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Monino Central Air Force Museum

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Text:

Andreas Herzog

Pictures:

Andreas Herzog

   

Central Museum of the Air Forces
Muzeynaya ul. 2
141170 Monino
Mo, Tu, Th, Fr - Su, 9.00 - 13.30 / 14.15 - 17.00 h
Sunnday 9.00 - 14.00 Uhr
Wednesday closed.
Admission free
http://www.cmaf.ru/
Tel. ++7 (495) 681-48-77

 

In autumn of 1993 I had the great opportunity, among some other freelance aviation journalist, to travel to Moscow to visit the Moscow Air show MAKS-1993 and some other highlights as well.

Our group was guided by the well known journalist Guido E. Buehlmann. In our six part Photo report we will begin with the famous Central Air Force Museum at Monino. 

History of the Museum .

At the side of Monino airfield, located approximately 40 km. east of Moscow, is the home of one of the best and most interesting museum of Russia, called “Central Air Force Museum”

 The collection includes over 173 aircrafts and around 127 aircraft engines of all decades of Soviet and Russian Aviation history. Most aircrafts are outside on display and in surprisingly good condition, regarding the harsh and cold winters of Russia.

Next to aircrafts are several old hangars refitted as museum halls. On display you will find any kind of weapons, uniforms, instruments and requisites of all decades, such as World War II and the cold war. One of the highlights was the library of the museum. Thousands of historical book about aviation are in the shelves, some are very rare and exclusive. Sad to me was, that I didn’t understand the Russian language.

 The museum was founded in 1958 and lays close to the Yurin A. Gagarin Military Academy. Until 1999 the museum wasn’t accessible to the public, because of top secret aircrafts still storage on the ground of the museum and airfield.

Regarding to the good connections of our tour guide Guido E. Buehlmann in Moscow, we all received a special permission by the government to visit and access this unique museum in 1993. 

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Ilyushin IL-10 , Ground attack aircraft WW II, Numbers built: 6’166, Air Forces:       Soviet Air Force, Czechoslovak Air Force, Polish Air Force, North Korean Air Force (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Tupolev TU-4 “Bull” Long range bomber. Copy of the Boeing B-29. The Tu-4 “Bull” had his maiden flight in 1947. 847 TU-4 were built until 1952. (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Antonov AN-22 “Antheus”, The largest turboprop transport-aircraft in the world built in series. 68 aircrafts were built between 1965 and 1976.

Some aircrafts still serving in the Russia Air Force, but been slowly replaced by the larger

Antonov AN-124 “Ruslan”  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Ilyushin Db-3 Bomber/ Torpedo bomber, This Soviet bomber was built in 1936 until 1939 at a number of 1’528. Following Air Forces had them in service: Soviet Air Force, China Air Force, Finland Air Force and Nazi-German Air Force.  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

 

Tupolev TU-16 “Badger”, Strategic bomber of the 1950s until 1970s. Over 1’000 of this bomber were built and served by the Soviet Air Force, Ukraine Air Force, Indonesia, Egypt, Iraq and China. China produced the Tu-16 Badger under license as “H-6 Xian” (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Tupolev TU-22 “Blinder” One of the most important bombers of the Soviet Union during the cold war. The production leads from 1962 until 1970. In this time they built 311 TU-22”Blinder”  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

 

Tupolev TU-114 “Cleat” The TU-114 “Cleat” was built in the 1950s and was a civil development of the TU-95 “Bear” It still keeps the world record as fastest turboprop aircraft, flying almost 870 km/h. Only 31 aircrafts were built for Aeroflot.  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Tupolev TU-128 “Fiddler” The TU-128 “Fiddler” had his maiden flight 1959 and was the largest interceptor fighter built in series. Only 188 aircrafts were built between 1963 and 1970 for the Soviet Air Force.  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Tupolev TU-22M “Backfire” The Tu-22M is an advanced version of the TU-22 “Blinder” with new future technologies and a new improved design.  The “M” stays for advanced technology. In the time between 1972 and 1987, Tupolev built around 497 TU-22M “Backfire’s”. Still up to present time the TU-22M “Backfire” is one of the “back-bones” of the Soviet strategic bomber fleet beside of the TU-160 “Blackjack” and the TU-95 “Bear”.  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Sukhoi T-4 This soviet high-speed reconnaissance, anti-ship and strategic bomber was primary used by the Soviet Air Force to test his capability. Only 4 prototypes were built and the aircraft never left this stage. The max. speed reaches almost mach 3.0. Today there is only one aircraft left at the Monino Central Museum. The rest was scrapped. (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

 

Yakovlev YAK-40

Small Soviet airliner built between 1967 and 1981. Over a 1’000 aircrafts were built and lots of them still flying all over the world, mainly in Russia and former states of the Soviet Union. (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Tupolev TU-104 “Camel” The TU-104 “Camel” was the second jet-airliner after the British De Havilland DH 106 Comet. Around 200 aircrafts were built and most of them flew for Aeroflot. The only foreign customer was CSA of former Czechoslovakia. The TU-104 is a further, civilian development of the TU-16 “Badger” bomber.  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

lyushin IL-18 “Coot”

This turboprop airliner served in many eastern countries during the 1950s until late 1970s.

Over 850 aircrafts were produced and some are still flying with several small airlines or companies. (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

 
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Tupolev TU-124 “Coockpot” The TU-124 “Coockpot” was built to replace the aged Ilyshin IL-14. 165 aircrafts were built and stayed in service with Aeroflot.  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Tupolev SB 2-M Light bomber

Produced between 1936 and 1941, some of over 6’945 aircrafts served with the Soviet Air Force, Chinese Air Force and Czechoslovak Air Force. The last one retired in 1950 by the Spanish Air Force. (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Sukhoi SU-24, T-6-1 “Fencer” Prototype This all-weather attack aircraft still serving with the Russian Air Force, Kazakh Air Force and the Ukrainian Air Force (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

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Berijev Be-12 “Mail” Around 150 aircrafts of this water bomber and search and rescue plane were built and still serving in Russia, Syria, Vietnam and the Ukrainian. (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Tupolev TU-95 “Bear” Strategic long range bomber serving in the Soviet Air Force and the Ukrainian Air Force. Between 1956 and 1993 around 500 aircrafts were built. The Russian TU-95 “Bear” are based at Engels AFB.  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Antonov AN-12 “Cub” Heavy military transport aircraft of the Russian Air Force also used in the Afghanistan Conflict to support their troops. Over 1’250 planes were built and serving in many Air Forces around the globe. (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Ilyushin IL-14 “Crate” This in large numbers built aircraft (1122) served in many countries as transport plane by airlines as well as air forces. In the VIP version it served former president Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and President Tito of former Yugoslavia. (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Aero Delphin Jet Trainer (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

 

Yakovlev YAK-25 FLASHLIGHT (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Yakovlev YAK-36 FREEHAND (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Lisunov Li-2 CAB (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Kamov Ka-26 & Mil Mi-10 HARKE (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

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MIL Mi-12 “Homer” Still the world largest helicopter ever built and flown! Only two or three helicopter were built and never left the prototype stage. Two of the prototype helicopters are stored at the MIL helicopter plant in Lyuberzy-Panki near Moscow. The 3rd MIL Mi-12 is on display at the Monino Museum. A very rare and special aircraft!  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Kamov Ka-25 HORMON (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

MIL Mi-6 HOOK (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

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MIL Mi-10 HARKE (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)      
Opening hours .

The museum is open from 9:00am until 5:00pm on weekdays except Wednesday and Sunday. Since the museum is located on the territory of a military air base, all visitors must pass the entrance gate to the military complex. 

By the summer 2006 no special permission to visit the museum are required.

Website:           www.moninoaviation.com

We highly recommend you to visit this great museum while staying in the region of Moscow.

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