Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML Flogger-G – Red 340, JG 9, East German Air Force, Peenemunde AB, East Germany, 1990

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA5313: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML Flogger-G Red 340 of JG 9, East German Air Force, Peenemunde AB, East Germany, 1990.Production run of 750 models.

Length 9.25 inches Wingspan 7.75 inches

MiG-23ML c/n 0390324249 was delivered to the East German Air Force Jagfliegergeschwader 9 “Heinrich Rau”, Peenemunde AB in 1990 in July 1982 with serial Red 610. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 this aircraft and others were later absorbed into the unified German AF and recoded 20+37. Not long after this, the aircraft was placed into storage and in August 1993 it was sent to Fassberg AB Technical School to be used as a ground trainer. The aircraft Camo scheme is Brown/Dark Brown/Olive Green/Medium Green on top and blue on the underside.

Designed as a heavier, more powerful improvement on the MiG-21 Fishbed, the MiG 23 first flew on June 10, 1967. This fighter/bomber had variable-sweep wings and could achieve speeds greater than Mach 2. It was the first Soviet aircraft capable of firing “beyond-visual-range” missiles, and the first to have look-down/shoot-down radar. As one of the most successful military aircraft built during the Cold War, MiG-23s were produced in large numbers, with more than 5,000 coming off of the production lines. Although retired from service in the former Soviet Union, many MiG-23s are still in service with various export customers.