MiG-23, this aircraft was purchased from the Latvian Air Force in 1993; eventually arriving at the museum on 22nd May 2002. It’s former Soviet markings were uncovered and it was initially changed to the 71 red scheme. The MiG-27 was also used in the making of in the 2021 film “Black Widow”.
One of only 200 built this MiG-27 ground attack fighter and with a laser designator and advanced TV guided electro-optical weapons it was once considered most advanced Soviet aircraft. It could carry the GSh-6-30 cannon and could carry up to sixteen bombs, each weighing 250 kg (550 lbs).
During their time at the museum these impressive looking Cold War jets have always proved popular during day/night photo shoot events.
Photo credit Jan McGeachie