KITS 03/2023

MiG-21BIS, c/n 75084300, HävLLv 31, Kuopio airbase, Finland, 1980 – 1981

This aircraft was accepted for service on July 17, 1980 and

assigned to 31 Fighter Squadron (Hävittäjälentolaivue 31,

abbreviated HävLLv 31). It became the last of six Finnish

MiG-21BIS fighters to be modified for reconnaissance tasks.

After the modification, the aircraft was assigned to TiedLLv

(Reconnaissance Squadron) and following its end of service it

was used as a teaching aid at the Technical School located at

the Kuopio Air Base. The aircraft is shown as it appeared between

1980 and 1981 before being upgraded by western avionics, which

included cockpit instrumentation. Unlike other users, Finland

used capital letters for designation of their MiGs, that’s why it is

written as BIS here as well.

MiG-21bis, c/n 75080880, 1 Pucki DLMW, Lotnictwo Marynarki Wojennej,

Gdynia-Babie Doły, Poland, late 1997

This aircraft was delivered to Poland on March 22, 1980 and was

assigned to the 1 Pucki Dywizjon Lotniczy (Air Division) of the

Polish Naval Forces. The emblem on the tail surface indicates

service with the 2nd Eskadra (Squadron) of the Division. The

look of the plane evolved over time, and in 2001 it flew with

a sharkmouth and a tiger motif on the brake chute housing.

MiG-21bis, c/n 75061874, 47 Pápa Harcászati Repülő Ezred, Pápa airbase,

Hungary, 1991

MiG-21bis, serial number 75061874, served with the 47

Combat Regiment (Harcászati Repülõezred). In 1991, it received

a temporary white coloring on the rear of the fuselage and

a portion of the bottom. In this guise, it took part in DACT

(Dissimilar Air Combat Training) exercises, in which the opposing

aircraft pitted againt each other were of differing types. Later, it

was assigned to the “Sky Hussars” demonstration team. In 2006,

it was mothballed and put in storage at Papa, and in 2007, it was

sold into the private collection of Gerhard Neumann Museum at

Niederalteich in Germany.

March 2023

INFO Eduard

49