Thursday 23 August 2007
Tu-95MS named after the city of Kaluga.
The Tu-95 just looks so mean and broody.
There was plenty of room to stand back and take photos.
Closeup of the name and Kaluga City coat of arms.
Tu-160 named after a former GPW bomber pilot - Vasily Reshetnikov.
The two mainstays of Russian strategic aviation - the Tu-95MS Bear & Tu-160 Blackjack.
Another shot of the Tu-160 - the Russian AF nickname of 'White Swan' seems a bit inappropriate on this example!
Not so white swan.
The entrance to the base museum.
This An-2 is just outside the museum proper.....
....as is this An-24.
The first of the exhibits is this magnificent Myasischev 3MS-2 'Bison'.
Another shot of the 3MS-2.
The exhibits at Engels are maintained in good condition.
Turbojet-powered Kh-20 long-range missile carried by the Tu-95K.
Tu-95K-22 with a single Kh-22 missile on a pylon under the port wing root.
Tu-95K-22.
Closeup of the Kh-22 mounting.
One of four Tu-22 Blinders - this one is a Tu-22RDM recconnaisance variant.
Another view of the Tu-22RDM.
Script on the side of the RDM.
This one is a 'standard' missile-carrying version - the Tu-22KD.
Tu-22KD.
Trainer variant - Tu-22U.
A closeup of the steeped canopies - the instructor sits in the rear cockpit.
Shark-mouthed Tu-22PD ECM variant.
Tu-22PD.
Nose on shot of the Tu-22PD.
Closeup of the 'sharkmouth'.
Tu-134UBL crew trainer for the Tu-160.
Tu-134UBS bomber trainer.
Closeup of the bomb racks under the Tu-134UBS.
An-12BP Transport. Note the three different colours on the propellers!
An-24VSR
L-29 Delfin.
L-39 Albatros.
The Tu-160 being towed back to its dispersal.
Whilst we were in the museum, this Il-76 taxied out and took off.......
....as did this white-painted Il-76
KSR-2UD missile.
Large 'dumb' bomb......
....and a selection of ordinance.
One of the treats of the visit to Engels was the chance to climb aboard the Tu-95K-22.....
.....and photograph the front office......
.....and gunners station.
An overall view of the small base museum.
X-15 missile.
X-55 cruise missile.
Tu-22 ejection seat.
Another ejection seat - I'm not sure from what though??
There were some superb paintings for sale - it was just a pity I had no way of getting them home.....
Tu-160 painting.
Gate Guard Tu-22 at Engels.
This Tu-16 was a little further down the road - providing some shade in the midday heat.
Yak-38 at the entrance to 'Park Pobed' (Victory Park).
Monument to the fallen - and eternal flame.
Another Tu-22 - this time in a more peaceful setting.
MiG-23 in a rather inaccurate garish colour scheme.
This MiG-27 had a slightly better finish.......
....but this MiG-21SMT didn't.
MiG-31 Interceptor.
Triton 1M - manned torpedo.
As well as the aircraft, Victory Park has a great collection of armour, missiles and radars. This T-34 is just one of them.
SA-2 'Guideline' missile.
T-64 tank.
Reflective moment at the 'Saratov Aeroclub named after U. A. Gagarin'
.
The history of sports aviation in Russia - called Osoaviakhim, then DOSAAF and now ROSTO.
Bust of Yuri Gagarin.
Resident ROSTO An-2 at Dubki.
Smart looking Mi-2 helicopter.
Another Mi-2.