Warbird Sightings
2001
Sandeep Unnithan reports a Sea
Hawk at Visakhapatnam beach
"There's a Sea Hawk on display at the beach in
Vizag, near the Kursura museum, alongwith a T-55 tank which makes up the land-sea-air
triumvirate. Have asked a friend to get me the number." (03/12/01)
HT-2 at the Corps of Military
Police Center and School, Hosur Road , Bangalore
Just made a trip to Bangalore last
week, and while going at the Hosur Road, I saw a HT-2 on display within a
military area behind a wall. Since i saw a board earlier that said Corps of Military
police center and school, A Laxman from Bangalore, who reported a HT-2 at a Military
school in Bangalore had confirmed that it is the same aircraft and it is on display at the
Bangalore Military School. (03/12/01)
A News report on the Unveiling
of a Hawker Hunter at Nagpur.
Kapil Chandni reports that the
Nagpur Muncipal Corporation might unveil a Hawker Hunter in Nagpur park in celebration of
the 200th year anniversary of the city founding. The Hunter was one of the two presented
to the city a couple of years back by the Air chief Tipnis, however one of the aircraft
has since been returned back to the IAF. WoI will report more once the aircraft
installation is complete. (30/11/01)
Sandeep Unnithan on a MiG-21 at
HAL Museum Ozhar.
Recently Sandeep had a friend check
out the HAL Museum newly opened in Nasik by HAL factory at Ozhar. The Museum is no great
shakes, with just photos and models. The only vintage aircraft on display is a MiG-21
outside.
This is within Nasik Town (30/11/01)
Sandeep Unnithan and Kapil
Chandni confirm new warbirds in Bombay aboard the INS Vikrant
the IN is opening up the Vikrant to
the public between 1-9 December.This is strictly for the duration of Navy Week
celebrations. The bonanza is in the aircraft which they have put on display, a total of
seven retired aircraft including 2 Alizes, 2 Seahawks, 2 Seaking 42As
(All)(bought
fm the UK in the early 70s) and one Alouette III / Chetak. (24/11/01)
Varun Chakrapani from Bangalore
confirms one Sukhoi-7 and writes about others
1)two Su-7s in the jalahalli west area and
2)a Vampire as just in front of the
jalahalli east gate!
3)two Dakota C-47 airframes in the ASC centre one is just behind the parade ground
4)S-55 helicopter in the HAL airport in bnlore (20/11/01)
Laxman A from Bangalore sends
in a new list of sightings:
1. H.I.E.T, Chennai.- The
Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology(HIET) in St Thomas Mount in Chennai - There
are quite a few airplanes there. These are used to provide training to Aircraft
Maintenance Engineering students. A few are: a. T-6 Harvard b. Tiger Moth
c. Vampire d. L-5 Sentinel
2. Indore:- In a private collectors garage in Indore, you will find a. Tiger
Moth b. L-5 Sentinel (Stinson) this may have been a surplus WWII
spotter plane used by the Allies in Burma and NE India. c. Cmelak (Bumble Bee) -
This one is not a warbird but is a crop duster made in Czekoslovakia. All of above were
lying in the Flying club Hangar in Indore. They were bought by a private collector Mr.
Sanghi in Indore in whose care they reside currently.
3. Faridkot Punjab:- Apparantly the erstwhile Maharaja had a very large collection
of old airplanes. Not much else is Known.
4. Dharmasthala, Karnataka Near Mangalore:- In this temple town famous as the seat
of the diety Lord Manjunatheswara, there is a small museum housing a. HT-2 b.
DC-3 Dakota This is a civilian plane belonging to Birlas. It was flying
till about 1995 then it was donated here.
Vijay Simha Reddy on a
Vampire at IIT-Chennai
Vijay who had contributed greatly to
our Chennai Warbirds update reports that at one point of time there could have been a Vampire
in Chennai IIT's inventory, which was possibly disposed off in the eighties.
(07/11/01)
Rupak Chattopadhyay on a Gnat
and an Mi-4 in Delhi
Rupak mentioned seeing a Gnat
and a
helicopter, probably an Mi-4 at the Delhi Traffic Police's
Traffic Training Park. These were in the late Eighties. No confirmation as to where the
park is and if the aircraft are still there. (07/11/01)
MiG-21 FL at Tambaram?
 |
The MiG-21 FL as seen at the
recent Air Force Day Celebrations at Tambaram Air Force Station. The pristine condition of
the aircraft and the care taken to protect the Pitot tube and nose cone lends credence to
the observation that this aircraft is a flying example. |
A MiG-21 FL (Type-77) has been put
up on display during an open day at Tambaram Air Force Station during the Air Force Day
Celebrations. It is not know if this was an active flying aircraft or a retired display
aircraft. Chances seem to be bright that the aircraft is a flying example, though what a
Type-77 is doing in the southern part of India where typically only trainer aircraft or
modern types have been noticed seems to be a mystery. Also put on display along with the
MiG-21 was a Kiran Trainer and an Ajeet fighter. This is the first time we have
recieved confirmation about the presence of the Ajeet in Chennai.
Vishal Sharma from USA wrote
about four derelict Sukhoi-7s at Hindon AFB.
There were about 3 Su-7's
I remember seeing, they lie behind the headquarters and the MTR&S of the Scarlet
Dragons Sqn of the Pechora Unit - 2230 Sqn AF, there was one near the Matra missile
storage silos somewere to the west of the airfield.
Phil Camp, Aviation
Photographer reported three confirmed new warbirds in Delhi:
Phil was on a visit to some Indian
Air Force bases on invitation and he had reported the following aircraft present in DELHI
1. A HF-24 Marut [D-1274]
on display at the Officers Mess at Air HQ, Delhi.
2. A MiG-21Bis [C-2284] on display at the Officers
Mess Air HQ,
3. A Folland Gnat [IE-1071] at the same place
Simon Watson, Aviation
Photographer photographed two derelict Dakotas in Mumbai:
Simon recently photographed two Dakotas
at the
Mumbai International Airport. Both the Dakotas were derelict and seemed abandoned. No info
on owners/operators.
Joseph Anthony from the UAE saw
two Gnats and One Helicopter in the eighties:
1. The Hindustan Institute of
Engineering Technology(HIET) in St Thomas Mount in Chennai is an institution imparting
Aeronautical Engg for over 3 decades. They definitely used to have a
helicopter(similar to the Sikorsky S-55) and also a jet fighter (possibly
a Gnat) in the eighties.
2. The Madras Institute of Technology(MIT) in Chromepet is another institute
which imparted quality education in Aeronautical Engg(boasting of alumini
like A.P.J. Abdul Kalam). They too had atleast a Gnat in their possession.
Laxman A from Bangalore reports
the following aircraft from Roorkee and Bangalore:
1. A Dakota fuelage
minus fin HT wings and engines but still very much a Gooney Bird resplendent in shades of
Blue, grey and Olive green (Remenants of some Old IAF
NE colour scheme of the type in the old MI8 choppers). Lying in a park in ROORKEE
engineering college(UP state) seen by me in 1991.
2.HT-2 in Military School in BANGALORE
3.About 5 HT-2's and 1 Devon as training aircraft in AME
training school Hindustan Electronics Institute Marathalli Bangalore.
4.VSM AME training school Bangalore also has a Devon in Bangalore.
5.A Dakota Fuselage in a park in ASC motor training school in Bangalore.
6.A HF24 Marut 1T in the ASTE campus on display just inside the
gate.
7.Also a Canberra, and another Devon in HAL
airport lying derelict.
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