Text, log and photographs provided by Moscow based Gavin Maxwell – report compiled on his behalf by Grant Robinson

The bi-annual Moscow MAKS air exhibition was the 15th occasion the International Aviation and Space Salon has been held at Zhukovsky, this year on July 20-25, 2021. As usual it drew massive crowds at the weekend. I was lucky with my Thursday 22nd July visit as the skies were really clear, incredibly blue and crowds were very thin as it was the second Trade day. That allowed for many good pictures without the usual crowds to make photography extremely difficult.

The one thing of note was how empty the South of the field was, as Zhukovsky management has moved many old parked aircraft out to be preserved around Russia as monuments or gone to private collections. Historically there were many old MiG’s, Sukhoi’s and old Transports.

The flying displays on the Thursday are limited but the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) with their brand new Su-35S aircraft really entertained as did the Su-57, which showed the absolute amazing agility of this heavy fighter. Due to the ongoing anti-Russia hysteria the Indian Air Force Sarang display team were one of the few Foreign participants and brought five HAL Dhruv helicopters. Airbus brought the A350-1000 and A220-300 but no Boeing or Lockheed aircraft attended (save an Indian Air Force C-17A visiting briefly to support the helicopters). There were two Russian Navy Su-30SM’s doing dog fight tactics over the field.

The big attraction this year was the Sukhoi, single engined T-75 Checkmate which was in a large hangar but unfortunately it was closed to anyone but official delegates until the weekend. This fifth generation stealth fighter is being aimed particularly at export markets and attendees from the UAE, India, Iran and many other countries showed interest. It is from all accounts Mach2 capable and has internal weapons bays for about 8 tons, for an aircraft that weighs 18 tons, so basically the Russian answer to the F-35 but at a sixth of the cost and superior performance hence the name Checkmate!

On exiting the show we drove past the Sukhoi area where about 10 brand new Sukhoi Su95’s were sat, four Rossiya, one Red Wings one Azimuth, one in primer and three in Sukhoi demonstrator colours.

A great day out it is a shame that due to Covid restrictions that I believe I must have been the only British spotter there ☹

RA-12137(2), AN12, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  grey c/s with Rossiya stripe (0034 76 05), South hangars
RF-?????, AN12, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye,  grey c/s, South hangars
RF-?????, AN12, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye , grey c/s, South hangars
RF-?????, AN26, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye, South hangars
RF-?????, IL22, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye, South hangars
RA-?????, IL76, MChS Rossii, South hangars
RF-?????, M55, Geophysica, South hangars
RA-?????, TU204, Operator not noted in hangar, South hangars
TC-EJA, CRJ, WFU Zhukovsky Russia, ex Europe Jet (7763), South side
RA-65574, TU3, WFU Zhukovsky Russia,  two thin green stripes (64753), South side

Russia 76454, IL76, Gromov LII (00734 69074), NW hangar
RA-?????, AN12, Operator not noted, NW ramp
RA-?????, AN26, Aeroflot basic old c/s, NW ramp
RF-72907, AN72, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye (365720 20375), NW ramp
RA-76842, IL76, Aviacon Zitotrans (10334 18616), NW ramp
RA-76363, IL76, MChS Rossii (10334 17540), NW ramp
EW-564TH, IL76, RubyStar (00834 85554), NW ramp
RA-76807, IL76, All white (10134 05176), NW ramp
RF-86925, IL76, Rosgvardiya named Vechislav Tikomirov (00934 92766), NW ramp
??????, IL76, All white, NW ramp
Russia 65570, TU3, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye (66550), NW ramp
RF-88301, YK40, Ministry of Internal Affairs (9641251), NW ramp
Russia 87938, YK40, KRET (9710153), NW ramp

RA-2378G, WILGA2K, Private, West ramp
RA-1758G, X330, Private, West ramp
RA-1885G, PA23, First Flight display team, West ramp
RA-???55, SU29, First Flight display team, West ramp
RA-0680G, YK52, First Flight display team, West ramp
RA-1895G, YK52, First Flight display team, West ramp
RA-1764G, YK52, First Flight display team, West ramp
RA-0839G, YK52, First Flight display team, West ramp
RA-20035, ANSAT, Private (33114), Visitor
RA-20103, ANSAT, Private (33126), Visitor
RF-94651, L410, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  65 red, Visitor
RA-?????, Mil8, KB Mil, Visitor
RF-94650, L410, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  63 red, Visitor
Russia 48986, AN2/TBC2MS, Private, Visitor
RF-00075, T75, Sukhoi OKB, 75 blue, Hangar

YL-AAZ, A223, airBaltic (55114), Static
RA-62659, AN2/TR301, Private, Static
RA-2398G, AK1-3, Private, Static
Russia 911 white, ANSAT-M, Rosvertol (PT-14), Static
RF-32767, BE200, MChS Rossii  Vasily Rakov (76820002501), Static
RA-02792, E50P, Executive (500-00405), Static
Russia 76492, IL76LL, Gromov LII (00434 52549), Static
RA-93966, 1L76/A50, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  37 red (00734 76298), Static
RF-78741, IL78M90, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye (002 01), Static
Russia 226 white, KA226T, UUAPO – Ulan Ude (226T54643180101U), Static
RF-17633, KA226T, Rosgvardiya –  Ministry of Interior  01 yellow (523226571301), Static
Russia  no reg, KA32A, Rosvertol, Static

Russia 103 yellow, KA52K, KB Kamov  BMF flag (35382001003), Static
Russia 623 white, KA62, Rosvertol (97876210104), Static
RA-1274G, L29, Private (993323), Static
RA-3058G, L39C, Private (EEUS.12.0042), Static
OK-JRP, L410, LET (195001/5001), Static
RA-2872G, MAI411, Private, Static
Russia 73054, MC21, KB Yalovlev (MS0004), Static
Russia 107 black, Mi171A2, UUAPO – Ulan Ude (171A02643180107U), Static
Russia 1108 yellow, Mi24P, Rosvertol (3532012913138), Static
RF-06805, Mi26, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  54 yellow (34001212636), Static
Russia 3112 yellow, Mi26T, Rosvertol  carried 157 white (34001212157), Static
Russia 1811 yellow, Mi28NE, Rosvertol (3402990??), Static

RF-13479, Mi28UB, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  82 red, Static
RA-15768, Mi2M, ROSTO (5410741108), Static
RF-13383, Mi35M, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  83 yellow (34075817166), Static
RA-14341, Mi38, Rosvertol (26005), Static
RA-14343, Mi38, Rossiya – Special Flight Detachment (26006), Static
RA-17172, Mi8AMT, KB Mil, Static
Russia 95189, Mi8AMT, Gromov LII (95189), Static
RA-24189, Mi8AMT, Rosvertol (8AMT00643187716U), Static
RF-04508, Mi8AMTSh, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  78 yellow, Static
RF-04499, Mi8MT, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  21 yellow (97392), Static
Russia 96742, Mi8MT, KB Mil (96742), Static
RA-22176, Mi8MT, National Air Ambulance Service (97488), Static

Russia 741 red, MiG29M, RSK MiG, Static
Russia 777 blue, MiG29SMT, RSK MiG, Static
RF-92385, MiG31BM, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  82 blue, Static
no marks, MiG35UB, RSK MiG, Static
RA-01798, P2006T, Tecnam, Static
RA-0388G, SIGMA7, Private (Microlight), Static
RA-0579A, SIGMA, Private (Microlight), Static
RF-91974, SU25SM3, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  94 red, Static
RF-93667, SU30SM, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  57 red (10MK51006), Static
RF-95888, SU34, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  09 red (416066??11?10), Static
RF-95912, SU35S, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  11 red, Static
Russia 97009, SU95, Sukhoi OKB  Corporate Jet (95173), Static
RA-89155, SU95, Red Wings (95164), Static
CCCP-77115, TU144, Tupolev OKB (09-1), Static

Russia 85317, TU5, Gromov Research Institute  FAST, Static
RF-94108, TU160, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  15 red  Vladimir Sudets (83905953), Static
RF-94130, TU95MS, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  24 red  Murmansk (1000213834415), Static
RA-64053, TU204, OAK titles, Static
RF-01502, M4VMT, Stored Zhukovsky Russia ex Russian Space Agency (9301502), Static
Russia 07 blue, VRT300, Pochta Rossi  (Russian Post) (Drone), Static
Russia  no reg, VRT300, VRT systems (Drone), Static
RF-44485, YK130, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  26 red, Static
Russia 02 white, YK152, Yakovlev OKB, Static
Russia 87251, YK40, SibNIA  Twin jet engined with prop on nose! (9310826), Static
Russia 42440, YK42, SibNIA / Roshydromet (4520424210018), Static

F-WMIL, A35K, Airbus Industrie (59), Static & Flying
Russia 54114, IL114, KB Ilyushin (10338 30030), Static & Flying
India  ZD-4043, HAL Dhruv, Indian Air Force  Sarang display team, Static & Flying
India  ZD-4051, HAL Dhruv, Indian Air Force  Sarang display team, Static & Flying
India  ZD-4058, HAL Dhruv, Indian Air Force  Sarang display team, Static & Flying
India  ZD-4061, HAL Dhruv, Indian Air Force  Sarang display team, Static & Flying
India  ZD-????, HAL Dhruv, Indian Air Force  Sarang display team, Static & Flying
Russia 2302 yellow, Mi35, Rosvertol  carried 341 white (340558101), Static & Flying
RF-?????, Mi28, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye 45 yellow, Flying
RF-13491, Mi28, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye 51 yellow, Flying
RF-13492, Mi28, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye 52 yellow, Flying
RF-?????, Mi28, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye ?? yellow, Flying

Russia 73053, MC21, KB Yalovlev (MS0003), Flying
Russia 11 blue, MiG35, RSK MiG, Flying
RF-33787, SU30SM, Voenno Morskovo Flota  45 blue (10MK51403), Flying
RF-33789, SU30SM, Voenno Morskovo Flota  48 blue (10MK51405), Flying
Russia 51 blue, SU35S, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  Russkiyi Vityazi (Russian Knights) 51 blue, Flying
Russia 52 blue, SU35S, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  Russkiyi Vityazi (Russian Knights) 52 blue, Flying
Russia 53 blue, SU35S, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  Russkiyi Vityazi (Russian Knights) 53 blue, Flying
RF-95906, SU35S, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  Russkiyi Vityazi (Russian Knights) 56 blue (49083507206), Flying
RF-95907, SU35S, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  Russkiyi Vityazi (Russian Knights) 57 blue, Flying
RF-?????, SU35S, Vozdushno Kosmicheskiye Silye  Russkiyi Vityazi (Russian Knights) 5? blue, Flying
Russia 051 blue, SU57, Sukhoi OKB, Flying
Russia 97005, SU95, Sukhoi OKB (95005), Flying

Russia, TU160, Tupolev OKB, Tupolev ramp
Russia, TU160, Tupolev OKB, Tupolev ramp
Russia 94001, TU334, WFU Zhukovsky Russia 10 ex Tupolev (01 001), Tupolev ramp
Russia, TU95MS, Tupolev OKB, Tupolev ramp
RA-89067, SU95, MChS Rossii (95069), Sukhoi ramp
RA-89005, SU95, Stored Zhukovsky Russia 15 ex Aeroflot Skyteam c/s (95013), Sukhoi ramp
RA-89006, SU95, Stored Zhukovsky Russia 14 ex Aeroflot Russian Airlines (95014), Sukhoi ramp
RA-89009, SU95, Stored Zhukovsky Russia 14 ex Aeroflot 90 years orange tail c/s (95017), Sukhoi ramp
RA-89???, SU95, Stored Zhukovsky Russia  Orange tail, Sukhoi ramp
RA-89???, SU95, Rossiya Airlines, Sukhoi ramp
RA-89142?, SU95, Rossiya Airlines, Sukhoi ramp

RA-89148?, SU95, Rossiya Airlines, Sukhoi ramp
RA-89149?, SU95, Rossiya Airlines, Sukhoi ramp
RA-89???, SU95, Azimuth Airlines, Sukhoi ramp
RA-89156?, SU95, Red Wings, Sukhoi ramp
Russia, SU95, Sukhoi OKB Corporate c/s, Sukhoi ramp
Russia, SU95, Sukhoi OKB Corporate c/s, Sukhoi ramp
Russia, SU95, Sukhoi OKB Corporate c/s, Sukhoi ramp
Russia, SU95, Sukhoi OKB  Primer, Sukhoi ramp
RA-76845, IL76, MChS Rossii (10434 20696), Sukhoi ramp
RA-?????, AN148, MChS Rossii, Sukhoi ramp