Zmey Smirnoff Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Something a bit less spicy :lol: Enjoy Z.S. Link to post Share on other sites
KursadA Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Well, I wish they built a large enclosed museum that is more worthy of the fabulous Russian aviation heritage instead of keeping those priceless aircraft out in the elements. Zmey, you surely have ventured a few miles to Udvar-Hazy at least once, don't you think Russia should build something like it? Link to post Share on other sites
Zmey Smirnoff Posted April 7, 2006 Author Share Posted April 7, 2006 Its a sore point for me... Udvar Hazy is exactly what Monino should look like... but the building large enough to fit at least the majority of Monino rare pieces would be financially impossible even to well-financed U.S. museums. Or so i'm guessing. Its a travesty no matter how you look at it... In Russia planes are rotting outside in Monino, while hundreds of tanks in Kubinka enjoy pampered dirt free existence in enclosed hangars. In the U.S. planes are preserved and worshipped in the Udvar-Hazy and other places like it, while several dozen rare and antique tanks are rusting and rotting in the open at Aberdine. The only good news coming from Monino these days, is that the museum is under the new management and is receiving a little bit more funds than usually. Plus a relatively large group of Moscow modelers and plane enthusiasts are voluntering to clean and repaint the planes during the warm season. Hoping for the better... If managed right Monino can be a profitable museum. Z.S. Link to post Share on other sites
Val K Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Does anybody know what the devil that thing in the first/upper left pic is? It looks like some sort of bizarre seaplane that has had it's wings clipped. Link to post Share on other sites
MoFo Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Beriev-Bartini VVA-14 - an Ekranoplan Link to post Share on other sites
Rapier01 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 My god that's hideous... Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Beriev-Bartini VVA-14 - an Ekranoplan The Bartini VVA-14 was never designed as an Ekranoplan - it was designed by Italian emigre Roberto Bartini as a VTOL ASW aircraft - able to land on any surface, land, water, snow etc. It had inflatable floats for water landing - but only vertically. It had two cruise engines and was supposed to have been fitted with TWELVE lift engines. As the lift engines were never ready, the early test flights were made from land - using a wheeled undercarriage. Because the floats where inflatable - and therefore flexible - it could not land conventionally on water. With the death of Bartini - and the non-arrival of the lift engines - the team 'converted' it into an Ekranoplan - by fitting two more 'thrust' engines on a lengthened forward fuselage, removing the inflatable floats anbd replacing them with a fixed metal float structure. In this form - as the 14MP1 - it tried to become an Ekranoplan - but failed. The wreckage at Monino is of the 14MP1 'Ekranoplan' variant. There was another wreck at Taganrog - not sure if its still there ? More data at :- http://www.se-technology.com/wig/html/main...&code=&craft=11 Ken Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Something a bit less spicy :DEnjoy Z.S. Zmey, Do you know if Monino has opened the new hangar that was being built to replace the old wooden structures at the entrance ??? When I visited last August, it was supposed to be finished by November! Anything on their website :- http://www.monino.ru/index.sema?a=pages&id=3 ???? Cheers Ken Link to post Share on other sites
Oryx Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Last time I was there, it was not only winter, but it was cloudy and snowing lightly. The problem was also not only the fact that it was outside and freezing, but the snow was so thick in places that you could not get to certain exhibits. It really is disappointing that the museum doesn't get more funding. The incredible collection that they have really deserves better facilities. Another problem with Monino is accessability to non-Russians. I was lucky in that my wife was with me and she could handle the talking, but I have heard all sorts of stories about foreigners being frustrated when trying to visit the museum, including having to pay bribes to the guards at the entry to the base. When I called ahead to the museum to confirm that they had received my faxed info, they actually warned us not to speak English to each other near the base guards (in fact, they suggested not saying anything unless specifically asked). I can understand the security concerns since it is at the VVS academy, but it seems they should be able to make some sort of arrangement to make it easier to visit the museum section. Here in South Africa, our Air Force museum is also on an active base, but the system for visiting is much more straightforward - you hand your ID or passport to the guard at the gate, get issued a visitor's permit, the guard explains where you can go and shouldn't go, and your off. And it is all done in a very friendly manner. Our museum also gets a lot of funding through donations and volunteers and have a "friends of the SAAF museum" society that helps wherever possible. The museum is free to visit, but during Air Shows you pay entry, which once again brings in additional funds. Sorry for the rant, but I just feel there is so much history hidden away at Monino and that it deserves much better than what it is given now. Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 I don't know for sure Zmey but I think the snow in those picrures were photoshopped in ... J/K ... Very interesting and sort of sad seeing them all out in the elements like that ... Thanks for linky !!! Gregg Link to post Share on other sites
Zmey Smirnoff Posted April 7, 2006 Author Share Posted April 7, 2006 Zmey, Do you know if Monino has opened the new hangar that was being built to replace the old wooden structures at the entrance ??? When I visited last August, it was supposed to be finished by November! Anything on their website :- http://www.monino.ru/index.sema?a=pages&id=3 ???? Cheers Ken I'll know for sure in May... I already have my ticket :D I'll take photo requests over the PM from anyone who needs something specific walked-around. Z.D. Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 (edited) Last time I was there, it was not only winter, but it was cloudy and snowing lightly. The problem was also not only the fact that it was outside and freezing, but the snow was so thick in places that you could not get to certain exhibits. It really is disappointing that the museum doesn't get more funding. The incredible collection that they have really deserves better facilities.Mega snip................. I totally agree with you Oryx.....but it is slowly getting better. On my visit last August, the pathways were newly tarmac'd and there is now a low chain-link fence...... They have also spruced up the main entrance to the Gagarin Academy..... ....and the main entrance hall/museum with all the old artifacts is being re-built following a small fire. So there is money trickling through................ There is a down-side however - some exhibits are being given a coat of paint - but sometimes in non-authentic colours !! And with the new chain-link fence, you are not supposed to wander in amongst the exhibits anymore (although we were a large tour groups and were allowed to do so...) The Muscovites have also 'discovered' the place - it was unknown to them in Soviet times - and they are visiting and catching up on their aviation heritage (but they sometimes climb all over the exhibits and get in the way when you are trying to photograph.... :D ) Re the snow - a few years back, the visor nose on the Sukhoi T4 broke off under the weight of the snow - and just recently, the A-20 Boston has had an undercarriage collapse - partly due to the weight of the snow. When they talk of 'heavy snow' - they mean it ! :lol: But they are (slowly) getting there..... Ken FWIW, the account of my visit last August is at :- http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/visits...2005_day06.html Edited April 7, 2006 by Flankerman Link to post Share on other sites
Yuri Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Plus a relatively large group of Moscow modelers and plane enthusiasts are voluntering to clean and repaint the planes during the warm season. Really? It would be great to "go and paint the real thing". Yuri Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Really? It would be great to "go and paint the real thing".Yuri As long as they get it right........... The prototype Su-35 (bort number 701) had a unique Ferris-style 'splinter' camouflage scheme of 6 shades of grey - getting darker from front to back.... It has now been re-painted by the well-meaning museum staff in a 'standard' style blue-grey colour scheme. So we have lost forever(?) this one-off camo scheme. <_< Luckily I took a load of walkround photos when it had its earlier colours - but any new visitor will never know its significance. Ken Link to post Share on other sites
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