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Two Tupolev Tu-2S bombers were recently received by the Novosibirsk State Technical University in Russia. These aircraft served with the Chinese air force before being stored in a museum and were later purchased by John MacGuire of the War Eagles Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Staff at the University plan to restore one of the two aircraft to airworthiness, following a three-year restoration.

For more information and photos :

• Scramble Magazine Facebook page
• Sputnik Images
• Teller Report | “It will be difficult, but we will do it”: how Novosibirsk engineers are going to restore the Tu-2 bomber

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Iouri Maksaïev (Source : Russia Beyond)

Iouri Maksaïev, one of the last Normandie-Niémen veterans, passed away on August 3, 2019. Born in 1926, he trained as a mechanic and served in the famous franco-soviet fighter regiment equipped with Yakolev Yak-3 fighters and deployed on the Eastern Front.

After the war, he remained in the armed forces until 1951 and then worked in the civilian aviation industry. He was an enthusiastic proponent of Franco-Russian friendship and traveled to France in 2015 to inaugurate the Normandie-Niémen exhibition at the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace and also in 2017 for the 75th anniversary of the Normandie-Niémen.

Source: Russia Beyond

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An Antonov An-2 at the 16th Oldtimer Fliegertreffen Hahnweide airshow in 2011. (Photo Julian Herzog (CC BY 4.0))

An Antonov An-2 crashed today at an airshow in Balachikha near Moscow. The two pilots were killed in the accident, but no members of the public were hurt. The scene was filmed from many angles and appears to show the pilot attempting a hard left turn to avoid the public before losing control and hitting the ground.

Source: RT

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Photo © Wings of Wing Foundation

On Friday the 16th of June, an Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik made its maiden flight in Novossibirsk, Russia. Only two Il-2 are currently airworthy, the first one being part of Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum.

This aircraft was shot down in November 1943 and landed on a frozen lake near Murmansk, from which it was recovered in 2015.

More information on Warbirds News.

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A Soviet Lend-Lease Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was discovered underwater in the Kertch Straight during preparation work for the construction of the Kertch Straight bridge, a road-rail bridge under construction by the Russian Federation, to span the Strait of Kerch between the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea and the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai.

The aircraft was recovered using equipment borrowed from the construction group. No details on its exact identity are available but photos of the recovery operation are available from The Daily Mail.

(h/t Benjamin G.)

Continue reading]]> Updated Oct 12, 2011 After a little-known restoration program by Aviarestoration, an Il-2 Shturmovik recently took to the skies in Russia. While over 35,000 Il-2 were built, there are few survivors, and until recently, no flying example of this legendary attack aircraft.

The aircraft was found in a marsh near Pskov and its restoration required 6 years of work. It was very damaged and shell remains were found inside the fuselage. The entire tail had to be rebuilt, as it was initially made of wood and had rotten away. Some of the bullet holes on the fuselage have been preserved and can still be seen on the restored aircraft.

The first flight was made by Vladimir Barsukov and appears to have been successful. The Il-2 rose into the air after a 200 m take-off run. At the time of its crash, it belonged to the 298th Air Division.

It would seem the aircraft was restored for an American collector, though no clues as to his identity has been given.

More information will be given as it becomes available.

Another video in Russian shows the Il-2 during its restoration: