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Has anyone seen this? 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFSNRmicF5A&feature=youtu.be

 

It was posted just few days ago on 14th December. Good to see that at least something (video evidence) remains from those days and not everything was destroyed after closing down Constant Peg in 1988.

The person posting this video is the author of the Red Eagles book about MiG’s in the US, the 4477th test squadron. It is a fantastic book by Steve Davies!!!

 

One surviving MiG-23MS is on show in its original aggressor colours. Only the pilot name was deleted and the nose cone replaced with a new one on Number 39.  All the colours are original for 4477 test squadron operation!

Aircraft 44 is (was) surviving on a weapons range also. Hope one day more will be displayed.

 

Interesting to read in the book how different spare parts were acquired from MiG operator nations during Cold War!!!

 

This video is only the start, there is more to follow!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Yes it is obviously a BN, the one in the video is also from that ex-Egyptian batch of 23MS / 23BN mix.

 

I dont know where did the Belgians get an ex-Egyptian BN for the Brussels museum. Could it be also from the US just as that ex-Indonesian / ex-4477 MiG-21F-13 No.77?

 

Best regards

Gabor

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On 12/28/2019 at 2:46 PM, ya-gabor said:

Yes it is obviously a BN, the one in the video is also from that ex-Egyptian batch of 23MS / 23BN mix.

 

I dont know where did the Belgians get an ex-Egyptian BN for the Brussels museum. Could it be also from the US just as that ex-Indonesian / ex-4477 MiG-21F-13 No.77?

 

Best regards

Gabor

Its a ex-russian bird in Brussels. They got it directly after the end of the Cold war.

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15 minutes ago, 31Tiger said:

Its a ex-russian bird in Brussels. They got it directly after the end of the Cold war.

 

I heard it differently yesterday from a Brussels friend, but I am very far from this aircraft, so sure you know better.

 

1. One thing for certain looking at photos of this exhibit there are no traces where the additional US antennas were mounted as seen on 4477 images.

2. Based on Brussels museum data it is an ex Egyptian aircraft 4421 with factory number 0393204421.

 

Not likely that Russians donated an Egyptian aircraft.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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The whole business of 4477 squadron operating Russian aircraft was kept as much as possible from the public's eyes. The whole project was shrouded in secrecy and disinformation.  The first time the operations of MiG-23’s under US flag was acknowledged only in April 2017 with pulling out from the “shed” the now declassified MiG-23MS number 39 and dedicating part of an exhibition to this unit at US AF museum in Dayton Ohio. It took 30 years after retirement of the Constand Peg program in 1988.

 

So I don’t think that at the time when this MiG-23BN turned up overnight in the Brussels museum the true story of its origin would have been told by either side for obvious reasons. The easiest thing was to say and communicate that it is from the Russkies.

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited by ya-gabor
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I was once told the Brussels MiG-23BN came from Ramstein where they had some kind of 'petting zoo' with some Russian build aircraft on display. The former Egyptian Su-20 at Leeuwarden apparently also came out of that petting zoo.

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1 hour ago, Red Dog said:

So are you saying that the Mig-23 in the brussels museum is one of the constant peg? 

 

I hope so but it is not 100%.

 

What is known:

- Based on museum information it is an ex-Egyptian MiG-23BN aircraft

- It arrived to Brussels from US sources (“served” in Ramstein as an “exhibit” last time, but before that ???)

 

It is completely repainted in Soviet colours but several things are not authentic in this painting. Was it painted in Brussels? I don’t know. Looking at images from Tonopah the aircraft operated by 4477 did not have these mistakes. But very little remains (photos, data, records . . .) of US operations.

MiG-21F-13  № 77 (no longer on display in Brussels and is confirmed Constant Peg participant) was also completely repainted or to be more precise stripped of all paint.  

 

But

Was it operated by Red Eagles under Constant Peg program? No confirmation of this at the moment. I don’t think USAF will ever confirm this. . . They are the only ones who could do this with full certainty.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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