Page 60
c/n 613234, kpt. Oldřich Paldus, 15th Fighter Regiment, Czechoslovak Air Force,
Cottbus Airfield, German Democratic Republic, August 30, 1957
No. 20 Squadron, Egypt.,
Late 1950s / Early 1960s
c/n 1315376, ex 64th IAK, Soviet Union, Mid 1950s
A group of three MiGs-15bis of 15 Fighter
Regiment from Žatec Air Base took part in the
2nd Cultural and Sport Celebration organized in
Cottbus, German Democratic Republic from late
August to early September 1957. The distinctive
blue marking was applied on these aircraft
especially for this event. During the display two
aircraft, this No. 3234, and another MiG-15bis
No. 3233 collided. No. 3234 lost the tip of its
left horizontal stabilizer, but the pilot managed
to keep control of the aircraft and was able to
land safely. After the 15th FR was disbanded, two
pilots of its display team, Oldřich Paldus and
Václav Polášek were transferred to 11 FR in 1958.
Capt. Jaromír Palečný joined them in 1959 and as
all of them were not tall at all, the display team
was unofficially dubbed “Trio Prckos” (“The Three
Shorties” in English).
Egypt purchased a total of 110 MiG-15bis aircraft
from Czechoslovakia. This particular one
served with No. 20 Squadron of the United Arab
Republic Air Force. The United Arab republic
was a federation of Egypt and Syria that lasted
from 1958 to 1961. Egypt kept this name untill
1971. No. 20 Squadron was based at Deversoir,
El Qabrit and Inshas air bases.
This aircraft took part in the Korean War – the
communist attempt to occupy the entire Korean
peninsula. At the time it was marked with red
number 1976 on its fuselage. Back in the USSR,
the number was simply overpainted with the
yellow 30, as well as the fading North Korean
insignia was freshly overpainted. As the North
Korean national insignia was simply an extension
of the Soviet red star, removing the white outline
and adding the red and blue circles, only these
circles (rather faded) were visible. The original
star was simply overpainted with fresh outlined
one. Based on photographic evidence, the
insignia was applied on the fuselage only, but it is
possible these were painted on the lower surface
of the wings as well.
INFO Eduard60
January 2024