KeMac

Would anyone be able to give me the ID of this gate guardian? I am not sure if it is a MiG 15 or a MiG 17 but it is outside the old RAF base at Khormaksar in Aden. The photo was taken in 1996 or thereabouts
Many Thanks
KeMac

India Four Two

I've got a photo of that Mig that I took in the early 90s but it's in storage!

I think it's a 15, but it's not clear from your picture:



I saw a Mig-17 at the night airshow at Oshkosh last year. No doubt it was a 17, because there was a 10' flame out the back!

garyscott

MiG-15, the inboard trailing edge of the wing on the 17 is different.

DaveReidUK

The leading edge is too (slightly cranked on the MiG-17).

But as you can't see either of those from the head-on photo, it's a bit academic.

The MiG is still visible on Google Earth at what appears to be the the same location, but the resolution is too poor to give many clues.

Herod

Go to Google Earth with photographs enabled. There is a much better picture there.

DaveReidUK

Pretty conclusively a MiG-15, then.

KeMac

I have been advised that it is a MiG 17 coded "03" and can be seen on Google Earth at

N12.81520, E45.02942

I am wondering is "03" is South Yemen AF though. Tom Cooper's book on Arab MiG 15s and MiG 17s does not give any answers. I ask because it looks like a Soviet number type system.

Regards,.

Keith

DaveReidUK

Yes, 03 red can be discerned (just) on the GE photo:



But if it's a MiG-17, then for some reason it appears to have been retrofitted with a MiG-15's wing.

India Four Two

It also looks like a Mig-15 rear fuselage.

The 15's airbrakes have an internal actuator, giving a smooth rear fuselage. The 17's airbrakes are bigger and the actuator is covered by a prominent bulged fairing.