Retrieve a MIG-15: Royal Navy Mission in Korea 1952

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the recovery of a crashed MIG-15 by the Royal Navy during the Korean War in 1952, specifically focusing on the method of dismantling the aircraft using hand grenades as described in a historical article. Participants explore the implications of this method and its effectiveness, as well as the context of the MIG-15's performance and the lack of anti-Communist sentiment in the article.

Discussion Character

  • Historical
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express curiosity about the practicality of dismantling an aircraft with hand grenades, questioning how effective this method would be.
  • One participant notes that the article suggests the MIG was dismantled quickly due to the urgency of being in enemy territory, implying that explosives were a necessary choice.
  • Another participant references a later incident involving a MIG-25, contrasting the hasty dismantling with a more careful approach taken by American technicians, which did not involve explosives.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the historical context of the MIG-15 recovery but express differing views on the feasibility and consequences of using hand grenades for dismantling the aircraft. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the effectiveness of this method.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in understanding the specific circumstances and techniques used during the dismantling process, as well as the potential impact on the aircraft's condition. The discussion does not clarify the extent of damage caused by the use of explosives.

saddlestone-man
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TL;DR
Use of the Nene engine in the MIG-15
Hello All

I've included here a small piece from Meccano Magazine for November 1952, describing the recovery of a crashed MIG-15 in Korea. Certainly a dangerous mission and I like the way the MIG was dismantled "with hand grenades"!

Interestingly the text is full of praise for the aircraft, and apparently free of anti-Communist propaganda.

Was it when the previous MIG-15, retrieved by the Royal Navy, was inspected that the use of a Nene-clone was discovered?

best regards ... Stef
 

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How does one dismantle anything with hand grenades?
 
jedishrfu said:
How does one dismantle anything with hand grenades?

Afterwards they are certainly no longer mantled.
 
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@Vanadium 50 the reference of dismantling was from the posted news article where it said they dismantled a MIG for transport using hand grenades.

It would seem that doing that would have destroyed most if not all of the plane so I was wondering if the OP knew more about it.
 
I know no more about this dismantling than what's shown in the article. Since this was done on enemy territory, they were in a hurry and so some form of explosive did the trick quickly.

I recall the defection of Viktor Belenko in 1976 who flew his MIG-25 to Japan from Vladivostok. In that incident, the American technicians felt it was necessary to take the plane to pieces (presumably NOT using hand grenades) so that it could be carefully packed into 40 crates for safe return to the Russians.
 
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