The Little World

The Uszhitmi Air Show has always been the premier display of Soviet – and laterally Russian – air power since the early 20’s.

Starting as it did with flying tractors and merry peasant dances on the tarmac between crashes, it progressed to formation passes made the giant creations of the 30’s that were ever larger and more heavily armed. It was only the advent of the Second World War and the pressing demands made by the German invasion that stopped the annual show. That, and the fact that none of the giant Soviet show aircraft survived the first two days of the thing.

This sounds terrible, but it was actually welcomed by the Soviet air force as freeing them from having to repair and maintain what were propaganda dinosaurs…without having to directly contravene the commissars set over them who had thought the stuff up in the first place. It’s an ill wind that blows no-one any good…

But, back in business after the cease-fire of the Korean War, and with the pilots of the Red Air Force back home again with their Chinese make-up scrubbed off, the show could continue. While new behemoths were being dreamed up, built by ambitious design bureaux, flown over Moscow on May Day, and then quietly parked out in the back of Khazakstan, the reliable MiG 15 was selected as a display aircraft. After all, had it not won the Korean War? ( Ed. note: No, it had not. It got shot down pretty vigorously by the imperialists…) What better colour to paint it than red?

Actually, just to be safe, better to paint the underside a traditional Red Air Force light blue. The display team pilots would have a visual reference to tell them which way up their team-mates were at any one time and if the imperialists showed up again, at least half of the aircraft could hide against the blue sky. The other half could be concealed in a ripe poppy field, which also suggests Khazakstan.

So the Red Five team was formed. Their performances were very simple, consisting mainly of fly-pasts and group manoeuvres that rarely put the planes or the careers of anyone associated with them in jeopardy. While the MiG might operate much of the time and gravity operates most of the time, the Siberian gulags operated all of the time, and the Air Force knew it.

The Zvezda miG 15 is done and ready. The landing gear may be a bit wonky and it might be the most heavily armed display team in history ( I do not have authorisation to remove cannon shell and ammunition from aircraft, comrade. Do flypast with it loaded. Try not to touch button on stick. ) but it is a cracking red and blue colour. The paint went down well, the decals* stuck like leeches, and the final semi-gloss coat of Mr. Hobby acrylic Top Coat has dulled everything perfectly. It is the new go-to finish for museum aircraft.

How did it get to Stein’s Air World? Well, old No.12 had been sitting in the corner of a tarmac in Khazakstan since 1955 with a warning sign on the wooden fence around it. You see the ammunition bay door jammed in 1954 and the thing is still loaded with Korean War-era shells. No-one is game to hook up a start cart and press the button.  Stein’s Air World offered to buy it and cart it away no questions asked and the General commanding the air base cheerfully agreed. Vodka was drunk and there was a rustling of notes under the table and the star of the 1954 Uszhitmi Air Show finally had a home.

Next month we plan to hook up a start cart and press the button on the stick.

* Zvezda decals are a pleasant surprise with their quick release and ease of application. Go down well with Micro Sol.