Czechoslovakia. Post-war fighter aircraft

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After the liberation of Czechoslovakia from the German occupation, the restoration of statehood and the formation of its own armed forces began. At the first stage, the Czechoslovak air forces were equipped with Soviet and British equipment and armament. In November, 1945, the country left the Soviet troops, after which the air defense and control of the airspace of the country were assigned to its own air force and air defense units.

Czechoslovakia piston fighter aircraft in the early postwar years


As early as the beginning of 1944, the La-5FN and La-5UTI began to enter into service with the two fighter regiments of the 1 of the Czechoslovak Corps, who fought in the Red Army. In the Czechoslovak Air Force in 1945 there were about 30 La-5FN and La-5UTI, but they were all worn out and written off in the 1947 year. The Czechoslovak Air Force also included seven dozen Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX, which were previously flown by Czech pilots of three Royal Air Force squadrons. But after the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia became dominant in February 1948, it became clear that maintaining the Spitfires in flight condition would not succeed for a long time and British-made 59 fighters were sold to Israel.



Czechoslovakia. Post-war fighter aircraft

Fighters Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX Czechoslovak Air Force


Czechoslovakia became the only country where, in addition to the USSR, a considerable number of La-7 fighter jets consisted in service. Even before the withdrawal of the Soviet military contingent, in August 1945, two fighter regiments received more 60 piston fighters La-7 (three cannon machines produced by the Moscow plant number 381). Considering the fact that aircraft built according to wartime standards had a fixed service life of just two years, in the spring of 1946, the question arose of extending their operational life. According to the results of a survey conducted by specialists of the joint Czechoslovak-Soviet commission, it was recognized that six La-54 are not suitable for the further operation of the existing 7 fighters.


Fighter La 7 Czechoslovak Air Force


After the 1947 year of strength tests of the gliders of two aircraft, the La-7 fighters remaining in working condition were allowed to continue operation under the designation S-97 (S-Stihac, fighter). However, pilots were advised to avoid significant overloads and fly with great caution. The intensity of training flights declined, and the last La-7 in Czechoslovakia was written off in the 1950 year.

At the end of the Second World War, in connection with the fierce bombardment of German aircraft factories located in Germany, an attempt was made to assemble Messerschmitt Bf.109G fighters at the Avia factory in Prague-Čakovice. Soon after the restoration of independence, it was decided to continue the release of the Messerschmitts from the existing assembly kits. The single Bf-109G-14 received the designation S-99, and the double educational Bf-109G-12 - CS-99.


Fighter S-99 Czechoslovak Air Force


Due to the shortage and limited resource of the extremely forced Daimler-Benz DB605 motors, 1800 hp power. there was a shortage of aircraft engines, and by the 1947 year, it was possible to build the entire 20 fighter aircraft S-99 and 2 CS-99. It was proposed to solve the problem by installing on the Bf-109 other German aircraft engines available in the country - Junkers Jumo-211F hp 1350. The aircraft with this engine received the designation Avia S-199.


Fighter S-199


In addition to the new engine, the Messerschmite used a metal screw of larger diameter, a different hood and a number of auxiliary units. The composition of armaments also changed: instead of the 20-mm MG 151 motor cannon and two MG-13,1 131-mm machine guns, a pair of MG-199 synchronous machine guns were left on the S-131, and two more 7,92-mm machine guns could be mounted in the wing or in special Two 20-mm MG-151 guns were hung on the gondolas.

Due to the fact that the engine Junkers Jumo-211F was originally created for bombers: it had a greater resource, but it was significantly heavier and gave less power. As a result, the S-199 was noticeably inferior in flight data to the Bf-109G-14. The horizontal flight speed dropped from 630 km / h to 540, the ceiling fell from 11000 m to 9000 m. In addition, the heavy motor caused a sharp forward shift of the center of gravity, which greatly complicated piloting, especially on takeoff and landing. However, the S-199 before the 1949 year was built serially. All were collected about 600 aircraft. In April, the 1949 of the year 25 fighters S-199 managed to sell to Israel. Despite the relatively low compared with its German prototype characteristics of the S-199 was in service with the Czechoslovak air force until the middle of the 1950-x.

The first jet fighters of the Czechoslovak Air Force


By the beginning of the mass production of the Me.262, German aircraft manufacturers were subjected to regular air strikes by British and American heavy bombers. In this connection, the leadership of the Third Reich decided to decentralize the production of components and organize the assembly of aircraft in several factories at the same time. After the liberation of Czechoslovakia, the Avia aircraft manufacturing enterprise remained a complete range of components (including aircraft engines Jumo-004), of which in the period from 1946 to 1948, nine single-seat fighter jets and three training and training teams were assembled. Single planes received the designation S-92, double - CS-92. The flight of the first Czechoslovak jet fighter S-92 took place at the end of August 1946. All the available S-92 and СS-92 were brought into the 5 th Fighter Squadron, which was based at the Mladá Boleslav airfield in 55 km north of Prague.


Fighter jet S-92


However, the jet S-92 operated in the Czechoslovak Air Force rather limited. The reliability of the Jumo-004 turbofan engines left much to be desired, the service life was only 25 hours. The fighter aircraft’s combat readiness ratio did not exceed 0,5 on average, and several jet combat aircraft, of course, could not effectively protect the country's sky. The operation of the S-92 in the front-line units was short, all the fighters were written off by the 1951 year.

In the second half of 1950, a batch of twelve Yak-23s arrived in Czechoslovakia, and ten more aircraft of this type subsequently joined them. Fighters were transferred to a specially formed 11-iap, based at the airport Mlada Boleslav and received the designation S-101.


Czechoslovak Yak-23


Jet Yak-23 is a relatively little-known combat aircraft, whose service in the Soviet Air Force was very short. Its production began in the year 1949, and lasted about a year. A total of 313 instances were built. A significant part of the Yak-23 set the Soviet allies in Eastern Europe.

Fighter "redannogo schemes" had a thin straight wing with a laminar profile and looked frankly archaic. Flight data was also not brilliant: the maximum flight speed was 925 km / h. Armament - two 23-mm guns. Although the Yak-23 was very slower than the MiG-15 in flight speed and armament, the Czechoslovak pilots noted that the fighter had good speed and maneuverability. Due to this, the Yak-23 is well suited to intercept violators of the air border. The speed of the stall was significantly lower than that of the swept wing interceptors, and the Yak-23 could equalize its speed with piston airplanes and actively maneuver at low altitude. The good maneuverability and ability to fly at a relatively low speed was useful to the Czechoslovak S-101 when intercepting reconnaissance balloons, which were launched in large numbers from the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany. In flight accidents, several S-101 were lost, the operation of the aircraft continued until the 1955 year.

A significant increase in the capabilities of the Czechoslovak air force in terms of intercepting air targets occurred after the start of operation of the MiG-15 fighter. The first jet fighters with a swept wing appeared at Czechoslovak air bases in the second half of 1951.


MiG-15 Czechoslovak Air Force


The MiG-15, which for its time possessed sufficiently high flight data and very powerful weapons, consisting of one 37-mm and two 23-mm guns, made a great impression on the pilots and brought the Czechoslovak Air Force to a qualitatively different level. Shortly after the MiG-15 entered service with the national air force, the Czech leadership expressed a desire to purchase a package of documentation for the licensed production of a fighter. The serial assembly of the MiG-15, designated S-102, began at Aero Vodochody in 1953. Total managed to build 853 aircraft. In parallel, a double training version of CS-102 (MiG-15UTI) was produced. Soon, the factory stocks began to build an improved MiG-15bis fighter under the name S-103. Some sources claim that the Czechoslovak MiG-15 was better than the Soviet in terms of quality.


MiG-15bis Czechoslovak Air Force


Until the late 1950s, the MiG-15 and MiG-15bis formed the basis of the fighter aviation republics, Czechoslovak pilots often climbed them to destroy reconnaissance balloons and to meet intruder aircraft. There were times when firing on aircraft invading the airspace of Czechoslovakia was fired.

The incident known as the “Air Battle over Merklin”, which occurred on March 12, 10, over the village of Merklin, located in the Pilsen Region, in the west of the country, received wide publicity. This incident was the first confrontation between the US Air Force combat aircraft and Soviet-made fighter aircraft in Europe since the end of World War II. It must be said that in 1953, NATO pilots often flew into the airspace of pro-Soviet countries, conducting air reconnaissance and holding ground air defense forces and fighter aircraft.

At the same time, the meeting of two Czechoslovak MiG-15 and a pair of American F-84E Thunderjet fighter-bomber was largely accidental. In Czechoslovakia, air force exercises were taking place at that moment, and American pilots were ordered to check a balloon drifting along the border of Czechoslovakia and the Federal Republic of Germany. Intentionally or not, the Thunderjets crossed the border between the countries, and the duty officer of the regional air defense command post sent them two MIG-15s in the area and gave the command to intercept them. After the lead pair of MiG-15 demanded to leave the republic’s airspace on the radio without waiting for an answer, he opened fire. After the first stage of the 23-mm shell, one Thunderjet was damaged. The Americans, having come under fire, immediately turned around and headed towards the FRG, but MiG managed to enter their host and finish off the damaged aircraft from the 250 distance. A falling American plane crossed the Czechoslovak-German border and crashed into West Germany in 20 km south of Regensburg. The pilot successfully ejected at an altitude of 300 m.

Since the wreckage of the American aircraft and the pilot were found outside of Czechoslovakia, an international scandal broke out. Representatives of the United States denied that their pilots crossed the Czechoslovak border and declared that the MiGs, having invaded the American occupation zone, opened fire first. After the incident on the Czechoslovak-German border, the activity of NATO combat aircraft sharply increased. The border with Czechoslovakia was patrolled by numerous American and British warplanes. However, a month later, tensions fell, and the incident was forgotten.

Service single MiG-15bis in the Czechoslovak Air Force was quite long. As the fighter regiments were equipped with new aviation technology, the first generation jet fighters were assigned shock functions. But at the same time, right up to the final decommissioning at the end of the 1960s, the pilots of the fighter-bombers practiced air combat and interception.

Evolutionary version of the development of the MiG-15bis became the MiG-17F. Thanks to the wing with a sweep on the leading edge of the 45˚ and the VK-1F engine equipped with an afterburner, the flight speed of the MiG-17F came very close to the speed of sound. The high degree of continuity with the MiG-15 with the increased flight allowed the MiG-17F to maintain ease of piloting and maintenance, as well as powerful weapons.

The first MiG-17F Czechoslovakian air force received in 1955 year. An insignificant number of MiG-17F were supplied from the USSR, with which one squadron was manned. Soon at the aircraft factory Aero Vodochody under the designation S-104 began licensed production of fighters. A total of 457 MiG-17F and MiG-17PF were built in Czechoslovakia.

The MiG-17PF was installed radar RP-5 "Emerald", which allowed the interception in the absence of visual contact with the target. The transmitter antenna was located above the upper lip of the air intake, and the receiver was located in the center of the air intake. Armament fighter consisted of two guns HP-23.


MiG-17PF Czechoslovak Air Force


Subsequently, the Czechoslovak MiG-17PF was equipped with holders of guided missiles K-13 (Р-3С), which increased the combat capabilities of interceptors. As a result, they stayed in service in Czechoslovakia until the beginning of the 1970-s.

Czechoslovak Air Force Supersonic Fighters


In 1957, an agreement was reached on the supply of 12 MiG-19С and 24 MiG-19П to Czechoslovakia. In 1958, the 12 MiG-19C was also delivered. The MiG-19С and MiG-19П fighters received from the USSR were equipped with two air regiments. The development of these supersonic aircraft sharply increased the capabilities of Czechoslovakia’s air defense to intercept air targets.


MiG-19S Czechoslovakian Air Force


In horizontal flight, the MiG-19C accelerated to 1450 km / h. Built-in weapons - two 30-mm gun HP-30 with ammunition for 100 shots. The MiG-19P interceptor carried four RS-2U guided missiles and was equipped with the Emerald radar.

In the middle of 1950-x, the design bureau of the Aero Vodohody enterprise began work on creating an S-105 interceptor capable of operating at altitudes up to 20000 m. After becoming acquainted with the MiG-19, it was decided to curtail the design of its own fighter and launch a licensed production of a Soviet aircraft . In order for Czech specialists to familiarize themselves in detail with the construction of the MiG-19C, two reference vehicles and thirteen aircraft at different stages of readiness were delivered to the aircraft building enterprise on the outskirts of Prague. By the end of 1958, all aircraft coming from the USSR were assembled and flown around. The first serial S-105 was delivered to the customer at the end of the 1959 of the year. In the design of the fighters assembled in Czechoslovakia, a large number of components and assemblies supplied from the Soviet Union were used. In total, by November 1961, Aero Vodohody launched 103 S-105. Czechoslovakia was the only Warsaw Pact country to establish licensed production of the MiG-19С.


S-105 Fighter


Total Czechoslovak air forces received 182 MiG-19 family aircraft, of which 79 were delivered from the USSR. The 33 interceptor MiG-19PM received in 1960 was considered the most advanced. The operation of these machines continued until July of the 1972 year.


Czechoslovak MiG-19PM in the museum exhibition


Soon after the development of the MiG-19, they began combat duty. A higher speed and longer flight duration compared to the MiG-15 and MiG-17 allowed to reach the intercept line faster and stay in the air longer. This affected the actions of Czechoslovak interceptors to curb air border violations. Already in October, the 1959, a pair of MiG-19 threatened weapons forced the landing of the West German fighter F-84F. In the autumn of next year, the pilots of the Czechoslovak Air Force intercepted the American "classmate" - F-100D Super Saber.

In response to the improvement of the combat aircraft of the NATO countries, in 1960-ies, the Air Force of the Warsaw Pact states appeared supersonic MiG-21 fighters with a delta wing. Czechoslovakia, bordering Germany, was one of the first countries of the Eastern bloc to adopt the MiG-21F-13 front-line fighter. In 1962, the first Soviet-built MiG-21 F-13 entered service with the Czechoslovak Air Force. In the same year, licensed construction began at the Aero Vodokhody plant. Mastering the production went with great difficulty, and at first the Czechs assembled airplanes from components supplied from the USSR. In the process of construction, as they moved to the units and units of their own manufacture, technical documentation was processed and separate changes were made to the design of the aircraft. Czech-built MiG-21F-13 outwardly differed from Soviet-made fighters in the absence of a transparent fixed part of the cockpit canopy; on Czech machines it was sewn with metal. In total, Aero Vodokhody from February 1962 to June 1972 built 194 MiG-21F-13. A part of Czechoslovak-made aircraft was delivered to the GDR. Shortly before decommissioning, the remaining MiG-21F-13 were reclassified into fighter-bombers. In this case, the aircraft received protective camouflage.


MiG-21F-13 Czechoslovak Air Force


The MiG-21F-13 fighter was the first mass modification in the numerous “twenty-first” family, and its onboard instrument cluster was very simple. The plane did not have its own radar, the sighting equipment consisted of the ASP-5H-VU1 optical sight, coupled with the WFD-1 calculator and the Kvant radio-rangefinder SRD-5, located in the radio transparent radome of the central body of the engine air intake. The search for aerial targets was carried out by the pilot visually or by commands from a ground control station. Built-in weapons included 30-mm gun HP-30. Under the wing, two self-guided K-13 air combat missiles could be suspended. For aerial targets, it was also possible to use 57-mm HAP C-5 from two 16 charging launchers. Maximum flight speed at an altitude of 2125 km / h.

The next modification of the "twenty-first", mastered by Czechoslovak pilots, was the MiG-21МФ. From 1971 to 1975, the year received 102 such fighter. After that, the MiG-21MF for a long time became the "workhorse" of the Czechoslovak Air Force. Subsequently, the Czechs established refurbishment and production of spare parts for fighters received from the Soviet Union, which, combined with a high service culture and careful attitude, allowed some MiG-21MFs to be in service for almost 30 years.


MiG-21MF Czechoslovak Air Force


Compared with the previous modification, the front interceptor MiG-21MF had great potential. Thanks to a new, more powerful engine, the acceleration characteristics increased, and at high altitude the aircraft could reach 2230 km / h. The composition of the weapons of the fighter. Integrated equipment a 23-mm GSh-23L with ammunition 200 shells, and on four underwing nodes suspended rocket: K-13, K-13M, K-13R, P-60, P-60M and 57-mm NAR blocks UB-16 or UB-32.



Due to the presence of the Sapphire-22 RP-21 radar with the detection range of large air targets up to 30 km, it became possible to increase the effectiveness of interception at night and in difficult weather conditions. K-13P missiles with a semi-active radar homing head and a launch range of up to 8 km could be used to fire at unobservable visual targets. That, in combination with an automated interceptor targeting system, significantly facilitated the attack of an air target.


Upgraded MiG-21MFN Czech Air Force


MiG-21МФ despite the supply of more modern combat aircraft from the USSR until 2002, remained the main fighter of the Czech Air Force. After the division of military equipment of Czechoslovakia as part of the Czech Air Force as of 1 January 1993, the 52 MiG-21MF and 24 MiG-21UM fighter training aircraft were listed. To maintain the fighters in working condition and conformity to NATO air defense standards during major repairs, the remaining Czech MiG-21MFs were brought to the level of MiG-21MFN. Modernized fighters received new communications and navigation. The MiG-21MFN operation in the Czech Air Force continued until July of the 2005 year. By that time, the 4 MiG-21MFN and the Sparc MiG-21UM were in flight condition.


MiG-21МФ and MiG-XNUMHUM Czech Air Force


Discontinued fighters put up for sale. Three MiG-21MFN were sold to Mali. The buyers of several MiGs taken from storage were individuals and museums. Currently, the former Czech MiG-21 are used by private aviation company Draken International, working under a contract with the US military. In the course of air combat training, MiGs designate enemy fighters.

For all their merits, the Czechoslovakian Air Force MiG-21MFs at the end of the 1970s could no longer be considered as effective air defense interceptors. This required an aircraft with a large combat radius, equipped with a powerful airborne radar and capable of carrying medium-range air-to-air missiles.

In August, the 1978 of the year, the 9 th Fighter Regiment of the Czechoslovak Air Force received three MiG-23МФ and two MiG-23UB. Ten more fighters with variable wing geometry arrived during the 1979 year. MiG-23МФ Czechoslovak Air Force fighters began to be reckoned from November 1981.

Onboard radar "Sapphire-23" compared with the station RP-22, installed on the MiG-21МФ, could detect targets at a distance greater than 1,5 times. The P-23Р rocket with a semi-active radar homing plane was capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 35 km, and exceeded the EAR of the K-13Р by this indicator by a factor of 4. The launch range of the UR P-23T with TGS reached 23 km. It was believed that this rocket could fire at targets on opposite courses and to capture the target it was enough to heat the leading edges of the aerodynamic surfaces. At the height of the MiG-23MF accelerated to 2500 km / h and had a significantly larger combat radius of action than the MiG-21MF. For guidance from the ground, the interceptor was onboard the MiG-23MF with the Lazur-SM guidance equipment, and the TP-23 heat finder was part of the avionics. The armament of the MiG-23МФ consisted of two medium-range R-23Р or Р-23Т, two-four short-range missiles K-13М or R-melee Р-60 and a suspended container with an 23-mm gun GSH-23L.


MiG-23MF Czech Air Force


In 1981, the pilots and ground technical personnel of the Czechoslovak Air Force launched a more advanced modification of the "twenty-third" - the MiG-23ML. The aircraft had a power plant with an increased burden, improved acceleration and maneuverability characteristics, as well as electronics on the new element base. The detection range of the Sapphire-23ML radar was 85 km, the capture range was 55 km. The heat finder TP-23M detected the exhaust of a turbojet engine at a distance of up to 35 km. All targeting information was displayed on the windshield. Together with the MiG-23ML, Czechoslovakia supplied medium-range missiles P-24 capable of hitting air targets when launching into the forward hemisphere at a distance of up to 50 km. In close combat, the pilot of the MiG-23ML had at its disposal upgraded UR P-60MK with a noise-resistant cooled TGS and 23-mm gun in the outboard container.


MiG-23ML Czech Air Force


By November, the 1989, the MiG-23МФ / МЛ and the combat trainers of the MiG-23UB were merged into one air regiment. After the collapse of Czechoslovakia, it was decided to divide the combat aircraft between the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the proportion of 2: 1. However, the Slovaks did not interest the MiG-23 fighters, and they preferred to get more modern MiG-29 fighters.


The original painted MiG-23MF Czech Air Force, who participated in the joint Czech-French exercises in 1994 year


In 1994, several Czech fighters MiG-29 and MiG-23МФ participated in joint maneuvers with the French Mirage F1 and Mirage 2000 fighters as part of building partnerships with NATO countries. Quite predictably, the MiG-23MF lost in the melee to more maneuverable French fighters. At the same time, foreign observers noted that the MiG-23МФ with a variable geometry wing, due to the presence of medium-range missiles, a rather powerful radar and good acceleration characteristics, had a good potential as an interceptor.

As already mentioned, the MiG-23МФ / МЛ had great potential compared with the MiG-21МФ. At the same time, all modifications of the “twenty-third” were much more complicated and more expensive to operate and required higher flight training of pilots and highly qualified technical personnel. In this regard, the Czech MiG-23МФ were decommissioned in the second half of the 1994 year. The latest MiG-23ML was written off in the 1998 year.

To be continued ...
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  1. +5
    5 May 2019 05: 13
    The airline industry of Czechoslovakia could be developed only with the support of the USSR. Now Czech aircraft on the world market are not in demand.
    1. +8
      5 May 2019 06: 59
      Quote: zyablik.olga
      The Czechoslovak aviation industry could only develop with the support of the USSR.

      The aviation industry of Czechoslovakia has always lived due to licensed models or the assembly of products from foreign components. The heyday of the Czech aviation industry was when the Czechs made airplanes for the Luftwaffe, or as after WWII the Czech L-39 and L-410 entered the CMEA countries. And after the CMEA and the Warsaw Pact, thanks to Gorbachev, collapsed, then trade ties collapsed, and the extra EU competitors are not needed.
      Thanks to Sergey for the article. As always interesting and well decorated.
      1. +5
        5 May 2019 13: 47
        or as after WWII, Czech L-39 and L-410 entered the CMEA countries.


        Yes, even directly according to the saying "Give your wife to your uncle, and you yourself go to bl..di." To hack down your Yak-30, which surpassed the L-29 in everything, and the Be-30 for the sake of the friendship of peoples ...
        To the author, I saw in the 79th year the MiG-23 with the built-in gun GSH-23-2, and not with the suspension. She was under her belly in front of the niches of the main chassis.
        1. +3
          6 May 2019 01: 00
          Quote: dauria
          Yes, even directly according to the saying "Give your wife to your uncle, and you yourself go to bl..di." To hack down your Yak-30, which surpassed the L-29 in everything, and the Be-30 for the sake of the friendship of peoples ...

          I haven’t read about the Be-3, I don’t know, but the Polish "Iskra" fell under the same "distribution" as the Yak-30.
          http://авиару.рф/aviamuseum/aviatsiya/sssr/uchebnye-samolety-2/uchebnye-samolety-1950-g-1991-g/uchebno-trenirovochnyj-samolet-yak-30/
          “About a month after the start of the comparative tests, an event that seemed to have no direct relation to flights to Monino took place: the President of Czechoslovakia Antonin Novotny flew to Moscow on a visit. Another week passed and our rivals, the Czechs, cheered up: they smiled mysteriously and made it clear that Later, we learned that it was at this meeting that it was decided to specialize the aviation industry of Czechoslovakia in the creation and serial production of TCBs for the Warsaw Pact countries. Therefore, NS Khrushchev made a "political decision": to build a Czechoslovak aircraft.

          After that, overflights of three competing aircraft became formal. The Poles understood this, their delegation left the USSR and they adopted the Iskra, which they considered no worse than the Dolphin. They began to look for flaws in the Yak-30 in order to justify the decision already made in retrospect. It even went as far as rewriting the reports to prove the advantages of the L-29, instead of openly declaring that the choice was made for the sake of friendship with an ally. It is known how the flirtation with Czechoslovakia ended. The Soviet aircraft industry was dealt another Khrushchev blow, the consequences of which will be felt in decades. The promising direction of aviation development in our country was closed. Technology has once again lost to politics. An undeserved insult was inflicted on the OKB staff, for whom the Yak-30 is one of the most successful and favorite aircraft. "
          1. +3
            8 May 2019 19: 04
            If I'm not mistaken, the An-28 also became a "victim" of the L-410 and was even forced to "move" to Poland.
        2. +3
          7 May 2019 16: 58
          hi
          MiG-21МФ
          ... and a suspension container with an 23 mm GSH-23L gun.

          MiG-23ML
          ... 23-mm gun in the outboard container.
          Author: Linnik Sergey

          Sergey, great article!
          And in the USSR, cannons were also mounted on MIGs in a helicopter in containers?
          1. +3
            8 May 2019 01: 42
            Quote: Mister X
            Sergey, great article!

            drinks
            Quote: Mister X
            And in the USSR, cannons were also mounted on MIGs in a helicopter in containers?

            Installed. Yes But on the MiG-23 the gun was built in, then I forgot. While in 1989, in Spassk-Dalny, I watched MiG-23LD live.
  2. +6
    5 May 2019 07: 52
    Good article, thanks
  3. +5
    5 May 2019 09: 09
    Thanks for the interesting article. Particularly pleased with the photos with original colors MiG 23)))
    1. +1
      6 May 2019 15: 18
      Particularly pleased with the photo


      Yes, only a request to the author - in the first photo with tail numbers 1015 and 0410 MiG -17, and not 15. Sweep and characteristic kink of the leading edge wink Correct.
  4. +4
    5 May 2019 09: 30
    Can the Czechs produce aircraft engines themselves?
    1. +5
      5 May 2019 09: 50
      Quote: kiril1246
      Can the Czechs produce aircraft engines themselves?

      Judge for yourself. "Trainer aircraft L-39C" Albatros ". Much attention was paid to the choice of the power plant. From the point of view of reliability, the use of two engines suggested itself. However, this led to an increase in the weight of the machine, complicated operation, increased fuel consumption, etc. These disadvantages convinced Vlchek of the sufficiency of one engine, especially since the degree of reliability of the new turbojet engines was already very high.As for the type of the engine itself, it was originally supposed to install the Czech M-720 (factory designation Walter "Orion") with a thrust of up to 2500 kgf. the Prague company "Motorlet". The Soviet side insisted on the use of a bypass engine AI-25 with a thrust of 1450 kgf, the creation of which was completed at the ZMKB "Progress" (Zaporozhye) under the leadership of A.G. Ivchenko. In the end, the choice was made in favor of the second option, and the reason for this was not only the requirements of the “big brother.” After all, the Prague Orion was too big for a light TCB, and besides, after bench testsit became clear that its fine-tuning would not be completed quickly. " For other Czech-made aircraft, see the engine data on the air sites
      http://авиару.рф/aviamuseum/aviatsiya/sssr/inostrannye-samolety/inostrannye-samolety-vvs-sssr/poslevoennyj-period/uchebno-trenirovochnyj-samolet-l-39c-albatros/
  5. +11
    5 May 2019 10: 21
    I was already desperate, there is practically nothing to read on the forum, and here is such a grace, thanks to Sergey, with the upcoming great Victory Day, and all members of the forum.
    1. +4
      5 May 2019 15: 08
      Quote: merkava-2bet
      I was already desperate, there is practically nothing to read on the forum, and here is such a grace, thanks to Sergey, with the upcoming great Victory Day, and all members of the forum.

      Andrey, hello! Spot the "fighters with the Zionists" you were almost driven into the minus, but you are not discouraged! lol
      Thank you for the congratulations, you also with the upcoming holiday of the Great Victory!
      Seryozha began to appear rarely on the site, and he has practically no time to write. In addition, the site has become a lot of unprofessional and sometimes frankly many articles. One Damants something worth it. Sergei was again spitting while reading his nonsense about the air defense of the Kuriles and KTOF. wassat
      1. +4
        5 May 2019 15: 15
        Nothing, I get combat experience in conducting a psychological war with a motley contingent, I see God I didn’t want, I was forced to, I gave in to provocations. Olechka, you and all forum users on the Great Victory Day, comrades.
      2. +3
        5 May 2019 18: 27
        I think Damantsev has a different opinion about his article
  6. +5
    5 May 2019 10: 36
    hi ... Air defense of Czechoslovakia. Post-war fighter aircraft.
    Compared with the previous modification, the MiG-21MF front-line interceptor had great capabilities ..... The built-in armament is represented by the 23-mm GSh-23L gun with 200 rounds of ammunition ... soldier
  7. +5
    5 May 2019 12: 02
    As always hi , quality article with good photos.
    Thank you!
    hi
  8. +2
    5 May 2019 12: 58
    at what prices drove hundreds of our aircraft in Czechoslovakia and sold (sold?) licenses?
    And why in the end did we all owe everything?
  9. +5
    5 May 2019 15: 46
    Thank you, Sergey, a very informative review. I came across materials about former German, then the Yak-23 in the Czechoslovak Air Force is a revelation for me. We look forward to continuing
  10. +4
    5 May 2019 18: 21
    The article is good, but I have a question for specialists. How the Czechs managed to beat Israel (the inhabitants of which are not at all simpletons, to put it mildly) the same Messerschmites with German engines. Somehow the Jews repaired them (but the Czechs couldn’t) A mysterious riddle! The same is true with Spitfires.
    1. +4
      5 May 2019 21: 14
      They did not care what to buy at that time, if only it was.
  11. +7
    5 May 2019 18: 50
    Sergey, I’ll say right away that, as always, you have an interesting job. I did not know that the Czechs used Me-262, I knew about 109 in Czechoslovakia air defense, and I did not know about the jet Me-262. About Yak 23 I did not even hear.
    "In April 1949, 25 S199 was sold to Israel," naturally with Stalin's consent. For some reason, he decided to support Israel with the hands of the Chekhovs.
    Naturally, the S-199 was inferior in quality to the originals, but the Israelis were happy with such aircraft. They have a monument to Czechoslovak pilots delivering equipment and weapons at the height of the first Arab-Israeli war.
  12. +2
    7 May 2019 08: 02
    In exchange, the Czechs needed to build a Tatra plant in the USSR and completely localize it. What did our Gosplan do?
  13. +3
    8 May 2019 19: 05
    Significantly, we are waiting for the continuation

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