Don't care about the cupholders, I just think Sukhois are chick magnets. ;)
(Just kidding. That's Svetlana Kapanina, 4-time world-champion aerobatics pilot - there was a thread about an airshow featuring her, with more pics, here.)
Posted on 04/04/2006 6:17:28 PM PDT by Republican Party Reptile
Stripped fighter jet seized
Hong Kong customs authorities have seized an aircraft believed to be a Soviet-made Mig-29 Fulcrum fighter jet at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal after a routine check revealed the shipment was missing an import license.
Leslie Kwoh
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Hong Kong customs authorities have seized an aircraft believed to be a Soviet-made Mig-29 Fulcrum fighter jet at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal after a routine check revealed the shipment was missing an import license. The aircraft did not carry any weapons and had been stripped of its engine and other parts when it was discovered by officials Sunday, Commissioner of Customs and Excise Timothy Tong said Tuesday. The shipment had arrived from Ukraine and was destined for the United States.
"The department will continue investigating into the matter, but there is no sign that it involves serious crime, violence, or terrorist activities," Tong said. "So far there's no indication the shipment is connected with smuggling."
Tong refused to reveal the shipping company's name but said the incident might have been caused by "misunderstanding or a lack of time to follow correct procedures."
"From time to time, we have had shipments of strategic commodities pass through Hong Kong where shippers were negligent and did not apply for licenses, but there have been no serious cases where Hong Kong has been threatened," he said. "This [indicates] our strategic goods regulation and monitoring system is very good."
But Democratic Party lawmaker James To warned against complacency, saying he was particularly alarmed by the discovery as "Hong Kong is not known to be a hub for the transfer of such commodities."
He urged the government to fulfill its "responsibility to the international community" and look into the motive behind the shipment and background of the shipping company.
Designed in the early 1970s, the Mig-29 continues to be used by the Ukrainian Air Force and in other countries. The aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 2,450 kilometers per hour, destroy air targets at distances up to 200km and carry up to 3,500 kilograms of weapons.
This is not the first time military shipments have appeared illegally in Hong Kong. In May 2004, customs officials seized about 2,900 sub- machine guns and 25,000 unloaded magazines in transit from Malaysia to California. In March 2000, customs officials seized five armored vehicles en route to Tianjin from Italy.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, items with potential military or nuclear uses - such as weapons, fissionable materials, nuclear reactors and supercomputers - are considered strategic commodities and must be covered by locally issued import licenses in order to pass through Hong Kong.
Persons who breach the ordinance are subject to a maximum penalty of HK$500,000 fine and two years' imprisonment.
Looks like the PLAAF just got a freebe MiG-29. All they have to do now is get the avaonics and engines (not hard to do)
I refuse to answer with respect to my rights under the Second Ammendment to the Constitution. Among others. ;-p
Vodka for my jet planes, whiskey for my men!
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, in the Bureau of
Political-Military Affairs (PM/DDTC), has a 15M Budget to track that stuff, those aircaft should all have EULA's or End User Docs, Like the Mirages Chirac was selling to Saddam during the U.N. embargo. Huh Whut? Really? you say? -Yup....
They don't need it.
The Chinese have a large inventory of SU-27s and J-11s, and SU-30s. They are producing high quality fighters on their own; they have also purchased late model Russian fighters and fighter-bombers.
I just *love* the cupholders on that!
I had it shipped USPS. I ordered it 3 years ago and have been tracing it for the last 2 and 1/2. It must have gotten lost in the Christmas Rush.
Shhhheeeeeeshhhhhhh I ordered a Hind!
Can't they get anything right.
Seek and you shall find: http://www.moscowaircraft.com/aircraft-sales-29.htm
They will still use it for a rear-echlon avation unit, or in a specialized role.
mig-29 is an antique! they won't get anywhere with that museum piece. Saw a frankenstein reassembled model at the tyndall AFB show. They were pulling it around with a tractor, NOT flying it.
The Chinese still use MiG 15's in some units.
The things you can get on eBay nowdays < /astonishment
" What private citizen in the US has the money to pay for this, the connections to get it shipped, the technical know-how to reassemble a MiG-29, and the facilities to operate and maintain it?"
Wow! Do you not know the American aviation community. Hie thee to Plant City, Florida for the Sun-N-Fun flyin Going on NOW!) or go to Oshkosh.
Ask around and see how little time it will take to find whatever level of expertise and/or experience you want.
Don't care about the cupholders, I just think Sukhois are chick magnets. ;)
(Just kidding. That's Svetlana Kapanina, 4-time world-champion aerobatics pilot - there was a thread about an airshow featuring her, with more pics, here.)
Well that explains things. Thanks for the info.
Is this why Russia is getting rid of them for SU-27???
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