Victor K.2 XL190 55 Squadron Original MOD photograph 1993 -ebay photo find # 59

Victor K.2 XL190 55 Squadron Original MOD photograph 1993. An original Ministry of Defence photograph taken by Sgt. Rick Brewell of Victor K.2 XL190 of 55 Squadron in September 1993. Last flown in October 1993 to RAF St. Mawgan, it was broken up in February 1999 the nose section going to the Manston Museum.

Victor B.1 Maintenance Original Photograph. An original period (probably MOD) photograph of a Victor B.1 undergoing maintenance possibly at RAF Gaydon.

MOD) photograph of a Victor B.1 formation. Aircraft are XH588, XH589, XH591 and XH592. The cockpit section of XH592 is at the Midland Air Museum.

images on offer here

More RAF Manston and RAF Manston History Museum on this blog;

Granby Buccaneer 

Airframes at the RAF Manston fire dump

first Gloster Meteor sortie  July 1944 RAF Manston

Manston's Lightning F.6

Beute NAA 57 and 64 in Luftwaffe service - ebay photo find #57

French Beute types - NAA 57 and 64 with JG 107 in France in Luftwaffe service

On offer here

on offer here 

Israeli F-35s have already seen combat action

...according to Thomas Newdick on twitter quoting Le Figaro correspondent Georges Malbrunot.  

According to Malbrunot « pour la première fois, Israël a utilisé des chasseurs F-35 la nuit du 12-13 janvier pour frapper Damas, estiment les services [de] rens[seignements] français..le raid a visé des entrepôts de missiles Pantsir S-1 destinés au Hezbollah à l’aéroport militaire de Mezzeh à Damas. Tsahal a aussi détruit une batterie anti-aériennne de missiles S-300, déployée sur le mont Qassioun, près du palais présidentiel ».

 Israeli F-35's bombed Damascus on the night of 12-13 January targeting warehouses containing Russian-made Pantsir-S1 mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems that Israel feared could be delivered from Syria to Hezbollah forces operating in Lebanon. The warehouse was located at Mezzeh, a military airfield in Damascus. During the same attack, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) also reportedly destroyed an S-300 SAM battery deployed near the Syrian presidential palace, on Mount Qassioun. According to an unnamed French intelligence source quoted by Malbrunot, the F-35 aircraft finally overflew the palace of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, before returning to Israel.

much more on the F-35 on this blog

http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/lockheed-martin-f-35s-at-fairford-for.html

http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/f-35c-lands-on-board-nimitz-03-november.html

http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/f-35b-lightning-ii-demo-2014-mcas-yuma.html

MiG 21 and MiG 23 SyAAF Syrian Air Force Hama airbase 679 Squadron - Murad Gazdiev report

Reporter Murad Gazdiev ; " .. almost half a decade of civil war has left the Syrian Air Force depleted, battered and bruised. Nonetheless they are still flying jets, some of which are older than my parents.."

While the MiG 21 may be a Vietnam-war era combat aircraft and in many parts of the world is a museum piece, it is still doing a job in Syria for Assad and must be relatively easy to fly and maintain although presumably features no modern avionics far less 'smart' weapons. The bombs seen slung under the wings of this MiG 21 are of Syrian manufacture.."it's a strong, tough plane and safe as well.." according to the pilot interviewed in the video.

Syrian pilots spend most of their flying time at low to medium altitude where battlefield threats are more potent. Based on the aircraft type, Syrian pilots use different attack techniques for unguided munitions. From the video footage here MiG 21s resort to low to medium altitude bombing runs at high speed. Su 22s come in low, firing thermal decoy flares against IR homing missiles and zooming after the attack.

" ..In five years of civil war, Al Assad’s air force has suffered a confirmed loss of at least 55 aircraft and 57 helicopters shot down or crashed and another 28 helicopters and 51 aircraft written-off on the ground — notably, most of the latter were in unserviceable condition. Included in these numbers are about a dozen of L-39s, seven MiG-23s of all variants, at least four Su-22s and four Su-24MK2s.
Also included are no fewer than 10 MiG-21bis from Hama-based No. 679 Squadron. Losses within this unit forced the SyAAF to send MiG-21UM two-seat conversion trainers into combat and also to re-deploy a squadron of MiG-23ML interceptors to Hama..."

 Tom Cooper in "What's left of the Syrian Air Force.." here

..and while preparing the above a No. 679 squadron MiG 21 bis operating from Hama AB and piloted by Col. Mohammad Sawfan was shot down by rebels following a suspected malfunction. The aircraft subsequently crashed in Turkish territory close to the border; the pilot ejected but was arrested and photos of him appeared on twitter showing him in hospital in Antakya..

#syaf mig-21 taxiing to runway. This is a more 'modern' variant, but the mig-21 itself was desinged in the 50's pic.twitter.com/Xo9M3wRG9D

— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradGazdiev) November 7, 2015

#syria air force mig-21 pilot goes through the final pre-flight check-up of his jet. Bombs made domestically #syaf pic.twitter.com/DJwaixMuLY

— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradGazdiev) November 7, 2015

Syrian Air Force feat of arms, commentary
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201602281035489469-syria-air-force-war/

Syrian Su-22 Fitters al -Sheyrat AB using S-8 rockets against ground targets in and around Aleppo, Homs

Assad’s Su-22 Fitters are a constant presence in the Syrian skies, having been deployed against Syrian insurgents since the second half of 2012.

The following pics apparently dating from January show Syrian Arab Air Force Su-22M Fitters some toting S-8 rockets used against ground targets in and around Aleppo, Homs etc.

There are several videos (most of those of poor quality) available on Youtube and Liveleak showing Syrian Su-22s, as well as other fighter bombers, using unguided munitions against rebel positions at low and medium altitude. The planes also demonstrate a remarkable use of flares for self-defense from MANPADS.

New images of Syrian Su-22 Fitters, taken in January 2017. The sinuous hump identifies this plane as a Su-22 M3. It has just landed in a clean configuration, deploying the braking parachute after a probable training sortie. Unfortunately the serial is not distinguishable.

Another Su-22M3 taxying in to park after leaving the runway, probably following an operational sortie judging by the rocket launchers under the wings. It appears to be displaying serial code "2002".

Above and below;  interesting images of "3224", a Syrian Arab Air Force Su-22M4 recognizable by the air intake at the base of the fin, seen inside a shelter below. In spite of this it seems to have bird droppings down the side of the tailfin, which suggests that it has been exposed to the elements for a long time. Note the triple flare launchers on the fuselage, to counteract the possible launch of surface-to-air infrared missiles. The pilot seems to be making an inspection before the flight.

This post courtesy of the Syria Military Capabilities FB page! Note the English text is mine

More on this blog;

Aircraft of the Syrian conflict -September 2014

On board with a SyAAF Sukhoi Su-24M2

the Admiral Kuznetzov Russian aircraft carrier on its way to Syria

Edit ****Following this post the new US administration carried out cruise missile attacks on al-Shayrat airbase in retaliation for the chemical attack on Khan Cheikhoun in Syria in the night of 5-6 April 2017. According to French analyst Arnaud Delalande on his blog here al-sheyrat had been one of Assad's key air bases for the past two years of the Syrian conflict, home to some 12-15 'modern' Soviet jets operated by the Syrian AF. Any Soviet personnel on the base had been evacuated prior to the strikes. Soviet TV reports show plenty of shelters destroyed and the charred remains of burnt-out aircraft wreckage.

Legion Condor, Bürgerkrieg Spanien - Ebay photo find #55

Legion Condor Avila Flugplatz Bombardierung durch Rotspanier 1937 - Republican bombing of Avila airfield in 1937

Gen. Sperrle visiting Santander

 " a Red General with important documents in a French machine taken captive.."

on offer here

More Legion Condor images on this blog
http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/legion-condor-photo-album-daily-photo.html

" RAF Wattisham - the Twilight Years" by Gary Parsons - RAF 74 Sqn Tigers (1)

First post in a series devoted to RAF 74 Sqn Tigers
Just released, super self-published tome via blurb.co.uk. 128 all-colour pages packed with lots of phabulous Phantom images and other memories from RAF Wattisham in the early 1990s.

A 'from the fence' photographic record of the last three years of F-4 Phantom operations from RAF Wattisham in Suffolk. This is a personal record during times of dramatic change in world politics - the falling of the Berlin Wall in 1989 heralded a shift change in the military posture between West and East and air forces throughout Europe began to contract, none more so than the Royal Air Force. In 1991 it was announced that the RAF's Phantom force would be retired ten years earlier than planned and RAF Wattisham would close as a fighter station. Those last two years of operations were memorable for several reasons and this book is an attempt to capture the spirit of those times, which, looking back, were special indeed. Available here

The authors Facebook page is here