Museum

Gallery - Museum

The following subpage is dedicated to airplanes that have been flying in 2elm (2^nd Air Fighter Squadron), and which have ended their history as showpieces in different museums and places around the world.

History of Mig 21 MF side number 7600

Mig-21MF serial number 96007600 and side number 7600 was one of twenty airplanes produced in Gorki factory in the Soviet Union (that’s the reason for untypical serial numbers prefixed with 96A00…) that were shipped to Poland.

This airplane was shipped on 11^th Dec 1975 to 34 PLM Gdynia Babie Doły. In june 1980 it was transferred to 26 PLM OPK (OPK is Country Air Defense).

In july 1981 26 PLM OPK received Mig-21bis air fighters and 7600 was moved to 10 PLM OPK in Łask.

Starting on 27.02.1986 until 06.04.1987 aircraft underwent renovation in WZL-3 Dęblin.

Between 13.02.1989 and 22.10.1998 aircraft was flying in 11 PLM OPK in Wrocław. It was flying in 2 elm (2^nd Air Fighter Squadron of 11 PLM OPK) stationed in Mierzęcice. Subsequently it was handed over to Army Property Agency which had sold the aircraft.

After 1999 further history of the fighter is not fully known. I managed to find some clues on its last whereabouts. The airplane was sold to a private person in the USA. I got in touch with a few Americans who supplied me with some additional information. I need however a couple of more details to make 7600 history complete.

A picture of 7600 taken on the airport of the 2nd Air Fighter Squadron (2elm) in Mierzęcice

Lone Star Flight Museum w Scholes Field, Galveston, Texas (USA)

MIG21-MF side number 7600

Link to the official web page of the museum

Link to the museum's Wikipedia page

I received presented pictures by courtesy of the curator of the Lone Star Flight Museum. Most of the pictures were taken by Mr. George Gould - former proprietor of 7600.

Below you can see pictures of the same aircraft on display in Lone Star Flight Museum. The aircraft was fully renewed. Picture on the left shows the exhibit, but the author of the shot is unknown. Picture on the right was taken by a pilot Mr. Julien Moerenhout, from whom I received an official permission to publish it on this webpage.

Presented Mig21 MF #7600 was purchased by Mr. George Gould in 1999. Thus it was handed over to a private person. It was transported to the Galvestone airport in Texas. The above two pictures are actually showing the plain on display in Lone Star Flight Museum in Scholes Field, Galvestone, TX.

In the fall of 2008 Texas coast was attacked by Hurricane Ike. All flyable aircrafts were immediately ordered to evacuate to other airports. The other planes that stayed under hangars were more or less damaged. It was also the case of Mig #7600. Its hangar was inundated with 8 ft. storm tides (2,5 meter). The tail and left wing were totally damaged. Soon after that incident George Gould had donated Mig to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in Oregon. The transferred plane did not contain an engine either. The restoration team in Marana, Arizona had luckily found a new wing and the plain is under a full restoration now, which among other things includes removing corrosion caused by a salt water.

Below you can see a scale of havoc caused by Hurricane Ike. Pictures were taken by George Gould:

The curator of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum told me the fighter’s Polish markings will be removed after repair. One of the museum’s Board of Directors was a pilot with the U.S. Air Force’s “Red Eagle” squadron. That squadron was equipped with a captured Mig 21 and participated in simulated air fights against American fighters. It was decided to repaint the aircraft with Red Eagle’s markings.

History of Mig 21 UM side number 9354

Fighter jet MiG-21UM serial number 516999354 side number 9354 (version 69/1971) was the last instructional-fighting aircraft transfered to Polish Air Force from The Soviet Union on the grounds of the larger purchase agreement. It was passed to Poland on 18th May 1981. Airfighter was produced in Tbilisi (Georgia).

The machine got to 11 PLM in Wrocław when it was used until 17th October 1998.

Fighter jet was flying in 1 elm thus its emblem on the front part of the fuselage.

After dissolving of the regiment MiG-21UM was taken over by Army Property Agency, which passed it to Babi Most regional airport as a monument. In April 2005 it was sold to a military merchant company. It was in their hands until June 2006. On 17th June 2006 the front part of fuselage (cockpit) was sold to a private collector in the USA.

Here is the full life time service data: date of arrival to Poland 18th May 1981, life time service 1451 h, number of landings 4353.

In 1997 the life time service of this machine was expanded by 10% to 17th Oct 1998. After that date, until the dissolusion of the regiment, this aircarft was no flying.

Photo 1 comes from the following page http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=95690 (photographer: https://www.facebook.com/arogucki )

Photo 6 is a MIG Master Jet Cocpit Exhibit Logo, which will be held on 11.11.2017 at the ML Baker Learning Center's grand opening. The other pictures in the send row belong to Justin Messenger (https://www.facebook.com/MigMasterExhibit) the current owner of this cockpit.

The bellow pictures were taken during above mentioned ML Baker Learning Center's grand opening. Pictures were taken by project menager Justin Messenger. This event was a great closing to a history of this fighter jet.

History of Mig 21 MF side number 7436

This airplane was shipped on 11^th Dec 1975 to 34 PLM Gdynia Babie Doły. On 12th May 1980 it was transferred to 26 PLM OPK (OPK is Country Air Defense) in Zegrze Pomorskie.

In july 1981 26 PLM OPK received Mig-21bis air fighters and 7600 was moved to 10 PLM OPK in Łask.

Starting on 25.04.83 until 14.03.84 aircraft underwent renovation in WZL-3 Dęblin.

On 01st March 1989 fighter was transferred to 11 PLM OPK in Wrocław. It was flying in 2 elm (2^nd Air Fighter Squadron of 11 PLM OPK) stationed in Mierzęcice. The last flight of that fighter was on 27^th Dec 1994. It was retired because it reached its life time service.

Here is the full life time service data: first flight 30.10.1975, date of arrival to Poland 01.11.1975, life time service 1132,41 h, number of landings 1889.

Subsequently it was passed to the Army Property Agency that sold the machine.

The first of the below pictures was taken on 11^th Oct 1997 in Nowa Sól, where the aircraft was displayed for sale in a car commision-house. It was transported there by a car carriage from Dęblin. Finally in 2000 the aircraft got to the private hands and is in Schoonloo, Holland (two remaining pictures).

Monument/exhibit – private property in Schoonloo, Holland

MIG21-MF side number 7436

History of Mig 21 MF side numbers 7399 i 7555

Two Mig-21MF airfighters with serial numbers 96007399 and 96007555 belonged to the group of twenty airplanes produced in Gorki factory in the Soviet Union (that’s the reason for untypical serial numbers prefixed with 96A00…) that were shipped to Poland.

These airfighters were shipped on 11^th Dec 1975 to 34 PLM Gdynia Babie Doły. On June 12-th 1980 they were transferred to 26 PLM OPK (OPK is Country Air Defense) in Zegrze Pomorskie.

In july 1981 26 PLM OPK received Mig-21bis air fighters and both 7399 and 7555 were moved to 10 PLM OPK in Łask.

In 1989 airplanes were handed over to the 2-nd Air Fighter Squadron of 11 PLM. 2-nd Squadron stationed on Mierzęcice airport starting from 1989.

Subsequently airplanes were passed to the Army Property Agency that sold both machines.

Currently cockpits of both airplanes are in private hands in Leeuwarden, Holland.

Pictures of cabins of both airplanes taken by the owner:

Below there are two particular photos. The left side picture (the original one) shows the cabin of 7399 with explicitely visible place, where there used to be the 2 elm (2-nd Squadron) logo - a black bat. That logo was erased before the airplanes were sold to Holland. The right hand picture is a computer visualization of the 2-nd Squadron logo. This is how the airfighter looked when it was flying with the 2-nd Squadron in Mierzęcice.