Rare MiG-15Rbis Brought Back to Life: Legendary Reconnaissance Aircraft Restored in Kaluga Region

The restoration of a rare MiG-15Rbis reconnaissance aircraft has been completed in the Kaluga region. The legendary machine has joined the exposition of the Museum of Jet Aviation at the Oreshkovo airfield, which is actively developing: some of its exhibits are capable of taking to the skies.

The MiG-15Rbis is a modified version of the famous MiG-15bis fighter, equipped with AFA-21 and AFA-39 cameras for aerial reconnaissance. The aircraft could photograph a strip up to 4.5 km wide from a height of 2 to 10 km, and подвесные топливные баки were installed to increase the range.

In total, only 364 such machines were produced at the Gorky Plant No. 21.

The specimen that arrived in Oreshkovo was built in 1955 and was part of the USSR Navy aviation. Later, it served in the Yeisk Military Aviation School. After being decommissioned, the machine miraculously survived: it was exchanged by barter, and it stood for more than 30 years on the site of a resident of the Dolzhanskaya village, Alexander Yemtsev.

In 2023, the aircraft was dismantled and delivered to the Kaluga region. For two years, the museum team worked on its restoration, discovering during the work the original tail number 940 and an additional reconnaissance modification — a camera instead of a landing light.

Today, this unique MiG-15Rbis is once again presented to visitors — as a reminder of the technical heritage and rich history of domestic aviation.

Earlier, www1.ru reported that Russian military showed a modernized T-72B3 with "Hedgehog"-type protection.

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