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TripleDelta β Fading Away
Published: 2013-12-13 11:49:09 +0000 UTC; Views: 418; Favourites: 22; Downloads: 0
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Description
An old MiG disappearing into the great white nothingness... quite a symbolic scene for what was once one of Europe's most widespread fighters. Nowadays clinging desperately onto the Balkans, the MiG-21 can now be seen in frontline service only in Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria (while being relegated to secondary roles in Serbia)...Related content
Comments: 15
Poor MiG, Its like an AK, Reliable, cheap to make, and effective (and Russian), but like you said, its beginning to fad into memory.
I like the shot you took. Where did you take it?
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Pleso Airbase in Zagreb, Croatia. Froze my hands off, but it was worth it 
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how did you manage to get a shot on an airbase?
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On this occasion it was an Open Day, but I usually get to snap them from the civil apron as they go about their business.
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OH, I thought you did some elaborate planeΒ to pole vault over the fences to take a good photo or something. still a nice shot
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It's a tad poignant to see the most influencial fighter from the Soviet Bloc to fade away. Has to be my favorite light fighter. My own personal hope is that I can get a position at a flight museum here in the states and get a chance to fly one at airshows.
And, for the record, didn't the Romanian LanceRs get a service extension out to 2023?
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Indeed, it's quite the legend. Grew up watching and listening them roaring about... around here they're pretty much the rockstars of the aviation world
Don't know about the Lancers to be honest, but the CroAF fleet has gotten that extension as well. Seven examples are going to be overhauled in the Ukraine (which'll give them up to 10 more years of service life), while five "new" examples will join the fleet (the first is supposed to arrive in just a few days, former Yemeni and Ethiopian machines).
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New Machines? To me that says they're going to probably end up as parts donors to aircraft that may be in CroAF inventories, but mothballed. At least, that's what I'd assume. You're liable to have some in preservation some where that might've had a minor training accident, like bent gear or something. Not devastating damage, but not airworthy. Acquiring a parts aircraft to dole out replacement where needed would be a great means of getting aircraft back in the air, especially since you'd be getting an airframe back up that you have the entirety of its logs for sure.
You'll probably see these Fishbeds soldier on for quite some time, it's an airframe that refuses to die like Skyhawks and Hueys.
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Nope, the five new jets will all be operational - they're currently undergoing post-overhaul flight tests in Odessa, Ukraine - and will likely take over QRA duties, with the present examples used for training and held in reserve.
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Oh, that's awesome. Good as new in that case. Ready for that lovely CroAF livery, which has to be one of the best the Fishbed's ever worn.
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Unfortunately, the camo colors are on their way out, to be replaced by NATO-standard (and NATO-mandated) air superiority grey. However, the new scheme will feature some interesting details, including the Croatian coat of arms painted in darker tones of grey across the entire fin and leading edges of the wings. From what we've seen, the scheme is actually quite nice.
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Oh. Lovely, that all function and no class grey I see the local ANG unit Falcons in all the time. That said, I always did fancy that Croatian coat of arms. It looked especially nice translated into a paint job for that one 21UM that always gets posted in Fishbed discussions.
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This one doesn't look half-bad. OK, the front's a bit bland with no pattern, but the nose cone is dark grey, so are parts around the canopy, and there's a bit of national insignia here and there...
Yeah, no. 165, called "Kockica" ("little cube" in Croatian).
tripledelta.deviantart.com/artβ¦
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