Cold War Air Museum busy January

jonboede · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:18 am

The Cold War Air Museum is in make-ready for the airshow season... One Mi-24 is having its hydraulic hoses updated, the second is having a new transmission installed, and the MiG-23 is (finally) being put together.

Updates at http://blog.cwam.org

We might even get to the MiG-21 this month... but I doubt it.

cozmo · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:39 am

Uh-oh, another blog to follow.

Y'all have a nice place down there.

Hmmm, busy January. Might have to sneak down there this weekend.

Ztex · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:49 am

Any news on the Mi-24 and the Friendly Aviators Association paperwork stuff?

Looking forward to seeing that machine at an airshow soon!

jonboede · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:42 am

The AAIPs for the Mi-2s and Mi-24s were approved a few months ago by the Powers That Be.

That's six in total since the plans are approved on a per-aircraft basis even though we submitted identical plans by type -- i.e. all Mi-2s have exactly the same plan excepting for serial numbers.

We had the good fortune of running into some A&Ps (one being an IA) who didn't work on the Mi-2 and the Mi-24 when the US Army didn't fly them as aggressor aircraft not at Fort Polk, LA. :-)

When all the corrosion work is finished on the 2s and the hoses and whatnot are back in the 24s the aircraft will be but a condition inspection away from airworthy.

We are probably going to submit an application for airworthiness on Mi-2 bord 211 next week. Wheeee!

Jon

jonboede · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:47 am

Since the Soviets produced about a brazillion MiG-21s, the number of ex-VVS mechanics with MiG-21 experience is equally as high.

The possibility exists that there may be guys walking around Dallas or Texas who know something about putting a MiG-21 together.

If anybody knows one of these guys, please have them send me an email at jon@cwam.org :-)

Jon

CAPFlyer · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 12:24 pm

Jon -

Welcome to WiX! Glad to hear things are moving forward at CWAM. Sorry I've not been around, my work schedule changed back last fall and I've not been out to Lancaster much since at all. I've only been able to work with the B-24 guys since they're doing work days during the week. I'm hoping to start coming back out and helping out down there again this spring though as my weekends have now cleared up (thankfully).

jonboede · **Posted:** Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:54 pm

This weekend should be the wrap-up... MiG-23 will be assembled (but not running) and we'll be staring at the MiG-21, wondering how to get the wings on.

We're shooting to get the airworthiness certificate for Mi-2 211 this week.

Ztex · **Posted:** Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:00 pm

Great to hear your machines are coming alive!

You might PM Rick H...he has some friends with Mig 21's...they might know about your wings.

jonboede · **Posted:** Wed Jan 28, 2009 2:17 am

Got the tail on tonight... interesting contrast between the precise tolerances and what it takes to get the pieces in place. It's like building a giant Swiss Watch with a forklift and sledgehammer!

More pictures at http://blog.cwam.org

We've figured out where all the connections go, safety-wired about a zillion things and are chasing down all the loose ends.

Personally, I want to get Nitrogen into it so that lifting the canopies isn't a two-man job. Turns out that the left main gear is going to need to come up partly in order to get a banjo fitting back on. The main Nitrogen reservoirs are the landing gear legs which are hollow. This is pretty typical Soviet design.

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Cold War Air Museum busy January

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