Sukhoi Su-17M

AIRCRAFTMUSEUM

7/12/20231 min read

On a trip to Harwarden Airport attempting to visit the Tornado Heritage Centre we saw two Soviet fighters sat on their own, this is one of them. I thought that they were Migs of some sort, but after a quick Google it appears they were both Sukhoi Su-17M. If this site is to be belived then they arrived in 1993, but they have definitely been there since 2014 (the earliest image I have seen was in 2014) and so are pretty well preserved despite not moving for years. There were reports of a company buying a job lot of Soviet aircraft to renovate and sell, in the end some went to museums and the rest are stored, with these being the only two displayed outside.

Interestingly when we did go to the Tornado Heritage Centre, the Tornado on display came from the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester because they had to close the Air and Space Hall and so all the exhibits went back to their owners if they were on loan or new owners had to be found. I must admit I don't remember the Tornado in the museum, but I'm glad it found a home. Which reminds me, I must go back to the Avro Heritage Museum which is the resting place of the Shackleton which used to be in the Air and Space Hall as well.