jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) (08/28/90)
From: jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) In reference to Soviet aircraft in the USA, there is a beautiful full-color photograph of a MiG-21F-13 in US insignia in the book "Mikoyan MiG-21" by Bill Gunston. I don't know where this particular plane was obtained, but an aircraft of this type defected from Iraq to Israel in 1966. This might actually be the same plane! I remember reading that Israel had supplied the USA with some captured Soviet bloc equipment. There were a lot of rumors going around a few years ago about MiG-23s being operated by the USAF in the western desert. One supposedly crashed under rather mysterious circumstances, killing a well-known test pilot (Boyd was his name, as I remember). Initially, it was reported that a "Stealth fighter" had crashed. Does anyone remember any more details? Incidentally, the Champlin Fighter Museum in Mesa, Arizona has an example of a MiG-17 fighter, acquired from the Royal Moroccan Air Force. I don't know if it was ever evaluated by the U. S. Air Force. A visit to this museum is well worth the trip! Joe Baugher ************************************* AT&T Bell Laboratories * "Make it so, Mister Crusher! * 200 Park Plaza ************************************* Naperville, Illinois 60566-7050 (708) 713 4548 ihlpm!jfb jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com Who, me? Speak for AT&T? Surely you jest!
scottmi@ncar.UCAR.EDU (SCOTT MICHAEL C) (08/30/90)
From: boulder!snoopy!scottmi@ncar.UCAR.EDU (SCOTT MICHAEL C) Egypt no longer operates the MiG-23. It would come as no suprise if they sold their inventory to the US at about the same time they replaced those aircraft with F-16s. --don't like snow, miss Deirdre, and wish I was still in Santa Cruz.