Andrew Juniper wrote:

We have all heard/known/argued about Soviet aircraft in the US, but what about American/western aircraft that the Soviets managed to get their hands on? In sci.military.moderated an article was posted about an aviation museum in Czech Republic. The person said they had visited it in 1992 and there was a F-4 Phantom. Does anyone know about any aircraft that the Soviets acquired, and how?

From: Brian Elliott (fx34@cityscape.co.uk)

It is an ex-RAF Phantom FGR2 XT899 ex 19 squadron and it is an overall blue color scheme. It was donated by the RAF to the Czechoslovakian AF (as was) when the RAF retired its F-4s, as a tribute to the help given by the Czechs during WW2, and was delivered to Kbely on 16 January 1992 There is an F-5 there as well (which did come via Vietnam) The current issue of the UK magazine Air World International has an article on the Kbely museum including a photograph of the F-5 (via Vietnam & the Soviet Union) as well as the F-4.

Incidentally, I understand that the Mil OKB in Moscow has a CH-47 Chinook (it sits in a square in the middle of the building) while the Moscow Aviation Institute has a F-111A escape capsule both also presumably via the Vietnam route.

The American civil registered Boeing Vertol chopper in the Monino museum was actually a gift from President Nixon back in the 70's.

From: David Lednicer (dave@amiwest.com)

Both the Czechs and the Poles got F-5s found in South Vietnam after the North's victory. See the book "Red Ladies in Waiting" by Squadron/Signal.

Rumor has it that the Soviets also recovered and flew a F-86 during the Korean War.

The US sold the USSR two copies each of civil versions of the Sikorsky S-58/H-34 and Vertol H-46. This took place in the late 1950s, hence, the name is Vertol, not Piasecki or Boeing Vertol. I have heard that one each of these helicopters are in the Russian Air Force museum at Monino.

From: Ken Duffey (K.Duffey@ncs.nerc.ac.uk)

According to 'Red Ladies in Waiting' by Hans-Heiri Stapfer (Squadron/Signal) at least two F-5E Tiger II's and an A-37B Dragonfly were donated to the Soviets by the North Vietnamese after their takeover of Vietnam. The a/c were evaluated at Zhukovsky and eventually ended up in Poland and Czechoslovakia.

From: Alexei Gretchikhine (agretch@opie,bgsu.edu)
Thanks to Naheel Sadykov (surma@ccmail.tubank.msk.su)

If you find a book called MiG-15: Design, Development and Korean War Combat History by Gordon and Rigmant, check the story on the hunt for F-86. Soviets were looking for a specimen for evaluation and had no luck for quite a while because USAF were destroying most of their downed Sabers. On one occasion F-86 was downed in the tidal area which subsequently was covered with sea. This prevented F-86 from destruction. It was ferried to Moscow and a new OKB was established to study F-86 which later became part of the Sukhoi OKB. Author mentioned that Mikoyan and Sukhoi were impressed by the design and Sukhoi managed to learn enough to keep the engineering "culture" for years. The F-86 studies contributed to the development of the aircraft aluminum alloys (V-95 etc.).

Number of helicopters were sold to USSR (flying Banana, which is on display at Monino; couple of early Sikorsky's which influenced Mi-4 design).

From Vietnam Soviets received and airworthy A-37 and F-5 of South Vietnamese AF. The flight tests and mock combat with MiG-21 was carried out in NII VVS on Akhtuba. Results of such combat lead to proposal of MiG-21 modernization which involved reengining and pure delta wing modification (similar to Tu-144 "Analog").

It was also rumored that pilot of Iran AF defected to USSR possibly with AIM-54.

The story of four B-29s appears in this group periodically.

From: SauterMark (sautermark@aol.com)

F-111 escape capsule in Moscow came via Vietnam and has been analyzed by DoD and FBI to determine which crew it carried (whether it was a crew for which there has still been no accounting.)

Moscow had a major operation to capture F-86's during the Korean War (and, it's said, also their pilots.) The Pentagon report on this is fascinating reading.

I've seen a POW debriefing report that indicates Soviet interest in US choppers during the Korean War.

Declassified Vietnam war intel files describe irritation by Soviets that Chinese were beating them to US crash sites.

Some details on the F-86 which found its way to Moscow. Courtesy of National Alliance.