stored behind the museum buildings.

First flown in 1972, this Mi-8P has a nine-seat salon (VIP) interior and according to a Russian source its designation is Mi-8P(S). When seen in the summer of 1991 at Moscow - Tushino, while still CCCP-13337, it was already wearing the now faded titles of Crystal, a Ukrainian operator from Simferopol.

For me this is an Orao, but the Yugoslav and Romanian brother peoples could not even find a common name for their joint attack aircraft. Nationalism ran so high that first flights had to take place on the same day at Batajnica and Bacău on 31 October 1974. The Yugoslav civil war did terminate Romanian production in 1992 and the type was retired from Romanian service in 1998.

Note the wooden rotor blades! The HC-2 light helicopter first flew in 1954. The uprated HC-102 followed in 1961. 21 HC-102s were built, including 15 converted HC-2s. They were used briefly by the Czech armed forces under the designation VR-2, and then transferred to the Svazarm paramiltary organization.

No information could be found about this light aircraft, except that it was built after 2000 by Mr Emil Sobinkovič from Nižný Klátov, near Košice , and that apparently it didn't make it through the certification process.

This neat Mi-24 comes all the way from Kyrgyzstan - unfortunatey no markings are carried except '15299' below the stub wing. I understand that a Slovakian president actively requested aircraft gifts for the Kosice Aviation Museum during state visits.

Carries titles of an abortive museum at Prešov, but seen in the Kosice museum. Obviously, the Slovak roundel on the tail is bogus since Czechoslovakia split up long after the Il-14 was retired. It is is ex Czechoslovak Air Force 3153 and their roundel can be seen under the wing.

The only Q-5 in Europe. Unfortunately a sign was bolted to the ground in front of the aircraft.

The collection of the aviation museum at Kosice is quite cosmopolitan, and includes this late model Italian Starfighter.

The only Q-5 Fantan in Europe.

The big Su-15 air defence fighter from neighbouring Ukraine is one of the treats in the museum at Kosice, in eastern Slovakia.