The North Vietnamese captured huge American air base at Bien Hoa, this meant that they were able to supply the USSR, China and Poland with a number of US designs, I believe an F4 was among what was taken into Soviet hands as well. Here is the video from Chkalov State Flight Tests Centre.
Wish I spoke Russian
The Russians would have combed through the Baby Lift C-5 carcass to glean any info to perfect the AN-225’s, the largest cargo aircraft in the world. Just like the USAF salvaged equipment from the Ramstein C-5 crash that happened August 29, 1990.
So that’s why the newfangled MiGs in Top Gun looked so much like F-5’s!!
Nice flick that. Of course the F-5 had nothing to do with Mig-23, which came on line 7 years before Bien Hoa was captured. The F-111 had a lot to do with it.
Cdn Colin LOL, that’s a good one!
There is one F-5 E Tiger II in Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków
Here is the link: www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl/zbiory_sz.php
Cheers!
Not to mention that 1) Bien Hoa was a South Vietnamese airbase when it fell, not a US, 2) The VNAF (Southern) did not have F-4s in thier inventory- the F-5E was the most advanced design that they had in their inventory, 3) any influence that the F-111 had on the Mig 23/27 design development was gained thru espionage- the first F-111 losses did not occur in SEA until late 1967 when the Flogger prototypes were already flying by the time any wreckage could have been recovered and analyzed.
As far as I have read, the USSR was interested in the F-5 export success and I could guess it was to see what the competition on the arms market was, as say more of a way to see what they were up against when it came to international sales, I remember the only aircraft the USSR was concerned by from the west was the A-10.
I recall an article, published not long after the Soviet Union closed up shop, describing how pilots on both sides were interested in flying their opponents’ aircraft. At that time, Soviet pilots expressed the most interest in flying an F-16. It seems the “Electric Jet” had captured their imagination somewhat.
Gary
I also saw that the Blue angels were in the USSR on a tour I believe unless it was after the Soviet Union collapsed, but the Russian pilots flew the F-18 and US pilots flew the good looking Migs and SU27, but the Russians managed to get a US pilot into a frogfoot, they were all a bit reluctant at first, but they all ended up flying it and they said it was the best aircraft they had flown! This was an ex Blue Angels pilot saying that, so I could guess he was telling the truth.
That was a brilliant video, thank’s!