Photographer Alberto Storti

photo via G. Bouma

Photographer Luigi Perinetti

This jet was captured by the British troops at Leck on 15 May 1945 as "Weisse 21". It was selected to go to the French Air Force for investigation and test flights in 1946. Around 1950 it was sent to the Rochefort-Sur- Mer Air Force mechanics school for instructional use, and it received a bordaux-red color scheme. Later the aircraft arrived at Le Bourget Halle B in 1975 and received green overall paint scheme. Mid 2010 it arrived at Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace near Paris, France as fake 120223. In June 2015 it received unit serial "Gelbe 21". Picture is part of my private slides collection.

The Molniya-1 was a six-seater utility aircraft designed and built in Russia during the 1990s. In 1993 the design received a gold medal at the Eureka-93 World Inventors, Scientific Research and Know-How Salon in Brussels. It was demonstrated at the Le Bourget aero show in 1995. Only two Moliniyas had been built by about 2000. This airframe was initially registered as 00103.

Derived from the Breguet 280, the 284T model was built in 8 units and was used by Air Union and then the fledgling Air France from 1933 to 1936. It could carry 8 passengers. In the background is visible and a Handley Page 45 . Pic from family collection via Raphael W. who permit to share this very rare photo.

Photographer Luigi Perinetti

Returning from the air display, stil trailing its brake chute

Displayed at that event together with ZG511/AL (air show number 234)

It seems that the displayed aircraft livery was not officially agreed with the desired new customer. Sabena only asked for information about this aircraft but the contacts never proceeded further.

Owned by Specialized Aircraft Services Inc. at the date of the photo